119-s2038

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 2038 Introduced in Senate

    (IS) ]

<DOC>

119th CONGRESS
 1st Session
 S. 2038

 To direct the Secretary of the Interior to establish the Wildfire 
 Science and Technology Advisory Board.

_______________________________________________________________________

 IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

 June 11, 2025

 Mr. Gallego introduced the following bill; which was read twice and 
 referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources

_______________________________________________________________________

 A BILL

 To direct the Secretary of the Interior to establish the Wildfire 
 Science and Technology Advisory Board.

 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 ``Wildfire Coordination Act''.

SEC. 2. WILDFIRE SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY ADVISORY BOARD.

    (a) Establishment.--The Secretary of the Interior shall establish a 
permanent advisory committee, to be known as the Wildfire Science and 
Technology Advisory Board (referred to in this section as the 
``Board'').

    (b) Duties.--The Board shall--

    (1) coordinate the operationalization within the Federal 
 Government of wildfire research, including by--
        (A) identifying avenues for translating wildfire 
 research into practical applications;
        (B) establishing criteria and frameworks to 
 prioritize wildfire research projects for 
 operationalization;
            (C) facilitating the transition of prioritized 
 wildfire research into operational projects;
            (D) connecting and supporting entities in wildfire 
 research and operations;
        (E) providing feedback to refine and enhance 
 wildfire research outputs for practical application; 
 and
        (F) partnering, as the Board determines 
 appropriate, with private sector and federally funded 
 research centers to further the work of the Board;

    (2) encourage wildfire researchers and Federal agencies 
 undertaking wildfire operations to include--
        (A) relevant disciplines, such as public health, 
 meteorological science, and predictive modeling; and
        (B) consideration of built and natural fire-prone 
 environments; and

    (3) disseminate information, including by--
        (A) establishing mechanisms, such as newsletters 
 and publications, online portals, webinars, and 
 workshops, to disseminate wildfire research findings, 
 operational best practices, and resources to relevant 
 stakeholders and practitioners; and
        (B) promoting activities of the Board to ensure 
 visibility and accessibility to stakeholders.
            (c) Membership.--

    (1) Number and appointment.--The Board shall be composed of 
 the following members:
        (A) The Secretary of the Interior (or a designee).
        (B) The Secretary of Agriculture (or a designee).
            (C) The Secretary of Commerce (or a designee).
            (D) The Chief of the Forest Service (or a 
 designee).
        (E) The Director of the Bureau of Indian Affairs 
 (or a designee).
        (F) The Director of the Bureau of Land Management 
 (or a designee).
        (G) The Administrator of the Federal Emergency 
 Management Agency (or a designee, except that such 
 designee may not be the member of the Board serving 
 pursuant to subparagraph
        (H) ).
        (H) The United States Fire Administrator (or a 
 designee).
            (I) The Director of the United States Fish and 
 Wildlife Service (or a designee).
        (J) The Administrator of the National Oceanic and 
 Atmospheric Administration (or a designee).
        (K) The Director of the National Park Service (or a 
 designee).
            (L) The Director of the National Institute of 
 Standards and Technology (or a designee).
            (M) The Director of the United States Geological 
 Survey (or a designee).
        (N) The Director of the Office of Science and 
 Technology Policy (or a designee).
        (O) The Director of the National Science Foundation 
 (or a designee).
        (P) The Administrator of the National Aeronautics 
 and Space Administration (or a designee).
        (Q) The Director of the Centers for Disease Control 
 and Prevention (or a designee).
        (R) The Administrator of the Environmental 
 Protection Agency (or a designee).
        (S) Not more than 18 non-Federal members, to be 
 appointed by the Secretary of the Interior, as follows:
            (i) At least 1 representative from each of 
 the following:
            (I) State government.
            (II) Local government.
            (III) Tribal government.
            (ii) Representatives of fire departments.
            (iii) Representatives of relevant private-
 sector entities, such as codes and standards-
 setting organizations, prescribed fire 
 associations, and entities with expertise in 
 wildfire science and wildfire risk 
 identification, transfer, and mitigation.
            (iv) Wildfire, forest health, or ecological 
 restoration researchers.
            (v) Public health experts.
            (vi) Meteorological scientists.
            (vii) Predictive modeling experts.
            (viii) Such other members as the Secretary 
 of the Interior determines to be appropriate.

    (2) Terms.--
        (A) In general.--Each member of the Board serving 
 pursuant to paragraph

    (1)
        (S) shall be appointed for a 
 term of 2 years.
        (B) Vacancies.--A vacancy on the Board shall be 
 filled in the manner in which the original appointment 
 was made.

    (3) Pay and expenses.--
        (A) Prohibition on compensation.--A member of the 
 Board shall serve without compensation.
        (B) Travel expenses.--Each member of the Board 
 shall receive travel expenses, including per diem in 
 lieu of subsistence, in accordance with the applicable 
 provisions of subchapter I of chapter 57 of title 5, 
 United States Code.

    (4) Chairperson.--
        (A) In general.--Except as provided in subparagraph
        (B) , the Chairperson shall rotate annually among the 
 members of the Board serving pursuant to subparagraphs
        (A) ,
        (B) , and
            (C) of paragraph

    (1) , beginning with the 
 member serving pursuant to paragraph

    (1)
        (A) , followed 
 by the member serving pursuant to paragraph

    (1)
        (B) .
        (B) Exception.--For any term, the members of the 
 Board may designate a member of the Board to serve as 
 the Chairperson of the Board in lieu of the official 
 (or the designee thereof) who would otherwise serve as 
 the Chairperson pursuant to subparagraph
        (A) .

    (5) Staff; temporary and intermittent services.--
        (A) Staff.--The Board may appoint personnel as it 
 considers appropriate.
        (B) Pay.--The Chairperson of the Board may fix the 
 compensation of the personnel appointed under 
 subparagraph
        (A) without regard to the provisions of 
 chapter 51 and subchapter III of chapter 53 of title 5, 
 United States Code, relating to classification of 
 positions and General Schedule pay rates, except that 
 the rate of pay for such personnel may not exceed the 
 annual rate of basic pay prescribed for level V of the 
 Executive Schedule under 

section 5316 of such title.
            (C) Detail of federal employees.--
            (i) In general.--The head of any Federal 
 department or agency may detail any of the 
 personnel of that department or agency to the 
 Board.
            (ii) Effect.--A detail under clause
            (i) shall be without reimbursement and without 
 interruption or loss of civil service status or 
 privilege.
            (D) Procurement of temporary and intermittent 
 services.--The Chairperson of the Board may procure 
 temporary and intermittent services under 

section 3109

    (b) of title 5, United States Code, at rates for 
 individuals that do not exceed the daily equivalent of 
 the annual rate of basic pay prescribed for level V of 
 the Executive Schedule under 

section 5316 of that 
 title.
            (d) Report.--

    (1) In general.--Not later than 2 years after the date of 
 enactment of this Act, the Board shall submit to the relevant 
 congressional committees a report, which shall--
        (A) detail the activities of the Board;
        (B) discuss progress on transitioning wildfire 
 research into operations within the Federal Government;
            (C) discuss barriers to successfully transitioning 
 wildfire research into operations within the Federal 
 Government; and
            (D) provide recommendations on future wildfire 
 research priorities and operational needs.

    (2) Relevant congressional committees.--In this subsection, 
 the term ``relevant congressional committees'' means--
        (A) the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and 
 Forestry, the Committee on Commerce, Science, and 
 Transportation, the Committee on Energy and Natural 
 Resources, the Committee on Environment and Public 
 Works, and the Committee on Homeland Security and 
 Governmental Affairs of the Senate; and
        (B) the Committee on Agriculture, the Committee on 
 Natural Resources, the Committee on Science, Space, and 
 Technology, and the Committee on Transportation and 
 Infrastructure of the House of Representatives.

    (e) Termination.--

Section 1013

    (a)

    (2) of title 5, United States 
Code, shall not apply to the Board.

    (f) Funding.--

    (1) Authorization of appropriations.--There is authorized 
 to be appropriated to carry out this section $10,000,000, to 
 remain available until expended.

    (2) Additional funding.--In addition to the amounts made 
 available pursuant to paragraph

    (1) , the Federal members of the 
 Board may, for purposes of carrying out this section, use 
 amounts the purpose of which is not otherwise specified by the 
 appropriations laws available to the employing agencies of such 
 members.
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