HR 836119th CongressIn Committee

Emergency Wildfire Fighting Technology Act of 2025

Introduced: Jan 31, 2025

Standard Summary

Comprehensive overview in 1-2 paragraphs

The Emergency Wildfire Fighting Technology Act of 2025 requires the Secretary of Agriculture (acting through the Forest Service) and the Secretary of the Interior to evaluate the container aerial firefighting system (CAFFS) as a tool for mitigating and suppressing wildfires. The evaluation must be completed within 90 days of enactment, with a joint report detailing the results due to Congress within 120 days. In conducting the evaluation, the agencies must consult the National Interagency Aviation Committee and the Interagency Airtanker Board. The report must be submitted to designated congressional committees. The act does not specify funds or authorize a procurement program; its purpose is to assess CAFFS’ viability and provide policy guidance to Congress.

Key Points

1Short title: This bill may be cited as the “Emergency Wildfire Fighting Technology Act of 2025.”
2Evaluation requirement: The Secretary of Agriculture and the Secretary of the Interior must jointly evaluate CAFFS within 90 days of enactment, in consultation with NIAC and the Interagency Airtanker Board.
3Reporting requirement: Within 120 days, the two Secretaries must submit a joint report to Congress detailing the evaluation results.
4Interagency coordination: Evaluations and the resulting report must involve NIAC and IAB to ensure aviation and airtanker perspectives are considered.
5Committees to receive report: The report must be provided to the House Committee on Agriculture and Natural Resources and the Senate Committees on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry and Energy and Natural Resources.

Impact Areas

Primary group/area affected- Federal land-management agencies (U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Forest Service and Department of the Interior agencies that conduct wildfire suppression) and their aerial firefighting operations. The act focuses on evaluating a specific technology (CAFFS) for wildfire response.Secondary group/area affected- Interagency aviation governance bodies (National Interagency Aviation Committee and Interagency Airtanker Board) whose input shapes the evaluation.- Potential CAFFS vendors and contractors if the evaluation identifies procurement or pilots/training needs for future use.Additional impacts- Future policy and funding decisions: The evaluation could influence whether CAFFS is adopted or pursued further, affecting budgets, pilots, training, maintenance, and maintenance of current air tanker fleets.- Operational safety and effectiveness considerations: The assessment will likely address how CAFFS would integrate with existing aircraft, standard operating procedures, and safety protocols.- Environmental and community considerations: Depending on CAFFS findings, decisions could affect wildfire suppression strategies and potential ecological or local community impacts associated with new firefighting approaches.

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