FIRE Act of 2023

[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 550 Introduced in House (IH)]

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118th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 550

  To direct the Administrator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric 
Administration to maintain a program that improves wildfire forecasting 
                 and detection, and for other purposes.


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                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            January 26, 2023

Mr. Mike Garcia of California (for himself, Mrs. Kim of California, Ms. 
    Chu, and Ms. Brownley) introduced the following bill; which was 
      referred to the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
  To direct the Administrator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric 
Administration to maintain a program that improves wildfire forecasting 
                 and detection, and for other purposes.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Fire Information and Reaction 
Enhancement Act of 2023'' or the ``FIRE Act of 2023''.

SEC. 2. WILDFIRE FORECASTING AND DETECTION.

    (a) In General.--
            (1) Establishment.--The Administrator of the National 
        Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, in collaboration with 
        the United States weather industry and such academic entities 
        as the Administrator considers appropriate, shall establish a 
        program within such Administration to improve wildfire 
        forecasting and detection.
            (2) Goals.--The goals of the program under paragraph (1) 
        shall be to develop and extend accurate wildfire forecasts and 
        warnings in order to reduce loss of life, injury, property, and 
        damage to the economy, with a focus on improving the following:
                    (A) The prediction of intensification and spread of 
                wildfires.
                    (B) The forecast and communication of smoke 
                dispersion from wildfires.
                    (C) Information dissemination and risk 
                communication to create more effective watch and 
                warning products.
                    (D) The early detection of wildfires to contain 
                their growth and mitigate damages.
            (3) Elements.--In order to meet the goals specified in 
        paragraph (2), the Administrator of the National Oceanic and 
        Atmospheric Administration is authorized to conduct 
        development, testing, and deployment activities related to the 
        following:
                    (A) Advanced satellite detection products.
                    (B) Grid-based assessments and outlooks of fuel 
                moisture and danger levels.
                    (C) Coupled atmosphere and fire modeling systems.
                    (D) Systems to link climate predictions to 
                achievable land management decisions.
                    (E) Improved spatial and temporal resolution 
                observations in high latitudes.
    (b) Construction Authorization.--
            (1) In general.--Not later than 180 days after the date of 
        the enactment of this Act, the Assistant Administrator for the 
        Office of Oceanic and Atmospheric Research, in partnership with 
        industry and academic partners, shall establish a program to 
        create one or more weather research testbeds to develop 
        improved detection of and forecast capabilities for wildfire 
        events and their impacts.
            (2) Resources.--In carrying out the program under paragraph 
        (1), the Assistant Administrator for the Office of Oceanic and 
        Atmospheric Research may not utilize resources for such 
        testbeds from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric 
        Administration cooperative institutes in existence as of the 
        date of enactment of this Act.
            (3) Authorization of appropriations.--There is authorized 
        to be appropriated $15,000,000 for fiscal year 2024 to carry 
        out the program under paragraph (1).
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