Responsible Wildland Fire Recovery Act

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 5963 Introduced in House (IH)]

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119th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 5963

To provide for cost-share waivers for projects carried out in response 
 to wildland fires caused by certain Government actions, and for other 
                               purposes.


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                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            November 7, 2025

 Ms. Leger Fernandez introduced the following bill; which was referred 
 to the Committee on Agriculture, and in addition to the Committee on 
 Natural Resources, for a period to be subsequently determined by the 
  Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall 
           within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned

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                                 A BILL


 
To provide for cost-share waivers for projects carried out in response 
 to wildland fires caused by certain Government actions, 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 ``Responsible Wildland Fire Recovery 
Act''.

SEC. 2. PURPOSE.

    The purpose of this Act is to ensure that parties affected by 
wildland fires resulting from management activities conducted by the 
Department of Agriculture on National Forest System land are eligible 
to receive 100 percent funding for the cost of remediating direct and 
indirect damages under authorized Federal recovery programs.

SEC. 3. COST-SHARE WAIVER FOR REHABILITATION FROM WILDLAND FIRES.

    (a) Definitions.--In this section:
            (1) Covered matching requirement.--The term ``covered 
        matching requirement'' means a requirement under a program of 
        the Secretary for wildland fire recovery for a State, Indian 
        Tribe, locality, or individual to provide matching funds, in 
        cash, for a project.
            (2) Covered wildland fire.--The term ``covered wildland 
        fire'' means a wildland fire that the Secretary determines to 
        be a result of management activities conducted by the Secretary 
        on National Forest System land.
            (3) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary 
        of Agriculture.
            (4) Wildland fire.--
                    (A) In general.--The term ``wildland fire'' means 
                any non-structure fire that occurs in vegetation or 
                natural fuels.
                    (B) Inclusions.--The term ``wildland fire'' 
                includes wildfire, prescribed fire, and any direct or 
                indirect damage resulting in watershed impairment.
    (b) Waiver.--Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the 
Secretary may waive any covered matching requirement for a project in 
response to a covered wildland fire that is in an area affected by that 
covered wildland fire.
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