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
I Preparation
II Wildfire detection and suppression 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.
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(c) Testing. The Secretaries may
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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.
(a) Definition of unmanned aircraft system. In this section, the term unmanned aircraft system has the meaning given the term in section 44801 of title 49, United States Code.
(b) Research. The Secretaries shall, acting through the Joint Fire Science Program, work with universities and other research institutions to carry out research and development on the wildfire response applications of unmanned aircraft systems.
(c) Testing. The Secretaries may test an unmanned aircraft system developed under this section at an unmanned aircraft test range in accordance with section 44803 of title 49, United States Code, in coordination with the Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration.
III Post-fire recovery support