H.R. 178: To require the Secretary of Agriculture to carry out activities to suppress wildfires, and for other purposes.

119th Congress · introduced 2025-01-03 · Public Lands and Natural Resources · Latest: Reported (Amended) by the Committee on Natural Resources. H. Rept. 119-429, Part I.

federal

What does this mean?

Official title

To require the Secretary of Agriculture to carry out activities to suppress wildfires, and for other purposes.

Plain summary

This bill sets out requirements for wildfire suppression and management activities carried out by the Forest Service. These requirements apply to Forest Service land that (1) has a severe, extreme, or exceptional drought intensity rating; (2) has a National Wildland Fire Preparedness level of 5 (i.e., the highest level of wildland fire activity); or (3) is located in a fireshed ranked in the top 10% of wildfire exposure. Within 24 hours of detecting a wildfire on such Forest Service land, the service must use all available resources to extinguish the wildfire. Additionally, the service may not inhibit the firefighting activities of state and local agencies that are authorized to respond to wildfires on the Forest Service land. Further, the service may only initiate a backfire or burnout as part of a fire suppression strategy if it is ordered by the responsible incident commander or is necessary to protect the health and safety of firefighting personnel. The service must use all available resources to control any initiated fire until it is extinguished. The bill also limits the service's use of prescribed fires (i.e., the controlled application of fire by a team of experts under specified weather conditions to restore health to ecosystems that depend on fire). When using prescribed fires as a fire resource management tool, the service must comply with applicable laws and regulations and immediately suppress any prescribed fire that exceeds its prescription.

Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in House), quoted unchanged (nonpartisan). Read the source.

What a vote does

A “Yea” vote

If it passes both chambers and is signed, it becomes law.

A “Nay” vote

If it is not passed, current law stays as it is.

PSI Sci description of the legislative step (not an opinion).

What does this mean? (plain words)

Official text

To require the Secretary of Agriculture to carry out activities to suppress wildfires, and for other purposes.

Source: Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in House)

AI explanation – may be wrong, check the official text

No AI explanation yet. It takes up to a minute to write and is then saved for everyone.

Limited to a few requests an hour per person.

The strongest published arguments

Arguments for (supporters)

Needs sources: no published arguments on this side yet. We only show items backed by a published source. Suggest one.

Arguments against (opponents)

Needs sources: no published arguments on this side yet. We only show items backed by a published source. Suggest one.

Alternatives

Needs sources: no published alternatives yet (for example a different bill, a law instead of an amendment, or keeping current law). We only show items backed by a published source. Suggest one.

Officials and money

Sponsor: Rep. McClintock, Tom [R-CA-5] · 9 cosponsors

Cost estimate: No cost estimate published yet.

Cosponsors on this site

Ken Calvert (R-CA), Andy Biggs (R-AZ), Pete Stauber (R-MN), Darrell Issa (R-CA), Kevin Kiley (I-CA), Ryan K. Zinke (R-MT), Burgess Owens (R-UT), Troy Downing (R-MT)

Sponsor's campaign money: Rep. McClintock, Tom [R-CA-5] reported raising $1.3 million (2025–2026). Details. Shown for context only; it does not mean any donor supported this bill.

Words on this page, explained (3)

Authorization: A law that creates or continues a government program and says what it may do, often with a suggested spending ceiling. An authorization alone does not provide money; a separate appropriation does.
Bill: A proposed law. It becomes law only if it passes the legislature and is signed by the president or governor (or a veto is overridden).
Rulemaking: The process agencies use to write regulations that carry out laws passed by Congress or a legislature. Usually an agency publishes a proposed rule, takes public comments, then publishes a final rule.

Plain meanings written from linked sources. All words.

Sources

Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in House)
Congress.gov
Data: GovInfo BILLSTATUS bulk data (Library of Congress), BILLSTATUS-119hr178.xml <https://www.govinfo.gov/bulkdata/BILLSTATUS/119/hr>

Record fed-us-cong119-hr178 · catalog fed-us-congress-bills-cong119 · updated 2026-11-03 by psicol fed-bills