118th Congress Armed Forces and National Security
H.R. 1242: Military Support for Fighting Wildfires Act of 2023
Introduced
- Introduced (completed)
- Passed House (not reached)
- Passed Senate (not reached)
- To the President (not reached)
- Became law (not reached)
Summary
This bill addresses the role of the Department of Defense (DOD) in wildfire emergency response.
Specifically, the bill requires DOD to reimburse a state for the costs of fighting wildfires caused by DOD activities on state lands.
The bill also makes permanent the Fireguard Program, under which DOD may use members of the National Guard to help detect and monitor wildfires and support emergency response to such fires.
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The bill updates provisions related to the transfer of certain aircraft from DOD and the Department of Homeland Security to other agencies for wildfire suppression and other related purposes.
Under the bill, the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA) within DOD may not require the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) or a federal land management agency to reimburse NGA for the use of resources for any request approved in relation to (1) a request made by the federal agency through the National Interagency Fire Center (NIFC), or (2) an area of federal land affected by extreme weather.
Further, reimbursement requirements under the Economy Act do not apply to DOD assistance provided to FEMA or a federal land management agency for requests made through the NIFC or those pertaining to an area covered by a declaration of a major disaster or emergency.
DOD must issue guidance for the use of unmanned aircraft systems by the National Guard for specified activities (e.g., emergency operations) in a manner no more restrictive than the use of other aircraft for such activities.
Written by the Congressional Research Service, Library of Congress.
Roll calls
No roll call votes have been held on this bill.
Amendments
No amendments were offered to this bill.
Cosponsors
- Salud Carbajal D-CAOriginal
- Sara Jacobs D-CAOriginal
- Jimmy Panetta D-CAOriginal
- Adam Schiff D-CAOriginal
- Mary Scanlon D-PAOriginal
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History
- Introduced in the House by John Garamendi.
Show the full action history (7 actions)
- Referred to the Subcommittee on Defense Intelligence and Overhead Architecture.
- Referred to the Subcommittee on Federal Lands.
- Referred to the Subcommittee on Forestry.
- Referred to the Subcommittee on Economic Development, Public Buildings, and Emergency Management.
- Introduced in House
- Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR E162-163)
- Referred to the Committee on Armed Services, and in addition to the Committees on Agriculture, Intelligence (Permanent Select), Transportation and Infrastructure, and Natural Resources, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.