119-hr582

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 582 Introduced in House

    (IH) ]

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119th CONGRESS
 1st Session
 H. R. 582

 To establish a community protection and wildfire resilience grant 
 program, and for other purposes.

_______________________________________________________________________

 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

 January 21, 2025

 Mr. Huffman (for himself and Mr. Obernolte) introduced the following 
 bill; which was referred to the Committee on Science, Space, and 
Technology, and in addition to the Committees on Natural Resources, and 
Agriculture, 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

_______________________________________________________________________

 A BILL

 To establish a community protection and wildfire resilience grant 
 program, and for other purposes.

 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

 This Act may be cited as the ``Community Protection and Wildfire 
Resilience Act''.

SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS.

 In this Act:

    (1) Administrator.--The term ``Administrator'' means the 
 Administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

    (2) Chief.--The term ``Chief'' means the Chief of the 
 Forest Service.

    (3) Community protection and wildfire resilience plan.--The 
 term ``community protection and wildfire resilience plan'' 
 means a plan that--
        (A) is developed by an eligible entity in 
 coordination with--
            (i) the local community and government;
            (ii) local Indian Tribes;
            (iii) local law enforcement, firefighters, 
 first responders, fire managers, and utilities;
            (iv) non-governmental organizations 
 carrying out relevant projects or relevant 
 operations locally; and
            (v) State agencies responsible for--
            (I) fire prevention and emergency 
 response;
            (II) other emergency response;
            (III) public safety;
            (IV) environmental protection; and
            (V) forest management.
        (B) includes strategies and activities relating 
 to--
            (i) improving early detection technology, 
 public outreach and education, alerts and 
 warnings, evacuation planning, evacuation 
 execution, and access for first responders;
            (ii) addressing vulnerable populations, 
 including the elderly, children, individuals 
 with disabilities, and homeless individuals;
            (iii) hardening and increasing the 
 resiliency of critical infrastructure and 
 homes, including through incentive programs;
            (iv) applying community-scale defensible 
 space projects, developed collaboratively with 
 the entities described in clauses
            (i) through
            (iii) of subparagraph
        (A) , across contiguous 
 areas;
            (v) building local capacity to implement 
 and oversee the plan;
            (vi) implementing strategic land use 
 planning;
            (vii) educating community members about 
 ways to improve community resilience;
            (viii) coordinating any existing wildfire 
 plans, such as a community wildfire protection 
 plan or a community emergency evacuation plan; 
 and
            (ix) incorporating information from a map 
 generated pursuant to 

section 210

    (a) of 
 division O of the Consolidated Appropriations 
 Act, 2018 (16 U.S.C. 6501 note; Public Law 115-
 141); and
            (C) may consist of existing plans or other efforts, 
 provided that any such plan complies with subparagraphs
        (A) and
        (B) .

    (4) Critical infrastructure.--The term ``critical 
 infrastructure'' means any public safety, health, education, 
 transportation, communications, or water or power utility 
 infrastructure or any private infrastructure necessary to 
 preserve community safety, resilience, or continuity of 
 operation of such infrastructure with respect to a wildfire 
 threat.

    (5) Defensible space project.--The term ``defensible space 
 project''--
        (A) means a project that is conducted within a 
 radius of not more than 100 feet around a home, 
 business, or administrative facility, and is comprised 
 of vegetation pruning, such as annual removal of tree 
 seedlings and saplings, lower limbs of mature trees, 
 cutting of grasses and reducing density and continuity 
 of shrubs, and removal of most small twigs and leaves; 
 or
        (B) at the discretion of the Administrator, if a 
 project funded under the program is being carried out 
 in a State that has established, by law, a more 
 restrictive definition of the term, has the meaning 
 given the term in State law.

    (6) Eligible entity.--The term ``eligible entity'' means--
        (A) a State;
        (B) an Indian Tribe;
            (C) a unit of general local or regional government, 
 including a fire protection district or a municipal 
 fire department;
            (D) a volunteer fire department; or
        (E) a collaborative effort of not less than 2 
 entities described in subparagraphs
        (A) through
            (D) .

    (7) Program.--The term ``program'' means the grant program 
 established under 

section 3

    (a) .

    (8) State.--The term ``State'' means a State of the United 
 States, the District of Columbia, Guam, Puerto Rico, the Virgin 
 Islands, American Samoa, the Northern Mariana Islands, and any 
 other territory or possession of the United States.

SEC. 3. COMMUNITY PROTECTION AND WILDFIRE RESILIENCE GRANT PROGRAM.

    (a) Establishment.--Not later than 1 year after the date of 
enactment of this Act, the Administrator, acting through the United 
States Fire Administrator and in coordination with the Chief, shall 
establish a program, which shall be separate from the program 
established under 

section 203 of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief 
and Emergency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5133), under which the 
Administrator shall award grants to eligible entities to--

    (1) in the case of an eligible entity that has a community 
 protection and wildfire resilience plan, carry out projects 
 described in the community protection and wildfire resilience 
 plan of the eligible entity in accordance with subsection
            (c) ; 
 or

    (2) in the case of an eligible entity that does not have a 
 community protection and wildfire resilience plan, develop a 
 community protection and wildfire resilience plan in accordance 
 with subsection
            (d) .

    (b) Criteria for Grants.--

    (1) In general.--Not later than 1 year after the date of 
 enactment of this Act, the Administrator, acting through the 
 United States Fire Administrator and in coordination with the 
 Chief, shall establish criteria to award grants under the 
 program.

    (2) Communities.--Amounts provided under the program shall 
 be used to conduct projects and activities only in communities 
 in existence on the date of enactment of this Act.

    (3) Priority.--In awarding grants under the program, the 
 Administrator shall give priority to eligible entities that 
 will carry out projects or plans supporting a community located 
 in an area with a high risk for fire or wildfire, as evidenced 
 by a State wildfire hazard map or a map generated pursuant to 
 

section 210

    (a) of division O of the Consolidated Appropriations 
 Act, 2018 (16 U.S.C. 6501 note; Public Law 115-141).
            (c) Community Protection and Wildfire Resilience Grants.--

    (1) Use of grant funds.--An eligible entity that receives a 
 grant under the program must use grant funds to carry out 
 projects that support a diverse portfolio of community 
 protection and wildfire resilience strategies described in the 
 community protection and wildfire resilience plan of the 
 eligible entity.

    (2) Grant amounts.--A grant under this subsection shall be 
 for not more than $10,000,000.
            (d) Community Protection and Wildfire Resilience Plan Development 
Grants.--

    (1) Use of grant funds.--An eligible entity that receives a 
 grant under the program may use grant funds to develop a 
 community protection and wildfire resilience plan for the 
 eligible entity.

    (2) Grant amounts.--An award under this subsection shall be 
 for not more than $250,000.

    (e) Preference for Local Contractors and Labor.--In carrying out a 
project using a grant awarded under the program, the grant recipient 
shall, to the maximum extent practicable, give preference to 
contracting with entities, and hiring individuals, from the area in 
which the project is being carried out, including by partnering with 
local corps groups such as AmeriCorps or a conservation corps.

    (f) Cost-Sharing.--

    (1) Non-federal share requirement.--The non-Federal share 
 of the cost (including the administrative cost) of carrying out 
 a project using funds from a grant awarded under the program--
        (A)
            (i) shall be not less than 25 percent of the 
 cost of the project to be carried out using grant funds 
 in accordance with subsection
            (c) ; and
            (ii) shall be 0 percent of the cost of the project 
 to be carried out using grant funds in accordance with 
 subsection
            (d) ;
        (B) may be provided by--
            (i) a State, a unit of local government, an 
 Indian Tribe, a nonprofit organization, private 
 industry, or a combination of those entities; 
 or
            (ii) volunteer hours and in-kind donations; 
 and
            (C) may, in the case of a project that serves a 
 low-income community, be in the form of a low-interest 
 Federal loan to the eligible entity carrying out the 
 project through the Community Disaster Loan program 
 authorized under 

section 417 of the Robert T. Stafford 
 Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 
 5184).

    (2) Waiver; reduction.--In carrying out the program, the 
 Administrator may waive or reduce the non-Federal share amount 
 required under paragraph

    (1) .

    (g) Authorization of Appropriations.--There are authorized to be 
appropriated to carry out the program $1,000,000,000 for each of fiscal 
years 2025 through 2029.

SEC. 4. GOVERNMENT ACCOUNTABILITY OFFICE REPORT.

 Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of this Act, the 
Comptroller General of the United States shall publish a report--

    (1) on authorities and programs of the Federal Government 
 that are available to protect communities from wildfires; and

    (2) that includes an assessment of the Comptroller General 
 with respect to impediments to the implementation of such 
 programs, including gaps in funding.

SEC. 5. GOVERNMENT ACCOUNTABILITY OFFICE STUDY.

 Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of this Act, the 
Comptroller General of the United States shall publish a study that 
includes--

    (1) an assessment of the Comptroller General with respect 
 to--
        (A) the potential for a community protection and 
 wildfire resilience plan to qualify for a certification 
 identifying a level of wildfire survivability and 
 resilience; and
        (B) methods that could be used by the Federal 
 Government to incentivize insurance companies to accept 
 such a certification; and

    (2) an identification of any metrics that could be provided 
 to insurance companies as assurance that a community has 
 wildfire resilience measures in place.

SEC. 6. UPDATING LIST OF AT-RISK COMMUNITIES.

    (a) In General.--Subparagraph
        (A) of 

section 101

    (1) of the Healthy 
Forests Restoration Act of 2003 (16 U.S.C. 6511

    (1)
        (A) ) is amended to 
read as follows:
 ``
        (A) that is comprised of a group of homes and 
 other structures with basic infrastructure and services 
 (such as utilities and collectively maintained 
 transportation routes) within or adjacent to Federal 
 land;''.

    (b) Map.--Not later than 180 days after the date of enactment of 
this Act, and every 5 years thereafter, the Administrator, acting 
through the United States Fire Administrator and in coordination with 
the Chief, shall develop and publish a map depicting at-risk 
communities (as defined in 

section 101 of the Healthy Forests 
Restoration Act of 2003 (16 U.S.C. 6511), as amended by this section), 
including Tribal at-risk communities.

SEC. 7. REPORT ON RADIO COMMUNICATIONS.

    (a) In General.--Not later than 2 years after the date of enactment 
of this Act, the Administrator, acting through the United States Fire 
Administrator and in coordination with the Chief, shall prepare a 
report relating to insufficient radio frequencies, barriers to 
interoperability of radio frequencies, and available products and 
technologies for overcoming barriers to interoperability for wildfire 
management.

    (b) Cooperation.--In preparing the report under subsection

    (a) , the 
Administrator shall cooperate with--

    (1) the Secretary of Agriculture;

    (2) agencies responsible for the management of Federal 
 land;

    (3) State fire marshals;

    (4) State and local emergency response agencies;

    (5) Tribal fire departments and emergency managers; and

    (6) municipal fire departments, fire protection districts, 
 and volunteer fire departments in relevant communities.
            (c) Compatibility; Additional Frequencies.--The report under 
subsection

    (a) shall include--

    (1) a determination on whether the entities described in 
 subsection

    (b) have the ability to communicate by way of radio 
 during a potential fire suppression effort for a community 
 conflagration;

    (2) a determination on whether--
        (A) the reserved radio frequencies are sufficient 
 for wildfire management; or
        (B) additional frequencies, listed by type and 
 location, are recommended to be reserved or obtained;

    (3) an analysis of commercially available technology and 
 products to enable radios from multiple agencies operating on 
 different radio frequencies to be interoperable; and

    (4) if the Administrator determines under paragraph

    (1) that any entities do not have the ability to communicate, a 
 plan for ensuring such entities would be able to communicate 
 adequately during a fire suppression effort for a community 
 conflagration.

SEC. 8. AMENDMENT TO COMMUNITY WILDFIRE DEFENSE GRANT PROGRAM TO ALLOW 
 STRUCTURE HARDENING.

 

Section 40803

    (f) of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (16 
U.S.C. 6592

    (f) ) is amended--

    (1) in paragraph

    (1)
        (B) , by striking ``projects'' and 
 inserting ``projects (including covered projects)''; and

    (2) in paragraph

    (3) , by adding at the end the following 
 new subparagraph:
 ``
            (D) Covered projects defined.--In this 
 subsection, the term `covered projects' means the 
 following:
 ``
            (i) The construction, modification, or 
 maintenance of a structure to make the 
 structure resistant to the intrusion of flames 
 or embers.
 ``
            (ii) The modification of a structure or 
 an area adjacent to a structure, (including 
 vegetation and miscellaneous structures, such 
 as garages, sheds, and fencing) if such 
 modification is carried out--
 ``
            (I) to reduce the exposure of the 
 structure to direct contact from flame, 
 radiation, or embers from wildfire; and
 ``
            (II) with consideration for the 
 potential effects on the structure of 
 nearby combustible features (including 
 vegetation, vehicles, and miscellaneous 
 structures, such as garages, sheds, and 
 fencing).''.
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