Wildfire Recovery Act This bill makes changes with respect to the federal cost share for Fire Management Assistance Grants and provides that the federal share shall be not less than 75% of the eligible cost. Specifically, the bill directs the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to conduct and complete a rulemaking to provide criteria for the circumstances under which FEMA may recommend that the President increase the federal cost share. Such criteria shall include a threshold metric that assesses the financial impact to a state or local government from responding to a fire for which fire management assistance is being provided.
Wildfire Insurance Coverage Study Act of 2025 This bill requires reports regarding wildfire risk and damage. Specifically, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) must report on trends in wildfire declarations, mitigation practices, state and federal programs regarding wildfire risk, and the need for a national map of wildfire risks.The GAO must also report on (1) the availability and cost of wildfire insurance coverage for homes and commercial property, (2) state regulatory responses to increasing costs of coverage, and (3) impediments to private wildfire insurance coverage.
Drug Testing for Welfare Recipients Act This bill requires the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, and specified public housing programs to subject individuals to substance-abuse screening and to deny benefits for individuals who test positive for a controlled substance.
Modern GI Bill Act This bill authorizes individuals who are entitled to educational assistance under the Post-9/11 GI Bill to apply amounts of such assistance to repay federal student loans for up to 36 months. The bill sets a cap and annual cost-of-living increases for the amount of educational assistance that may be paid to an individual under this bill during FY2024 and the following years.
Wildfire Smoke Emergency Declaration Act of 2023
Western Wildfire Support Act of 2023 This bill establishes activities to address wildfires. The bill requires the Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the Department of the Interior to establish spatial fire management plans before the end of FY2026. The bill establishes accounts in the Treasury for addressing wildfires, a program to train and certify citizens who wish to be able to volunteer to assist USDA or Interior during a wildland fire incident, a program to award grants to eligible states or units of local government to acquire slip-on tank and pump units for a surge capacity of resources for fire suppression, the Theodore Roosevelt Genius Prize for the management of wildfire-related invasive species, and the Management of Wildfire-Related Invasive Species Technology Advisory Board. The bill also requires the Department of Defense (DOD) to reimburse a state or federal agency for the costs of wildfire suppression as a result of a fire caused by DOD activity, requires the Joint Fire Science Program to work with unmanned aircraft test ranges to carry out research and development of unmanned aircraft system fire applications, requires federal and state disaster preparedness programs to include postdisaster assistance, and authorizes the Federal Emergency Management Agency to provide funding to a state agency to establish and operate a website to provide information relating to postfire recovery funding and resources to a community or an individual impacted by a wildland fire.
Support Neighborhoods Offset Winter Damage Act of 2025 or the SNOW Act of 2025This bill authorizes Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) grant funding for winter storm hazard mitigation and requires FEMA rulemaking to expand assistance for winter storms. It also increases the federal cost share for various FEMA grants, for any hazard type, in rural or disadvantaged areas.The bill specifically authorizes the use of grant funding under the Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP) and Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities program to reduce the risk of future damage in areas affected by winter storms, such as by acquiring snow removal equipment. Also, under current FEMA policy, in determining eligibility and recommending a presidential major disaster declaration for a snowstorm, FEMA’s considerations include whether data shows record (or near record) snowfall and whether estimated statewide costs meet applicable thresholds. The bill requires FEMA to create regulations waiving these eligibility requirements for a major disaster declaration for a snowstorm in certain circumstances. FEMA must also create regulations to provide certain assistance for winter storms, including for debris removal and specified infrastructure, as well as individual and emergency assistance when the state determines the storm exceeds state and local capacity. In addition, for any hazard type, the bill requires FEMA to increase the federal cost share from 75% to 90% for certain assistance provided in rural or disadvantaged areas. It also authorizes an increased HMGP federal cost share amount from 75% to 90% for assistance in rural or disadvantaged areas.
Smoke and Heat Ready Communities Act of 2025This bill authorizes the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to make grants to air pollution control agencies to support the development and implementation of programs that support local communities in detecting, preparing for, communicating with the public about, or mitigating the environmental and public health aspects of wildfire smoke and extreme heat. The EPA must establish a formula to distribute the grants among air pollution control agencies.The bill requires the EPA to establish four Centers of Excellence for Wildfire Smoke and Extreme Heat at institutions of higher education to research (1) the effects of smoke emissions from wildland fires and extreme heat on public health, and (2) the means by which communities can better respond to impacts from such conditions.Additionally, the EPA must begin to carry out research tostudy the health effects of smoke emissions from wildland fires and extreme heat;develop and disseminate personal and community-based interventions to reduce exposure to, and health effects of, wildland fire smoke emissions and extreme heat;increase the quality of smoke and extreme heat monitoring and prediction tools and techniques; anddevelop implementation and communication strategies.The EPA must also establish a competitive grant program to assist certain entities (e.g., a state) in developing and implementing collaborative community plans for mitigating the impacts of smoke emissions from wildland fires and extreme heat.
Wildfire Smoke Emergency Declaration Act of 2023
To amend the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act to authorize the President to provide certain fire management assistance to Indian Tribal Governments, and for other purposes.