Federal

Wildfire Recovery Act

Source: Congress.gov · 484 words in original text

What This Bill Does

This bill changes how the federal government pays for fire management assistance. It increases the federal government's share of costs from an unspecified amount to at least 75 percent of eligible expenses. The bill also requires federal officials to create new rules within three years about when the federal cost share can be increased even higher.

Who It Affects

States and local governments that respond to fires and receive federal fire management assistance.

Key Provisions

• The federal government will pay at least 75 percent of the eligible costs for fire management assistance (Sec. 2) • These new cost-sharing rules only apply to money appropriated (set aside by Congress) on or after the date this law is enacted (Sec. 2) • The Federal Emergency Management Agency Administrator must create new rules within three years that explain when the President can increase the federal cost share above 75 percent (Sec. 3) • These new rules must include a way to measure how much financial damage a state or local government experiences when responding to a fire (Sec. 3)

What Changes

The federal government will cover a larger portion of fire management assistance costs going forward. States and local governments will pay less of the bill for eligible fire management expenses.

Important Definitions

None defined in the bill text.

Effective Date

The cost share changes apply to money appropriated on or after the date this bill becomes law. Not specified in bill text when that date is.

I 118TH CONGRESS 1ST SESSION H. R. 480 To amend the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act to provide flexibility with the cost share for fire management assist- ance, and for other purposes. IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES JANUARY 24, 2023 Mr. NEGUSE (for himself, Mr. CURTIS, Mr. LYNCH, Mr. LAMALFA, Mr. CLEAVER, Mr. SWALWELL, Mr. GARAMENDI, Mr. CARBAJAL, Ms. STANSBURY, Mr. STANTON, Ms. NORTON, Ms. SCHRIER, Ms. STRICK- LAND, Mr. DESAULNIER, Ms. LEGER FERNANDEZ, Ms. LEE of Cali- fornia, Ms. JAYAPAL, Mr. HUFFMAN, Mr. GALLEGO, and Mr. BLU- MENAUER) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Com- mittee on Transportation and Infrastructure A BILL To amend the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emer- gency Assistance Act to provide flexibility with the cost share for fire management assistance, and for other pur- poses. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa- 1 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 2 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 3 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Wildfire Recovery 4 Act’’. 5 VerDate Sep 11 2014 00:37 Feb 04, 2023 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H480.IH H480 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS 2 •HR 480 IH SEC. 2. FIRE MANAGEMENT ASSISTANCE COST SHARE. 1 (a) IN GENERAL.—Section 420 of the Robert T. 2 Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act is 3 amended— 4 (1) by redesignating subsection (e) as sub- 5 section (f); and 6 (2) by inserting after subsection (d) the fol- 7 lowing: 8 ‘‘(e) FEDERAL SHARE.—The Federal share of assist- 9 ance under this section shall be not less than 75 percent 10 of the eligible cost of such assistance.’’. 11 (b) APPLICABILITY.—The amendment made by sub- 12 section (a) shall only apply to amounts appropriated on 13 or after the date of enactment of this Act. 14 SEC. 3. RULEMAKING. 15 Not later than 3 years after the date of enactment 16 of this Act, the President, acting through the Adminis- 17 trator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, 18 shall conduct and complete a rulemaking to provide cri- 19 teria for the circumstances under which the Administrator 20 may recommend the President increase the Federal cost 21 share for section 420 of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster 22 Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5187). 23 Such criteria shall include a threshold metric that assesses 24 the financial impact to a State or local government from 25 VerDate Sep 11 2014 00:37 Feb 04, 2023 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H480.IH H480 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS 3 •HR 480 IH responding to a fire for which fire management assistance 1 is being provided. 2 Æ VerDate Sep 11 2014 00:37 Feb 04, 2023 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6301 E:\BILLS\H480.IH H480 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS

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