I
119THCONGRESS
1
STSESSION H. R. 2428
To require the Comptroller General of the United States to conduct a study
regarding a Federal buyout program available to homeowners with prop-
erties in high-risk catastrophic wildfire disaster areas, and for other
purposes.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
MARCH27, 2025
Ms. F
RIEDMAN(for herself, Ms. BROWNLEY, Mr. LIEU, Mr. MULLIN, and Mr.
S
HERMAN) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Com-
mittee on Transportation and Infrastructure, and in addition to the Com-
mittee on Financial Services, 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
A BILL
To require the Comptroller General of the United States
to conduct a study regarding a Federal buyout program
available to homeowners with properties in high-risk cat-
astrophic wildfire disaster areas, and for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-1
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 2
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 3
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Wildfire Homeowner 4
Relief Act’’. 5
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SEC. 2. GAO STUDY ON A FEDERAL BUYOUT PROGRAM FOR 1
HIGH-RISK WILDFIRE AREAS. 2
(a) I
NGENERAL.—The Comptroller General of the 3
United States shall conduct a study to analyze the feasi-4
bility of using Federal grant programs to purchase prop-5
erty from homeowners, voluntarily selling such properties, 6
before and after a catastrophic wildfire disaster. 7
(b) E
XISTINGCOVEREDBUYOUTS.—In conducting 8
the study under subsection (a), the Comptroller General 9
shall compile recommendations on— 10
(1) how to develop a national database on cov-11
ered buyouts, existing on the date of enactment of 12
this Act, with information on what grant program 13
was used to purchase each respective property under 14
such buyouts, what entity is responsible for main-15
taining such property, and any development on such 16
property following the covered buyout; and 17
(2) how the Federal Emergency Management 18
Agency and the Department of Housing and Urban 19
Development can exchange information about any 20
covered buyout in process as of the date of enact-21
ment of this Act. 22
(c) N
EWWILDFIREBUYOUTPROGRAM.—In con-23
ducting the study under subsection (a) of this Act, the 24
Comptroller General shall— 25
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(1) analyze how a program for the buyout of 1
properties endangered or impacted by catastrophic 2
wildfire disasters would compare to covered buyout 3
programs existing on the date of enactment of this 4
Act, including any floodplain disaster buyout pro-5
grams; 6
(2) provide recommendations on which depart-7
ment, agency, or program should house a program 8
for the buyout of properties endangered or impacted 9
by catastrophic wildfire disasters; and 10
(3) provide land use recommendations for prop-11
erties after a covered buyout, including— 12
(A) how to ensure specific purchases and 13
future land uses will reduce catastrophic wild-14
fire risk, loss of life, and loss of property during 15
catastrophic wildfires; 16
(B) how land use may be different for 17
rural compared to urban communities and for 18
disadvantaged compared to high-income com-19
munities; 20
(C) how to allow flexibility for communities 21
to decide how to use the land following a cov-22
ered buyout; and 23
(D) with respect to properties in high-risk 24
areas prior to catastrophic wildfire disaster and 25
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for properties impacted after a catastrophic 1
wildfire disaster, eligibility requirements, includ-2
ing— 3
(i) recommendations for mapping 4
which areas are at the highest risk for cat-5
astrophic wildfire; and 6
(ii) methodology for determining 7
which areas would be most effective for im-8
plementing a Federal buyout program, in-9
cluding consideration for where the great-10
est benefit would be derived as a result of 11
evacuating individuals in efforts to avoid 12
loss of life. 13
(d) A
UTHORITYTODEFINETERMS.—In conducting 14
the study under subsection (a), the Comptroller General 15
shall develop definitions for the terms ‘‘development’’, 16
‘‘disadvantaged community’’, ‘‘high-income community’’, 17
and ‘‘catastrophic wildfire’’. 18
(e) R
EPORT.—Not later than 12 months after the 19
date of enactment of this Act, the Comptroller General 20
shall submit to Congress a report identifying findings and 21
conclusions, including— 22
(1) the results of the study conducted pursuant 23
to subsection (a); 24
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(2) any recommendations made under sub-1
section (b); 2
(3) recommendations on ways to incentivize 3
participation in the program described in subsection 4
(c); 5
(4) analysis of the economic impacts of the pro-6
gram described in subsection (c) and the cost of the 7
program to the Federal Government; and 8
(5) the definitions developed under subsection 9
(d). 10
(f) C
OVEREDBUYOUTDEFINED.—In this Act, a 11
‘‘covered buyout’’ means a purchase of property by the 12
Federal Government from a homeowner who voluntarily 13
sold such property because such property was recognized 14
by the Federal Government to be in an area endangered 15
or impacted by a catastrophic natural disaster. 16
Æ
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