HR 5615119th CongressIn Committee

To amend title 32, United States Code, to establish the FireGuard Program as a program of record of the National Guard.

Introduced: Sep 26, 2025

Defense & National Security

Standard Summary

Comprehensive overview in 1-2 paragraphs

This bill amends Title 32 of the U.S. Code to designate the FireGuard Program as a program of record of the National Guard. It changes certain statutory language to require the program to be carried out as an official, ongoing effort (not optional). The bill also imposes oversight requirements, mandating annual briefings to Congress beginning within one year after the FY 2026 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), with five total annual briefings. The briefings must cover who received FireGuard information, comparisons between wildfire maps and containment perimeters, the time from fire detection (via raw satellite data) to alerting local responders, and efforts to integrate new satellite and aerial surveillance technologies from private, nonprofit, and public-sector sources. Finally, the bill creates a sunset date, terminating the FireGuard Program on December 31, 2031, unless extended by Congress.

Key Points

1Establishes FireGuard as a program of record for the National Guard, ensuring formal recognition and (implied) ongoing support/funding.
2Requires the program to be carried out as a program of record (not discretionary) and ends an earlier ambiguity about its status.
3Introduces an annual briefing requirement to the Senate and House Armed Services Committees, starting within one year of the FY 2026 NDAA enactment, with a total of five annual briefings.
4Mandates specific briefing content, including: which states, counties, municipalities, and Tribal governments received FireGuard information; a comparative analysis of wildfire maps and containment perimeters; analysis of lag time between wildfire detection via raw satellite data and alerting local responders; and review of efforts to integrate emerging satellite and aerial surveillance technologies from qualified private, nonprofit, and public-sector sources.
5Sets a sunset date: the program terminates on December 31, 2031, unless extended by future legislation.

Impact Areas

Primary group/area affected- National Guard units and the states, counties, municipalities, and Tribal governments that would receive FireGuard information; broader public safety and wildfire response coordination at the state level.Secondary group/area affected- Federal oversight and accountability communities (Senate and House Armed Services Committees), along with federal agencies involved in disaster response and homeland security.- Private sector, nonprofit organizations, and public-sector partners involved in satellite and aerial surveillance technologies; potential for increased collaboration and data-sharing arrangements.Additional impacts- Long-term strategic planning and budgeting for the National Guard to support FireGuard as a formal program.- Potential implications for intergovernmental coordination on wildfire detection, notification times, and data integration standards.- The sunset deadline creates a built-in evaluation point that could influence future federal wildfire detection and response policy and funding.

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