H.R. 2862 – Wildfire Disaster Funding Act

AI-Generated Summary

Updated April 15, 2026 at 4:12 PM UTC

The Wildfire Disaster Funding Act changes federal disaster funding rules to count money set aside for wildfire suppression as part of the disaster funding formula. It defines “wildfire suppression operations” and creates a new “additional new budget authority” amount that can be added to that formula. The bill caps the extra wildfire funding for fiscal years 2017‑2026 and requires the Interior and Agriculture secretaries to report and request supplemental funds when needed. It affects federal budgeting for disaster relief and the agencies that manage wildfire fighting.

Key Provisions

Adds wildfire suppression funding into the disaster funding formula by including any extra budget authority for wildfire suppression in the 10‑year average used for disaster calculations.
Defines “additional new budget authority” as amounts above the 10‑year average of wildfire costs that are specifically earmarked for wildfire suppression operations.
Sets maximum additional wildfire funding limits for FY 2017‑2026 (e.g., $1.41 billion for 2017, rising to $2.69 billion for 2024‑2026).
Requires the Secretaries of the Interior and Agriculture to promptly request supplemental appropriations for wildfire suppression and to submit a plan for how the funds will be used within 30 days of receipt.
Mandates annual calculation and reporting of the 10‑year average wildfire suppression costs in the President’s budget.

Legislative Activity

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3 earlier actions

HouseCommittee Latest Action

Referred to the Subcommittee on Conservation and Forestry.

Forestry and Horticulture Subcommittee

June 26, 2017

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HouseIntro Referral

Introduced in House

June 8, 2017

HouseIntro Referral

Referred to the Committee on the Budget, and in addition to the Committees on Agriculture, and 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.

Budget Committee

June 8, 2017

HouseCommittee

Referred to the Subcommittee on Federal Lands.

Federal Lands Subcommittee

June 21, 2017

HouseCommittee

Referred to the Subcommittee on Conservation and Forestry.

Forestry and Horticulture Subcommittee

June 26, 2017

Floor Debate

1 member

What members said about H.R. 2862 on the floor

1 Democrat

Rep. Kurt SchraderD-OR-5 · Sep 12, 2017

Mr. Speaker, for the past few weeks, the country has tuned in to watch as catastrophic hurricanes pummel Texas and Florida, but out West we have been facing our own natural disaster, one that doesn't…

Bill Text

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Introduced in HouseIssued June 8, 2017

I

115th CONGRESS

1st Session

H. R. 2862

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

June 8, 2017

Mr. Simpson (for himself, Mr. Schrader, Mrs. McMorris Rodgers, Mr. DeFazio, Mr. Calvert, Ms. McCollum, Mr. Walden, Ms. Bonamici, Mr. Amodei, Mr. Costa, Mr. Labrador, Ms. Kaptur, Mr. Newhouse, Mr. Kilmer, Mr. Tipton, Mr. Polis, Ms. Sinema, and Mr. Stivers) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on the Budget, and in addition to the Committees on Agriculture, and 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

A BILL

To provide for wildfire suppression operations, and for other purposes.

1.

Short title

This Act may be cited as the Wildfire Disaster Funding Act .

2.

Wildfire disaster funding authority

(a)

Disaster funding

Section 251(b)(2)(D) of the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985 (2 U.S.C. 901(b)(2)(D)) is amended—

(1)

in clause (i)—

(A)

in the matter preceding subclause (I), by striking the total of— and inserting an amount equal to the difference between—;

(B)

by redesignating subclauses (I) and (II) as items (aa) and (bb), respectively, and indenting the items appropriately;

(C)

by inserting before item (aa) (as so redesignated) the following:

(I)

the sum obtained by adding—

;

(D)

in item (bb) of subclause (I) (as so redesignated)—

(i)

by striking subclause (I) and inserting item (aa); and

(ii)

by striking the period at the end and inserting ; and; and

(E)

by adding at the end the following:

(II)

the additional new budget authority provided in an appropriations Act for wildfire suppression operations pursuant to subparagraph (E) for the preceding fiscal year.

; and

(2)

by adding at the end the following:

(v)

Beginning in fiscal year 2018 and for each fiscal year thereafter, the calculation of the average funding provided for disaster relief over the previous 10 years shall include, for each fiscal year during that period, the additional new budget authority provided in an appropriations Act for wildfire suppression operations pursuant to subparagraph (E) for the preceding fiscal year.

.

(b)

Wildfire suppression

Section 251(b)(2) of the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985 (2 U.S.C. 901(b)(2)) is amended by adding at the end the following:

(E)

Wildfire suppression

(i)

Definitions

In this subparagraph:

(I)

Additional new budget authority

The term additional new budget authority means the amount provided for a fiscal year in an appropriations Act that is—

(aa)

in excess of the 10-year average of the costs for wildfire suppression operations, as calculated for fiscal year 2015; and

(bb)

specified to pay for the costs of wildfire suppression operations.

(II)

Wildfire suppression operations

The term wildfire suppression operations means the emergency and unpredictable aspects of wildland firefighting including—

(aa)

support, response, and emergency stabilization activities;

(bb)

other emergency management activities; and

(cc)

the funds necessary to repay any transfers needed for the costs of wildfire suppression operations.

(ii)

Additional new budget authority

If a bill or joint resolution making appropriations for a fiscal year is enacted that specifies an amount for wildfire suppression operations in the Wildland Fire Management accounts at the Department of Agriculture or the Department of the Interior, the adjustments for that fiscal year shall be the amount of additional new budget authority provided in that Act for wildfire suppression operations for that fiscal year, but shall not exceed—

(I)

for fiscal year 2017, $1,410,000,000 in additional new budget authority;

(II)

for fiscal year 2018, $1,460,000,000 in additional new budget authority;

(III)

for fiscal year 2019, $1,560,000,000 in additional new budget authority;

(IV)

for fiscal year 2020, $1,780,000,000 in additional new budget authority;

(V)

for fiscal year 2021, $2,030,000,000 in additional new budget authority;

(VI)

for fiscal year 2022, $2,320,000,000 in additional new budget authority;

(VII)

for fiscal year 2023, $2,650,000,000 in additional new budget authority;

(VIII)

for fiscal year 2024, $2,690,000,000 in additional new budget authority;

(IX)

for fiscal year 2025, $2,690,000,000 in additional new budget authority; and

(X)

for fiscal year 2026, $2,690,000,000 in additional new budget authority.

(iii)

Average cost and outyear calculations

The 10-year average of the costs for wildfire suppression operations and the outyear forecasts of the costs for wildfire suppression operations shall be—

(I)

calculated annually; and

(II)

reported in the budget of the President submitted under section 1105(a) of title 31, United States Code, for each fiscal year.

.

(c)

Reporting requirements

If the Secretary of the Interior or the Secretary of Agriculture determines that supplemental appropriations are necessary for a fiscal year for wildfire suppression operations (as defined in subparagraph (E)(i) of section 251(b)(2) of the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985 (2 U.S.C. 901(b)(2))), the Secretary of the Interior or the Secretary of Agriculture, as applicable, shall—

(1)

promptly submit to Congress a request for the supplemental appropriations; and

(2)

not later than 30 days after the date on which the supplemental appropriations are made available, submit to Congress a plan describing the manner in which the Secretary of the Interior or the Secretary of Agriculture, as applicable, intends to obligate the supplemental appropriations.