119-s140

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 140 Introduced in Senate

    (IS) ]

<DOC>

119th CONGRESS
 1st Session
 S. 140

 To address the forest health crisis on the National Forest System and 
 public lands, and for other purposes.

_______________________________________________________________________

 IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

 January 16, 2025

Mr. Barrasso (for himself, Mr. Daines, Ms. Lummis, Mr. Sheehy, and Mr. 
Risch) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred 
 to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources

_______________________________________________________________________

 A BILL

 To address the forest health crisis on the National Forest System and 
 public lands, 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; TABLE OF CONTENTS.

    (a) Short Title.--This Act may be cited as the ``Wildfire 
Prevention Act of 2025''.

    (b) Table of Contents.--The table of contents for this Act is as 
follows:

Sec. 1. Short title; table of contents.

Sec. 2. Definitions.
 TITLE I--ACCOMPLISHMENTS OVER RHETORIC

Sec. 101. Accelerating treatments on Federal land.

Sec. 102. Annual reports.

Sec. 103. Transparency in hazardous fuels reduction activity reporting.

Sec. 104. Regional forest carbon accounting.

Sec. 105. Wildland fire performance metrics.
 TITLE II--FOREST MANAGEMENT

Sec. 201. Vegetation management, facility inspection, and operation and 
 maintenance relating to electric 
 transmission and distribution facility 
 rights-of-way.

Sec. 202. Timber sales on National Forest System land.

Sec. 203. Categorical exclusion for high-priority hazard trees.

Sec. 204. Intervenor status.

Sec. 205. Utilizing grazing for wildfire risk reduction.
 TITLE III--CULTURAL CHANGE IN AGENCIES

Sec. 301. Mandatory use of existing authorities.

Sec. 302. Public-private wildfire technology deployment and testbed 
 partnership.

Sec. 303. Repeal of FLAME reports.

SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS.

 In this Act:

    (1) Federal land.--The term ``Federal land'' means--
        (A) land of the National Forest System; and
        (B) public lands (as defined in 

section 103 of the 
 Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976 (43 
 U.S.C. 1702)), the surface of which is administered by 
 the Secretary of the Interior, acting through the 
 Director of the Bureau of Land Management.

    (2) Hazardous fuels reduction activity.--
        (A) In general.--The term ``hazardous fuels 
 reduction activity'' means any vegetation management 
 activity to reduce the risk of wildfire, including 
 mechanical treatments and prescribed burning.
        (B) Exclusion.--The term ``hazardous fuels 
 reduction activity'' does not include the awarding of a 
 contract to conduct any activity described in 
 subparagraph
        (A) .

    (3) National forest system.--
        (A) In general.--The term ``National Forest 
 System'' has the meaning given the term in 

section 11

    (a) of the Forest and Rangeland Renewable Resources 
 Planning Act of 1974 (16 U.S.C. 1609

    (a) ).
        (B) Exclusion.--The term ``National Forest System'' 
 does not include any forest reserve not created from 
 the public domain.

    (4) Secretary concerned.--The term ``Secretary concerned'' 
 means--
        (A) the Secretary of Agriculture, acting through 
 the Chief of the Forest Service, with respect to 
 Federal land described in paragraph

    (1)
        (A) ; and
        (B) the Secretary of the Interior, acting through 
 the Director of the Bureau of Land Management, with 
 respect to Federal land described in paragraph

    (1)
        (B) .

    (5) Wildland-urban interface.--The term ``wildland-urban 
 interface'' has the meaning given the term in 

section 101 of 
 the Healthy Forests Restoration Act of 2003 (16 U.S.C. 6511).

 TITLE I--ACCOMPLISHMENTS OVER RHETORIC

SEC. 101. ACCELERATING TREATMENTS ON FEDERAL LAND.

    (a) Baseline Treatments for Fuels Reduction and Forest Health.--For 
Federal land, the Secretary concerned shall determine--

    (1) for each of fiscal years 2019 through 2023--
        (A) the number of acres mechanically thinned, for 
 acres commercially thinned and for acres pre-
 commercially thinned; and
        (B) the number of acres treated by prescribed fire; 
 and

    (2) the average of the numbers described in subparagraphs
        (A) and
        (B) of paragraph

    (1) over the period of fiscal years 
 2019 through 2023.

    (b) Annual Goals.--

    (1) In general.--For Federal land for fiscal year 2025 and 
 each fiscal year thereafter, the Secretary concerned shall 
 establish annual--
        (A) mechanical thinning goals for acres 
 commercially thinned and for acres pre-commercially 
 thinned; and
        (B) prescribed fire goals.

    (2) Requirements.--
        (A) Fiscal years 2025 and 2026.--For each of fiscal 
 years 2025 and 2026, the goals established under 
 subparagraphs
        (A) and
        (B) of paragraph

    (1) shall be not 
 less than the number of acres described in subsection

    (a)

    (2) .
        (B) Fiscal years 2027 and 2028.--For each of fiscal 
 years 2027 and 2028, the goals established under 
 subparagraphs
        (A) and
        (B) of paragraph

    (1) shall be not 
 less than 20 percent more than the number of acres 
 described in subsection

    (a)

    (2) .
            (C) Fiscal year 2029 and subsequent fiscal years.--
 For fiscal year 2029 and each fiscal year thereafter, 
 the goals established under subparagraphs
        (A) and
        (B) of paragraph

    (1) shall be not less than 40 percent more 
 than the number of acres described in subsection

    (a)

    (2) .
            (c) Regional Allotments.--Not later than 90 days after the date of 
enactment of this Act, and annually thereafter, the Secretary concerned 
shall assign annual acreage allotments for mechanical thinning and 
prescribed fire on Federal land, categorized by National Forest System 
region or by State, as appropriate.
            (d) Publication.--The Secretary concerned shall make publicly 
available the data described in subsections

    (a) ,

    (b) , and
            (c) , 
including by publishing that data on the website of the Forest Service 
and the website of the Bureau of Land Management.

    (e) Savings Provision.--Nothing in this section shall be construed 
to supersede or conflict with any other provision of law, including--

    (1) section 40803

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

    (b) ); and

    (2) the Wilderness Act (16 U.S.C. 1131 et seq.).

    (f) Applicability of NEPA.--The establishment of annual goals under 
subsection

    (b)

    (1) and the assignment of regional allotments under 
subsection
            (c) shall not be subject to the requirements of the National 
Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.).

SEC. 102. ANNUAL REPORTS.

 Not later than September 30, 2025, and annually thereafter, the 
Secretary concerned shall publish on a public website of the Forest 
Service and a public website of the Bureau of Land Management the 
following information with respect to the Federal land during the 
preceding fiscal year:

    (1) The number of acres treated pursuant to 

section 40803

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

    (b) ).

    (2)
        (A) The number of acres mechanically thinned;
        (B) the number of acres treated by prescribed fire; and
            (C) whether the number of acres described in subparagraphs
        (A) and
        (B) met or exceeded the acres described in 

section 101

    (b)

    (2) .

    (3) Any limitations or challenges, including litigation or 
 delays in the preparation of environmental documentation, that 
 hindered the Secretary concerned from meeting or exceeding the 
 annual goals established under 

section 101

    (b)

    (1) , if 
 applicable.

    (4) The number of acres that have undergone a regeneration 
 harvest.

    (5) The number of acres described in subparagraphs
        (A) and
        (B) of paragraph

    (2) and paragraph

    (4) that are in an area 
 identified as having--
        (A) the expectation that, without remediation, at 
 least 25 percent of standing live basal area greater 
 than 1 inch in diameter may die over a 15-year time 
 frame due to insects and diseases, as depicted on the 
 National Insect and Disease Composite Risk Map; or
        (B) a very high or high wildfire hazard potential.

    (6) The number of acres described in subparagraphs
        (A) and
        (B) of paragraph

    (2) and paragraph

    (4) that use either of the 
 following streamlined authorities for environmental review:
        (A) A categorical exclusion.
        (B) An emergency action authority of the Secretary 
 concerned.

    (7) The number of acres described in subparagraphs
        (A) and
        (B) of paragraph

    (2) and paragraph

    (4) with respect to which 
 partners are used to carry out the work through--
        (A) a good neighbor agreement under 

section 8206 of 
 the Agricultural Act of 2014 (16 U.S.C. 2113a);
        (B) a master stewardship agreement;
            (C) a contract or agreement entered into under the 
 Tribal Forest Protection Act of 2004 (25 U.S.C. 3115a); 
 or
            (D) a stewardship end-result contract.

SEC. 103. TRANSPARENCY IN HAZARDOUS FUELS REDUCTION ACTIVITY REPORTING.

    (a) Inclusion of Hazardous Fuels Reduction Report in Materials 
Submitted in Support of the President's Budget.--

    (1) In general.--The Secretary concerned shall include in 
 the materials submitted in support of the President's budget 
 pursuant to 

section 1105 of title 31, United States Code, a 
 report describing--
        (A) for each of fiscal years 2025 through 2030, the 
 number of acres of Federal land on which the Secretary 
 concerned carried out hazardous fuels reduction 
 activities during each of the preceding 6 fiscal years, 
 as assessed by the Secretary concerned using--
            (i) the methodology of the Secretary 
 concerned in effect on the day before the date 
 of enactment of this Act; and
            (ii) the methodology described in paragraph

    (2) ; and
        (B) for fiscal year 2031 and each fiscal year 
 thereafter, the number of acres of Federal land on 
 which the Secretary concerned carried out hazardous 
 fuels reduction activities during each of the preceding 
 6 fiscal years, as assessed by the Secretary concerned 
 using the methodology described in paragraph

    (2) .

    (2) Requirements.--For purposes of the reports required 
 under paragraph

    (1) , the Secretary concerned shall--
        (A) in determining the number of acres of Federal 
 land on which the Secretary concerned carried out 
 hazardous fuels reduction activities during each fiscal 
 year covered by the report--
            (i) record acres of Federal land on which 
 hazardous fuels reduction activities were 
 completed during each such fiscal year; and
            (ii) record each acre described in clause
            (i) once in the report with respect to a fiscal 
 year, regardless of whether multiple hazardous 
 fuels reduction activities were carried out on 
 such acre during such fiscal year; and
        (B) with respect to the acres of Federal land 
 recorded in the report, include information on--
            (i) which such acres are located in the 
 wildland-urban interface;
            (ii) the level of wildfire risk (high, 
 moderate, or low) on the first and last day of 
 each fiscal year covered by the report;
            (iii) the types of hazardous fuels 
 reduction activities completed for such acres, 
 delineating between whether such activities 
 were conducted--
            (I) in a wildfire managed for 
 resource benefits; or
            (II) through a planned project;
            (iv) the cost per acre of hazardous fuels 
 reduction activities carried out during each 
 fiscal year covered by the report;
            (v) the region or System unit in which the 
 acres are located; and
            (vi) the effectiveness of the hazardous 
 fuels reduction activities on reducing the risk 
 of wildfire.

    (3) Transparency.--The Secretary concerned shall make each 
 report submitted under paragraph

    (1) publicly available on the 
 website of the Department of Agriculture and the Department of 
 the Interior, as applicable.

    (b) Accurate Data Collection.--

    (1) In general.--Not later than 90 days after the date of 
 enactment of this Act, the Secretary concerned shall implement 
 standardized procedures for tracking data relating to hazardous 
 fuels reduction activities carried out by the Secretary 
 concerned.

    (2) Elements.--The standardized procedures required under 
 paragraph

    (1) shall include--
        (A) regular, standardized data reviews of the 
 accuracy and timely input of data used to track 
 hazardous fuels reduction activities;
        (B) verification methods that validate whether such 
 data accurately correlates to the hazardous fuels 
 reduction activities carried out by the Secretary 
 concerned;
            (C) an analysis of the short- and long-term 
 effectiveness of the hazardous fuels reduction 
 activities on reducing the risk of wildfire; and
            (D) for hazardous fuels reduction activities that 
 occur partially within the wildland-urban interface, 
 methods to distinguish which acres are located within 
 the wildland-urban interface and which acres are 
 located outside the wildland-urban interface.

    (3) Report.--Not later than 14 days after implementing the 
 standardized procedures required under paragraph

    (1) , the 
 Secretary concerned shall submit to Congress a report that 
 describes--
        (A) such standardized procedures; and
        (B) program and policy recommendations to Congress 
 to address any limitations in tracking data relating to 
 hazardous fuels reduction activities under this 
 subsection.

SEC. 104. REGIONAL FOREST CARBON ACCOUNTING.

 Not later than September 30, 2025, and every 3 years thereafter, 
the Secretary of Agriculture, acting through the Chief of the Forest 
Service, shall--

    (1) using data from the forest inventory and analysis 
 program, determine the net forest carbon balance on the land in 
 the National Forest System of each Forest Service region, 
 including whether the National Forest System land is--
        (A) a carbon source; or
        (B) a carbon sink; and

    (2) publish the information described in paragraph

    (1) on 
 the website of the Forest Service.

SEC. 105. WILDLAND FIRE PERFORMANCE METRICS.

    (a) In General.--Not later than 18 months after the date of 
enactment of this Act, the Secretary concerned shall submit to the 
committees of Congress described in subsection
            (c) a report on existing 
key performance indicators and potential outcome-based performance 
measures to reduce wildfire risk on Federal land.

    (b) Inclusions.--The report submitted under subsection

    (a) shall 
identify solutions to track the implementation and effectiveness of 
hazardous fuels reduction activities and forest restoration treatments, 
including strategies--

    (1) to track whether land management activities are 
 reducing wildfire hazards and ways to quantify and track acres 
 in maintenance status;

    (2) to track place-based and locally led outcomes;

    (3) to standardize national-level monitoring measures;

    (4) to quantify catastrophic wildfire risk reduction;

    (5) to identify modeling and data challenges that are 
 preventing the transition to annual wildfire risk mapping 
 updates; and

    (6) to integrate advanced technologies or a combination of 
 technologies and analyses that will benefit the quality of 
 information reported.
            (c) Committees of Congress Described.--The committees of Congress 
referred to in subsection

    (a) are--

    (1) the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources of the 
 Senate;

    (2) the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry 
 of the Senate;

    (3) the Committee on Natural Resources of the House of 
 Representatives; and

    (4) the Committee on Agriculture of the House of 
 Representatives.

 TITLE II--FOREST MANAGEMENT

SEC. 201. VEGETATION MANAGEMENT, FACILITY INSPECTION, AND OPERATION AND 
 MAINTENANCE RELATING TO ELECTRIC TRANSMISSION AND 
 DISTRIBUTION FACILITY RIGHTS-OF-WAY.

    (a) Hazard Trees Within 50 Feet of Electric Power Line.--

Section 512

    (a)

    (1)
        (B)
            (ii) of the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976 
(43 U.S.C. 1772

    (a)

    (1)
        (B)
            (ii) ) is amended by striking ``10'' and 
inserting ``50''.

    (b) Permits and Agreements With Owners and Operators of Electric 
Transmission or Distribution Facilities.--

Section 512 of the Federal 
Land Policy and Management Act of 1976 (43 U.S.C. 1772) is amended--

    (1) in the section heading, by striking ``managment'' and 
 inserting ``management'';

    (2) by redesignating subsections

    (j) and

    (k) as subsections

    (k) and
            (l) , respectively; and

    (3) by inserting after subsection
            (i) the following:
 ``

    (j) Permits and Agreements With Owners and Operators of Electric 
Transmission or Distribution Facilities.--
 ``

    (1) In general.--In any special use permit or easement on 
 National Forest System or Bureau of Land Management land 
 provided to the owner or operator of an electric transmission 
 or distribution facility, the Secretary concerned may provide 
 permission to cut and remove trees or other vegetation from 
 within the vicinity of the electric transmission or 
 distribution facility without requiring a separate timber sale, 
 if that cutting and removal is consistent with--
 ``
        (A) the applicable plan;
 ``
        (B) the applicable land and resource management 
 plan or land use plan; and
 ``
            (C) other applicable environmental laws 
 (including regulations).
 ``

    (2) Use of proceeds.--A special use permit or easement 
 that includes permission for cutting and removal described in 
 paragraph

    (1) shall include a requirement that, if the owner or 
 operator of the electric transmission or distribution facility 
 sells any portion of the material removed under the permit or 
 easement, the owner or operator shall provide to the Secretary 
 concerned any proceeds received from the sale, less any 
 transportation costs incurred in the sale.
 ``

    (3) Effect.--Nothing in paragraph

    (2) shall require the 
 sale of any material removed under a permit or easement that 
 includes permission for cutting and removal described in 
 paragraph

    (1) .''.

SEC. 202. TIMBER SALES ON NATIONAL FOREST SYSTEM LAND.

 

Section 14
            (d) of the National Forest Management Act of 1976 (16 
U.S.C. 472a
            (d) ) is amended, in the first sentence, by striking 
``$10,000'' and inserting ``$55,000''.

SEC. 203. CATEGORICAL EXCLUSION FOR HIGH-PRIORITY HAZARD TREES.

    (a) 

=== Definitions. ===
-In this section:

    (1) High-priority hazard tree.--The term ``high-priority 
 hazard tree'' means a standing tree that--
        (A) presents a visible hazard to people or Federal 
 property due to conditions such as deterioration of or 
 damage to the root system, trunk, stem, or limbs of the 
 tree, or the direction or lean of the tree, as 
 determined by the Secretary;
        (B) is determined by the Secretary to be highly 
 likely to fail and, if it failed, would be highly 
 likely to cause injury to people or damage to Federal 
 property; and
            (C) is--
            (i) within 300 feet of a National Forest 
 System road with a maintenance level of 3, 4, 
 or 5;
            (ii) along a National Forest System trail; 
 or
            (iii) in a developed recreation site on 
 National Forest System land that is operated 
 and maintained by the Secretary.

    (2) High-priority hazard tree activity.--
        (A) In general.--The term ``high-priority hazard 
 tree activity'' means a forest management activity that 
 mitigates the risks associated with high-priority 
 hazard trees, which may include pruning, felling, and 
 disposal of those high-priority hazard trees.
        (B) Exclusions.--The term ``high-priority hazard 
 tree activity'' does not include--
            (i) any activity conducted in a wilderness 
 area or wilderness study area;
            (ii) any activity for the construction of a 
 permanent road or permanent trail;
            (iii) any activity conducted on Federal 
 land on which, by Act of Congress or 
 Presidential proclamation, the removal of 
 vegetation is restricted or prohibited;
            (iv) any activity conducted in an area in 
 which activities described in subparagraph
        (A) would be inconsistent with the applicable land 
 and resource management plan; or
            (v) any activity conducted in an 
 inventoried roadless area.

    (3) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary 
 of Agriculture.

    (b) Categorical Exclusion.--

    (1) In general.--Not later than 1 year after the date of 
 enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall develop a 
 categorical exclusion (as defined in 111 of the National 
 Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (42 U.S.C. 4336e)) for high-
 priority hazard tree activities.

    (2) Administration.--In developing and administering the 
 categorical exclusion under paragraph

    (1) , the Secretary 
 shall--
        (A) comply with the National Environmental Policy 
 Act of 1969 (42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.); and
        (B) apply the extraordinary circumstances 
 procedures under 

section 220.6 of title 36, Code of 
 Federal Regulations (or successor regulations), in 
 determining whether to use the categorical exclusion.

    (3) Project size limitation.--A project carried out using 
 the categorical exclusion developed under paragraph

    (1) may not 
 exceed 3,000 acres.

SEC. 204. INTERVENOR STATUS.

    (a) In General.--For purposes of a civil action relating to a 
qualified project described in subsection

    (b) , a unit of local 
government or an Indian Tribe shall be--

    (1) entitled to intervene, as of right, in any subsequent 
 civil action; and

    (2) considered to be a full participant in any settlement 
 negotiation relating to the qualified project if the unit of 
 local government or Indian Tribe, as applicable, intervenes.

    (b) Description of Qualified Project.--A qualified project referred 
to in subsection

    (a) is a project that--

    (1) is located on Federal land adjacent, or with sufficient 
 minimum contacts, as determined by the Secretary concerned, to 
 the land under the jurisdiction of the unit of local government 
 or Indian Tribe, as applicable;

    (2) has been approved by the Secretary concerned; and

    (3)
        (A) reduces the risk posed by wildfire, insect, or 
 disease; or
        (B) generates revenue from the harvesting of timber.

SEC. 205. UTILIZING GRAZING FOR WILDFIRE RISK REDUCTION.

    (a) In General.--Not later than 18 months after the date of 
enactment of this Act, the Secretary concerned shall develop and submit 
to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources of the Senate and the 
Committee on Natural Resources of the House of Representatives a 
strategy to analyze and identify opportunities to use livestock grazing 
as a wildfire risk reduction tool on Federal land, consistent with the 
laws applicable to the Secretary concerned.

    (b) Inclusions.--The strategy developed under subsection

    (a) shall 
include an analysis of--

    (1) opportunities--
        (A) to increase the use of any authorities 
 applicable to livestock grazing, including 
 modifications to grazing permits or leases to allow 
 variances;
        (B) to use targeted grazing to reduce hazardous 
 fuels;
            (C) to integrate advanced technologies to 
 dynamically adjust livestock placement;
            (D) to increase the use of livestock grazing to 
 eradicate invasive annual grasses and as a post-fire 
 restoration and recovery strategy, as appropriate; and
        (E) to facilitate and expedite the temporary use of 
 vacant allotments during extreme weather events or 
 natural disasters; and

    (2) any other opportunities determined to be appropriate by 
 the Secretary concerned.
            (c) Effect on Existing Grazing Programs.--Nothing in this section 
affects--

    (1) any livestock grazing program carried out by the 
 Secretary concerned as of the date of enactment of this Act; or

    (2) any statutory authority for any program described in 
 paragraph

    (1) .

 TITLE III--CULTURAL CHANGE IN AGENCIES

SEC. 301. MANDATORY USE OF EXISTING AUTHORITIES.

 Not later than 3 years after the date of enactment of this Act, 
with respect to each unit of Federal land that contains land described 
in 

section 102

    (5) , the Secretary concerned shall use not fewer than 1 
of the following streamlined authorities for environmental review:

    (1) Section 603

    (a) of the Healthy Forests Restoration Act 
 of 2003 (16 U.S.C. 6591b

    (a) ).

    (2) Section 605

    (a) of the Healthy Forests Restoration Act 
 of 2003 (16 U.S.C. 6591d

    (a) ).

    (3) Section 606

    (b) of the Healthy Forests Restoration Act 
 of 2003 (16 U.S.C. 6591e

    (b) ).

    (4) Section 40806

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

    (b) ).

    (5) Section 40807 of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs 
 Act (16 U.S.C. 6592c).

    (6) Section 207 of the Wildfire Suppression Funding and 
 Forest Management Activities Act (16 U.S.C. 6591c note; Public 
 Law 115-141).

SEC. 302. PUBLIC-PRIVATE WILDFIRE TECHNOLOGY DEPLOYMENT AND TESTBED 
 PARTNERSHIP.

    (a) 

=== Definitions. ===
-In this section:

    (1) Appropriate committees.--The term ``appropriate 
 committees'' means--
        (A) the Committees on Agriculture, Nutrition, and 
 Forestry, Energy and Natural Resources, and Commerce, 
 Science, and Transportation of the Senate; and
        (B) the Committees on Agriculture, Natural 
 Resources, and Science, Space, and Technology of the 
 House of Representatives.

    (2) Covered agency.--The term ``covered agency'' means--
        (A) each Federal land management agency (as defined 
 in 

section 802 of the Federal Lands Recreation 
 Enhancement Act (16 U.S.C. 6801));
        (B) the Department of Defense;
            (C) the National Oceanic and Atmospheric 
 Administration;
            (D) the United States Fire Administration;
        (E) the Federal Emergency Management Agency;
        (F) the National Aeronautics and Space 
 Administration;
        (G) the Bureau of Indian Affairs; and
        (H) any other Federal agency involved in wildfire 
 response.

    (3) Covered entity.--The term ``covered entity'' means--
        (A) a private entity;
        (B) a nonprofit organization; and
            (C) an institution of higher education (as defined 
 in 

section 101 of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 
 U.S.C. 1001)).

    (4) Pilot program.--The term ``Pilot Program'' means the 
 deployment and testbed pilot program established under 
 subsection

    (b) .

    (5) Secretaries.--The term ``Secretaries'' means the 
 Secretary of Agriculture and the Secretary of the Interior, 
 acting jointly.

    (b) Establishment.--Not later than 60 days after the date of 
enactment of this Act, the Secretaries, in coordination with the heads 
of the covered agencies, shall establish a deployment and testbed pilot 
program for new and innovative wildfire prevention, detection, 
communication, and mitigation technologies.
            (c) Functions.--In carrying out the Pilot Program, the Secretaries 
shall--

    (1) incorporate the Pilot Program into an existing 
 interagency coordinating group on wildfires;

    (2) in consultation with the heads of covered agencies, 
 identify key technology priority areas with respect to the 
 deployment of wildfire prevention, detection, communication, 
 and mitigation technologies, including--
        (A) hazardous fuels reduction activities or 
 treatments;
        (B) dispatch communications;
            (C) remote sensing and tracking;
            (D) safety equipment; and
        (E) common operating pictures or operational 
 dashboards; and

    (3) connect each covered entity selected to participate in 
 the Pilot Program with the appropriate covered agency to 
 coordinate real-time and on-the-ground testing of technology 
 during wildland fire mitigation activities and training.
            (d) Applications.--To participate in the Pilot Program, a covered 
entity shall submit to the Secretaries an application at such time, in 
such manner, and containing such information as the Secretaries may 
require, which shall include a proposal to test technologies specific 
to key technology priority areas identified under subsection
            (c) (2) .

    (e) Prioritization of Emerging Technologies.--In selecting covered 
entities to participate in the Pilot Program, the Secretaries shall 
give priority to covered entities developing and applying emerging 
technologies that address issues identified by the Secretaries, 
including artificial intelligence, quantum sensing, computing and 
quantum-hybrid applications, augmented reality, and 5G private networks 
and device-to-device communications supporting nomadic mesh networks, 
for wildfire mitigation.

    (f) Outreach.--The Secretaries, in coordination with the heads of 
the covered agencies, shall make publicly available the key technology 
priority areas identified under subsection
            (c) (2) and invite covered 
entities to apply to test and demonstrate their technologies to address 
those priority areas.

    (g) Reports and Recommendations.--Not later than 1 year after the 
date of enactment of this Act, and each year thereafter for the 
duration of the Pilot Program, the Secretaries shall submit to the 
appropriate committees a report that includes the following with 
respect to the Pilot Program:

    (1) A list of participating covered entities.

    (2) A brief description of the technologies tested by such 
 covered entities.

    (3) An estimate of the cost of acquiring the technology 
 tested in the Pilot Program and applying it at scale.

    (4) Outreach efforts by Federal agencies to covered 
 entities developing wildfire technologies.

    (5) Assessments of, and recommendations relating to, new 
 technologies with potential adoption and application at-scale 
 in the wildfire prevention, detection, communication, and 
 mitigation efforts of Federal land management agencies (as 
 defined in 

section 802 of the Federal Lands Recreation 
 Enhancement Act (16 U.S.C. 6801)).

    (h) Termination.--The Pilot Program shall expire on the date that 
is 7 years after the date of enactment of this Act.

SEC. 303. REPEAL OF FLAME REPORTS.

 

Section 502 of the FLAME Act of 2009 (43 U.S.C. 1748a) is amended--

    (1) by striking subsection

    (h) ; and

    (2) by redesignating subsection
            (i) as subsection

    (h) .
 <all>