S. 91
Western Wildfire Support Act of 2026
Sponsor: Catherine Cortez Masto
1 cosponsor
Official summary
Written by the Congressional Research Service.
Western Wildfire Support Act of 2025
This bill addresses wildfires by authorizing post-fire recovery activities, supporting adoption of technology, and requiring additional federal coordination.
The bill authorizes federal wildfire response and recovery activities by
- providing statutory authority for Burned Area Emergency Response Teams to coordinate emergency stabilization and erosion planning, and
- establishing an account to fund federal rehabilitation projects in areas impacted by a wildfire (e.g., ecosystem restoration, replacing infrastructure critical for land management).
Additionally, for all hazard types, the bill includes post-disaster assistance in the federal disaster preparedness program and authorizes assistance to states for operating websites to provide information on post-disaster recovery resources.
The bill requires federal agencies to develop and utilize technologies for managing wildfires by
- expediting the permitting and use of wildfire detection equipment (e.g., sensors, cameras);
- providing funding to Indian tribes for slip-on tanker units that convert vehicles into fire engines;
- performing research and development on wildfire response applications of unmanned aircraft systems (e.g., drones);
- studying radio communications systems, situational awareness tools, and wildland fire predictive modeling; and
- administering a prize competition for technological innovation for managing wildfire-related invasive species.
The bill directs federal agencies to plan and coordinate on wildfire management by
- incorporating the best available science and planning tools into spatial fire management policies for federal lands,
- collaborating with state agencies for mutual aid in fire suppression (including reimbursing states for suppressing fires caused by military operations), and
- studying training gaps for integrating structural (e.g., local) firefighters into wildfire response.
Text of the bill
I Preparation
II Wildfire detection and suppression support
III Post-fire recovery support
Where this section came from
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Jan 14, 2025 · Introduced in Senate Referred to Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, Jan 14, 2025
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Sep 17, 2026 · Reported to Senate Marked up by Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, Feb 4 Reported by Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, Sep 17 Committee members' individual votes aren't in our records.
… 5 unchanged passages …
(A)
public
land
lands
under
(as defined in section 103 of
the
Federal
jurisdiction
Land Policy and Management Act
of
1976 (43 U.S.C. 1702)); (B) units of
the
National Park System
Secretary
; (
C
B
)
units of the National Wildlife Refuge System; (D)
land held in trust by the United States for the benefit of
an
Indian
Tribes
Tribe
or members of an Indian Tribe; and (
E
C
)
land in the
National Forest System
land
. (3) Fireshed. The term fireshed means a geographically delineated
forest
landscape, within which a fire ignition would threaten homes, communities, or critical infrastructure. (4)
Forest plan. The term forest plan means a land and resource management plan prepared by the Secretary of Agriculture for a unit of the
National
Forest System pursuant to section 6 of the Forest and Rangeland Renewable Resources Planning Act of 1974 (16 U.S.C. 1604). (5) Indian Tribe. The term Indian Tribe has the meaning given the term in section 4 of the Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act (25 U.S.C. 5304). (6) National
forest system. (A) In general. The term National Forest System
has
means land of
the
meaning
National
given
Forest
the
System
term
(as defined
in section 11(a) of the Forest and Rangeland Renewable Resources Planning Act of 1974 (16 U.S.C. 1609(a
)).
))) administered by the Secretary of Agriculture.
(B)
Exclusion
Exclusions
. The term National Forest System does not include—
(i) the national grasslands and land utilization projects administered under title III of the Bankhead-Jones Farm Tenant Act (7 U.S.C. 1010 et seq.); or
(ii)
National
any
Forest
forest
System
reserve
land
not
east
created
of
from
the
100th
public
meridian
domain
. (
5
7
) Resource management plan. The term resource management plan
has
means
the
a
meaning
land
given
use
the
plan
term
prepared
in
for public lands under
section
101
202
of the
Healthy
Federal
Forests
Land
Restoration
Policy and Management
Act of
2003
1976
(
16
43
U.S.C.
6511
1712
). (
6
8
) Secretaries. The term Secretaries means— (A) the Secretary
of the Interior
; and
(B) the Secretary of Agriculture.
(
7
9
) Secretary
. The term Secretary means the Secretary of the Interior. (10) Secretary
concerned. The term Secretary concerned means— (A) the Secretary
of the Interior
, in the case of Federal land
under
described
the
in
jurisdiction
subparagraph
of
(A)
the
or
Secretary
(B)
of
the
paragraph
Interior;
(2);
and (B) the Secretary of Agriculture, in the case of Federal land
under
described
the
in
jurisdiction
paragraph
of the Secretary of Agriculture.
(2)(C).
What is a markup?
A markup is a committee meeting where members go through a bill and vote on changes before sending it to the full chamber.
In this Act:
(1) Congressional committees. The term congressional committees means—
(A) the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources and the Committee on Appropriations of the Senate; and
(B) the Committee on Natural Resources and the Committee on Appropriations of the House of Representatives.
(2) Federal land. The term Federal land means—
(A) land under the jurisdiction of the Secretary;
(B) land held in trust by the United States for the benefit of an Indian Tribe or members of an Indian Tribe; and
(C) National Forest System land.
(3) Fireshed. The term fireshed means a geographically delineated landscape, within which a fire ignition would threaten homes, communities, or critical infrastructure.
(4) Forest plan. The term forest plan means a land and resource management plan prepared by the Secretary of Agriculture for a unit of the National Forest System pursuant to section 6 of the Forest and Rangeland Renewable Resources Planning Act of 1974 (16 U.S.C. 1604).
(5) Indian Tribe. The term Indian Tribe has the meaning given the term in section 4 of the Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act (25 U.S.C. 5304).
(6) National forest system
(A) In general. The term National Forest System means land of the National Forest System (as defined in section 11(a) of the Forest and Rangeland Renewable Resources Planning Act of 1974 (16 U.S.C. 1609(a))) administered by the Secretary of Agriculture.
(B) Exclusions. The term National Forest System does not include—
(i) the national grasslands and land utilization projects administered under title III of the Bankhead-Jones Farm Tenant Act (7 U.S.C. 1010 et seq.); or
(ii) any forest reserve not created from the public domain.
(7) Resource management plan. The term resource management plan means a land use plan prepared for public lands under section 202 of the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976 (43 U.S.C. 1712).
(8) Secretaries. The term Secretaries means—
(A) the Secretary; and
(B) the Secretary of Agriculture.
(9) Secretary. The term Secretary means the Secretary of the Interior.
(10) Secretary concerned. The term Secretary concerned means—
(A) the Secretary, in the case of Federal land described in subparagraph (A) or (B) of paragraph (2); and
(B) the Secretary of Agriculture, in the case of Federal land described in paragraph (2)(C).
I Preparation
II Wildfire detection and suppression support
III Post-fire recovery support