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
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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.
(a) Definitions. In this section
:
,
(1)
the
Administrator.
terms
The
unmanned
term
aircraft
Administrator
and
means
unmanned
the
aircraft
Administrator
system
of
have
the
Federal
meanings
Aviation
given
Administration.
those
(2)
terms
Drone.
in
The
section
term
44801
drone
of
means
title
an
49,
unmanned
United
aircraft
States
system owned by a private individual or entity
Code
. (
3
b
)
Drone
Study
incursion
required
. The
term
Secretary
drone incursion means the operation
of
a
Agriculture,
drone
acting
within
through
any airspace for which
the
Administrator
Chief
has issued a temporary flight restriction because
of
a
the
wildfire.
Forest
(b) Study required. The Administrator
Service
, in consultation with the Secretary
of the Interior
and the
Secretary
Administrator
of
Agriculture, acting through
the
Chief
Federal
of
Aviation
the Forest Service
Administration
, shall conduct a study on the effects of
drone
unauthorized
incursions
unmanned aircraft
on wildfire suppression with respect to land managed by the Department of the Interior or the Department of Agriculture. (c) Study contents. In conducting the study required under subsection (b), the
Administrator
Secretary of Agriculture
shall—
(1) determine, for each of the 5 most recent calendar years—
(A) the number of occurrences in which
a
an
drone
unauthorized
incursion
unmanned aircraft
interfered with wildfire suppression; and
… 4 unchanged passages …
(2) evaluate the feasibility
, effectiveness,
and
effectiveness
safety impacts and results
of various actions to prevent
drone
unauthorized
incursions
unmanned aircraft from interfering with wildfire suppression
, including— (A) the
use
deployment
of
nonkinetic
counter-
drone
UAS
radio towers
equipment
; (B) the
use
seizure
of
reasonable
an
force
unmanned
to
aircraft
disable
system
,
damage,
including
or
through
destroy a drone; (C)
the
seizure
use
of
a
kinetic
drone
counter-UAS equipment
,
including
such
seizure
as
with
a net
device
; and (
D
C
) the dissemination of educational materials relating to the effects of
drone
unauthorized
incursions
unmanned aircraft
on wildfire suppression. (d) Report. Not later than
18
2
months
years
after the date of enactment of this Act, the
Administrator
Secretary of Agriculture
shall submit to the congressional committees, the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate, and the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure of the House of Representatives a report describing—
… 2 unchanged passages …
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) Definitions. In this section, the terms unmanned aircraft and unmanned aircraft system have the meanings given those terms in section 44801 of title 49, United States Code.
(b) Study required. The Secretary of Agriculture, acting through the Chief of the Forest Service, in consultation with the Secretary and the Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration, shall conduct a study on the effects of unauthorized unmanned aircraft on wildfire suppression with respect to land managed by the Department of the Interior or the Department of Agriculture.
(c) Study contents. In conducting the study required under subsection (b), the Secretary of Agriculture shall—
(1) determine, for each of the 5 most recent calendar years—
(A) the number of occurrences in which an unauthorized unmanned aircraft interfered with wildfire suppression; and
(B) the estimated effect of each occurrence described in subparagraph (A) on—
(i) the length of time required to achieve complete suppression;
(ii) any associated delay in the fielding of aerial firefighting response units; and
(iii) the amounts expended by the Federal Government; and
(2) evaluate the feasibility, effectiveness, and safety impacts and results of various actions to prevent unauthorized unmanned aircraft from interfering with wildfire suppression, including—
(A) the deployment of nonkinetic counter-UAS equipment;
(B) the seizure of an unmanned aircraft system, including through the use of kinetic counter-UAS equipment, such as a net; and
(C) the dissemination of educational materials relating to the effects of unauthorized unmanned aircraft on wildfire suppression.
(d) Report. Not later than 2 years after the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Agriculture shall submit to the congressional committees, the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate, and the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure of the House of Representatives a report describing—
(1) the findings of the study required under subsection (b); and
(2) any recommendations relating to those findings.
III Post-fire recovery support