US Codex
Bill
Notes

Title II — Wildland Fire Management

S. 2648 · 113th Congress · Jul 23, 2014 · Lineage

II Wildland Fire Management

Sec. 2101

(a)
In General— Section 251(b)(2) of the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985 (2 U.S.C. 901(b)(2)) is amended by adding at the end the following:

“(E) FLAME wildfire suppression

“(i) If a bill or joint resolution making appropriations for a fiscal year is enacted that specifies an amount for wildfire suppression operations in the Wildland Fire Management accounts at the Department of Agriculture or the Department of the Interior, then the adjustments for that fiscal year shall be the amount of additional new budget authority provided in that Act for wildfire suppression operations for that fiscal year, but shall not exceed—

“(I) for fiscal year 2015, $1,410,000,000 in additional new budget authority;

“(II) for fiscal year 2016, $1,460,000,000 in additional new budget authority;

“(III) for fiscal year 2017, $1,557,000,000 in additional new budget authority;

“(IV) for fiscal year 2018, $1,778,000,000 in additional new budget authority;

“(V) for fiscal year 2019, $2,030,000,000 in additional new budget authority;

“(VI) for fiscal year 2020, $2,319,000,000 in additional new budget authority; and

“(VII) for fiscal year 2021, $2,650,000,000 in additional new budget authority.

“(ii) As used in this subparagraph—

“(I) the term “additional new budget authority” means the amount provided for a fiscal year, in excess of 70 percent of the average costs for wildfire suppression operations over the previous 10 years, in an appropriation Act and specified to pay for the costs of wildfire suppression operations; and

“(II) the term “wildfire suppression operations” means the emergency and unpredictable aspects of wildland firefighting including support, response, and emergency stabilization activities; other emergency management activities; and funds necessary to repay any transfers needed for these costs.

“(iii) The average costs for wildfire suppression operations over the previous 10 years shall be calculated annually and reported in the President's Budget submission under section 1105(a) of title 31, United States Code, for each fiscal year.”

(b)
Disaster funding— Section 251(b)(2)(D) of the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985 (2 U.S.C. 901(b)(2)(D)) is amended—
(1)
in clause (i)—
(A)
in subclause (I), by striking “and” and inserting “plus”;
(B)
in subclause (II), by striking the period and inserting “; less”; and
(C)
by adding the following:

“(III) the additional new budget authority provided in an appropriation Act for wildfire suppression operations pursuant to subparagraph (E) for the preceding fiscal year.”

(2)
by adding at the end the following:

“(v) Beginning in fiscal year 2017 and in subsequent fiscal years, the calculation of the “average funding provided for disaster relief over the previous 10 years” shall include for each year within that average the additional new budget authority provided in an appropriation Act for wildfire suppression operations pursuant to subparagraph (E) for the preceding fiscal year.”

Sec. 2102

(a)
Supplemental appropriations— If the Secretary of the Interior or the Secretary of Agriculture determines that supplemental appropriations are necessary for a fiscal year for wildfire suppression operations, the Secretary of the Interior or the Secretary of Agriculture, as applicable, shall promptly submit to Congress estimates for such supplemental requirements.
(b)
Accounting, reports and accountability—
(1)
Accounting and reporting requirements— In each fiscal year, the Secretary of the Interior and the Secretary of Agriculture shall account for and report on the amounts used from the additional new budget authority for wildfire suppression operations provided to the Secretary of the Interior or the Secretary of Agriculture, as applicable, in an appropriations Act pursuant to subparagraph (E)(ii) of section 251(b)(2) of the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985 (2 U.S.C. 901(b)(2)) (as amended by section 2101(b) of this Act).
(2)
Annual report—
(A)
In general— Not later than 180 days after the end of each fiscal year for which additional new budget authority is used pursuant to subparagraph (E)(ii) of section 251(b)(2) of the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985 (2 U.S.C. 901(b)(2)) (as amended by section 2101(b) of this Act), the Secretary of the Interior or the Secretary of Agriculture, as applicable, shall—
(i)
prepare an annual report with respect to the additional new budget authority;
(ii)
submit to the appropriate committees of Congress the annual report prepared under clause (i); and
(iii)
make the report prepared under clause (i) available to the public.
(B)
Components— The annual report prepared under subparagraph (A) shall—
(i)
document risk-based factors that influenced management decisions with respect to wildfire suppression operations;
(ii)
analyze a statistically significant sample of large fires, including an analysis for each fire of—
(I)
cost drivers;
(II)
the effectiveness of risk management techniques;
(III)
any resulting ecological or other benefits to the landscape;
(IV)
the impact of investments in wildfire suppression operations preparedness;
(V)
suggested corrective actions; and
(VI)
any other factors the Secretary of the Interior of the Interior or the Secretary of Agriculture determine to be appropriate;
(iii)
include an accounting of overall fire management and spending by the Department of the Interior or the Department of Agriculture, which is broken out by fire size, cost, regional location, and other factors;
(iv)
describe any lessons learned in the conduct of wildfire suppression operations; and
(v)
include any other elements that the Secretary of the Interior or the Secretary of Agriculture determine to be necessary.