H.R. 3922 — what changed

Cross-Boundary Wildfire Solutions Act

From Introduced in House to Reported in House. 1 section amended and 1 added between Introduced in House and Reported in House.

Sec. 2 Definitions

added In this Act:

(a)

removed Study required— The Comptroller General of the United States shall conduct a study on—

(1)

removed the existing Federal programs, rules, and authorities that enable or inhibit wildfire mitigation from being completed across land ownership boundaries on Federal and non-Federal land;

(2)

removed whether changes to any program, rule, or authority identified pursuant to paragraph (1) would allow Federal land management agencies (as defined in section 802 of the Federal Lands Recreation Enhancement Act (16 U.S.C. 6801)), the Secretary of Agriculture, acting through the Chief of the Natural Resources Conservation Service, the Secretary of Homeland Security, acting through the Administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the U.S. Fire Administration, States, local governments, and Tribal governments increased capacity or access to funding to mitigate wildfires; and

(3)

removed the activities carried out pursuant to subsection (e) of section 103 of the Healthy Forests Restoration Act of 2003 (16 U.S.C. 6513), including—

(A)

removed how to improve the efficacy of such activities with respect to mitigating wildfire; and

(B)

removed whether the enactment of such subsection has increased the access of Federal land management agencies and States to funding to mitigate wildfires.

(1)

changed Report—Covered agency— Not later than 2 years after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Comptroller General of the United States shall submit to the Committee on Natural Resources of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources of the Senate a report that contains—The term “covered agency” means—

(A)

changed the results each Federal land management agency (as defined in section 802 of the study required under subsection (a); andFederal Lands Recreation Enhancement Act (16 U.S.C. 6801));

(B)

changed recommendations to simplify cross-boundary wildfire mitigation between Federal land management agencies and State, local, and Tribal governments.the Natural Resources Conservation Service;

(C)

added the Environmental Protection Agency;

(D)

added the Federal Emergency Management Agency;

(E)

added the United States Fire Administration;

(F)

added States;

(G)

added Indian Tribes; and

(H)

added local governments.

(2)

added Covered authority— The term “covered authority” means—

(A)

added the Healthy Forests Restoration Act of 2003 (16 U.S.C. 6501 et seq.);

(B)

added the Cooperative Forestry Assistance Act of 1978 (16 U.S.C. 2101 et seq.);

(C)

added the good neighbor authority under section 8206 of the Agricultural Act of 2014 (16 U.S.C. 2113a);

(D)

added the Tribal Forest Protection Act of 2004 (25 U.S.C. 3101 et seq.);

(E)

added the collaborative forest landscape restoration program under section 4003 of the Omnibus Public Land Management Act of 2009 (16 U.S.C. 7303); and

(F)

added any other statutory authority that facilitates cross-boundary wildfire mitigation or forest health improvement activities, as determined by the Comptroller General of the United States.

Sec. 3 Study on wildfire mitigation across land ownership boundaries

added

(a)

added Study required— The Comptroller General of the United States shall conduct a study on—

(1)

added the existing Federal programs, rules, and authorities that enable or inhibit wildfire mitigation from being completed across land ownership boundaries on Federal and non-Federal land;

(2)

added whether changes to any program, rule, or authority (including changes to existing statutory definitions) identified pursuant to paragraph (1) would—

(A)

added allow a covered agency increased capacity or access to funding to mitigate wildfires or improve forest health; and

(B)

added enable better community protection and prevent the loss of structures due to wildfire; and

(3)

added the activities carried out pursuant to a covered authority, including—

(A)

added how to improve the efficacy of such activities with respect to mitigating wildfire; and

(B)

added whether the enactment of such covered authority has increased capacity or access to funding to mitigate wildfires for a covered agency.

(b)

added Report— Not later than 2 years after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Comptroller General of the United States shall submit to the Committee on Natural Resources and the Committee on Agriculture of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources and the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry of the Senate a report that contains—

(1)

added the results of the study required under subsection (a); and

(2)

added recommendations to simplify cross-boundary wildfire mitigation between Federal land management agencies and State, local, and Tribal governments.