[Report No. 119–673, Part I]
June 11, 2025
Mr. Neguse (for himself, Mrs. Kim, Mr. Harder of California, and Mr. Obernolte) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Natural Resources, and in addition to the Committee on Agriculture, 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
June 2, 2026
Additional sponsors: Mr. Fitzpatrick, Mr. Whitesides, and Mr. Kennedy of Utah
June 2, 2026
Reported from the Committee on Natural Resources with an amendment
Strike out all after the enacting clause and insert the part printed in italic
June 2, 2026
Committee on Agriculture discharged; committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the State of the Union and ordered to be printed
For text of introduced bill, see copy of bill as introduced on June 11, 2025
To direct the Comptroller General of the United States to conduct a study on existing programs, rules, and authorities that enable or inhibit wildfire mitigation across land ownership boundaries on Federal and non-Federal land, 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 Cross-Boundary Wildfire Solutions Act
.
Sec. 2. Definitions
In this Act:
(1) Covered agency
The term covered agency
means—
(A)
each Federal land management agency (as defined in section 802 of the Federal Lands Recreation Enhancement Act (16 U.S.C. 6801));
(B)
the Natural Resources Conservation Service;
(C)
the Environmental Protection Agency;
(D)
the Federal Emergency Management Agency;
(E)
the United States Fire Administration;
(F)
States;
(G)
Indian Tribes; and
(H)
local governments.
(2) Covered authority
The term covered authority
means—
(A)
the Healthy Forests Restoration Act of 2003 (16 U.S.C. 6501 et seq.);
(B)
the Cooperative Forestry Assistance Act of 1978 (16 U.S.C. 2101 et seq.);
(C)
the good neighbor authority under section 8206 of the Agricultural Act of 2014 (16 U.S.C. 2113a);
(D)
the Tribal Forest Protection Act of 2004 (25 U.S.C. 3101 et seq.);
(E)
the collaborative forest landscape restoration program under section 4003 of the Omnibus Public Land Management Act of 2009 (16 U.S.C. 7303); and
(F)
any other statutory authority that facilitates cross-boundary wildfire mitigation or forest health improvement activities, as determined by the Comptroller General of the United States.
Sec. 3. Study on wildfire mitigation across land ownership boundaries
(a) Study required
The Comptroller General of the United States shall conduct a study on—
(1)
the existing Federal programs, rules, and authorities that enable or inhibit wildfire mitigation from being completed across land ownership boundaries on Federal and non-Federal land;
(2)
whether changes to any program, rule, or authority (including changes to existing statutory definitions) identified pursuant to paragraph (1) would—
(A)
allow a covered agency increased capacity or access to funding to mitigate wildfires or improve forest health; and
(B)
enable better community protection and prevent the loss of structures due to wildfire; and
(3)
the activities carried out pursuant to a covered authority, including—
(A)
how to improve the efficacy of such activities with respect to mitigating wildfire; and
(B)
whether the enactment of such covered authority has increased capacity or access to funding to mitigate wildfires for a covered agency.
(b) Report
Not later than 2 years after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Comptroller General of the United States shall submit to the Committee on Natural Resources and the Committee on Agriculture of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources and the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry of the Senate a report that contains—
(1)
the results of the study required under subsection (a); and
(2)
recommendations to simplify cross-boundary wildfire mitigation between Federal land management agencies and State, local, and Tribal governments.