Fire Department Repayment Act of 2023

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 3396) to require the standardization of reciprocal fire suppression cost share agreements, and for other purposes, as amended.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on H.R. 3396, the bill now under consideration.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 3396, the Fire Department Repayment Act. This is a bipartisan bill sponsored by Representative Harder alongside Representatives Curtis and LaMalfa.

H.R. 3396 would standardize cost-share agreements between the Federal Government and local fire departments to ensure safe and local firefighting partners are fairly and quickly compensated for fighting wildfires on Federal lands.

Because wildfires do not heed administrative boundaries, various State, Tribal, local, and private firefighting resources respond jointly to wildfires throughout the Nation. The costs expended by these resources are then reimbursed under preexisting arrangements known as reciprocal fire suppression cost-share agreements. These agreements enable firefighting entities to access resources and assistance from neighboring jurisdictions during large fires on Federal lands.

Unfortunately, the current reimbursement process is flawed. Payments are often delayed, imposing financial burdens on local fire departments and reducing their ability to respond to other emergencies.

The Fire Department Repayment Act addresses these challenges by establishing uniform reimbursement timelines for fire suppression cost- share agreements. This legislation would ensure local fire departments are paid promptly while still allowing the Federal Government to dispute any inaccurate invoices.

This is a good bill that would improve the reimbursement process for coordinated firefighting efforts. It thus takes a critical step toward strengthening shared resources and cross-boundary firefighting.

Mr. Speaker, I support the bill, and I reserve the balance of my time.

House of Representatives,

Committee on Science, Space, and Technology,

Washington, DC, December 10, 2024.

Hon. Bruce Westerman,

Chair, Committee on Natural Resources,

Washington, DC.

Dear Chair Westerman: H.R. 3396, the ``Fire Department

Repayment Act of 2023'', was referred primarily to the

Committee on Natural Resources, with an additional referral

to the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology.

H.R. 3396 contains provisions within the Committee on

Science, Space, and Technology's Rule X jurisdiction. As a

result of your having consulted with the Committee and to

expedite this bill for floor consideration, the Committee on

Science, Space, and Technology will forego action on the

bill. This is being done based on our mutual understanding

that doing so will in no way diminish or alter the

jurisdiction of the Committee on Science, Space, and

Technology with respect to the appointment of conferees, or

to any future jurisdictional claim over the subject matters

contained in the bill or similar legislation.

I would appreciate your response to this letter confirming

this understanding and request that you include a copy of

this letter and your response in the committee report or in

the Congressional Record during the floor consideration of

this bill. Thank you in advance for your cooperation.

Sincerely,

Frank D. Lucas,

Chairman.

Mr. Speaker, I have no further speakers, and I am prepared to close. I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, in closing, this is a commonsense, bipartisan bill that would benefit our local fire departments and improve our response to wildfires nationwide.

Mr. Speaker, I urge adoption of this bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I thank Mr. Huffman for yielding.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of my bill, the Fire Department Repayment Act. This legislation cuts red tape and fixes the burdensome fire department repayment system to ensure our local departments are repaid quickly for their work to keep our communities safe.

As you know, Mr. Speaker, the wildfire crisis is getting longer and more intense every year. Sixty thousand communities in the United States are at risk for wildland fires in newly populated, recently developed areas that border fire-prone fields and forests.

My home State of California is on the front lines of this crisis with the most neighborhoods threatened by wildfires.

When a wildfire breaks out on Federal lands, our local firefighters are often the first on the scene, braving hazardous conditions to put out these blazes and protect nearby homes, families, and communities. Local fire departments deploy personnel, use fire engines, and spend thousands of dollars' worth of time and resources to fight fires on Federal lands.

Yet, the bureaucratic Federal reimbursement process is slow and covered in red tape. It often takes years for small fire departments to be repaid for their assistance on these fires.

In my own district, fire departments have waited years and years for repayment from Federal agencies. That has drained their budgets and restrained their resources to combat the fires that we are fighting just this year.

That is unacceptable. Our government must work better for the heroes who put their lives on the line to keep our families safe.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to pass this bill to ensure our local fire departments are paid back quickly so they have the tools they need to protect our communities from the next fire. I also thank my colleagues, Mr. Curtis and Mr. LaMalfa, for their tireless leadership and support of this important bill.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of this Fire Department Repayment Act introduced by my colleague from California, Representative Josh Harder.

The bill would require the Secretaries of Agriculture, Interior, Homeland Security, and Defense to establish standard operating procedures for fire suppression cost-share agreements under the Reciprocal Fire Protection Act.

With the increasing threat of climate change and with wildfires becoming more rampant, it is critical that our local and State fire organizations are supported and continue to receive the resources that they need to fight wildfires.

That is why this bill would enable local and State fire departments to maintain their readiness and effectiveness by establishing standard operating procedures to expedite the process for reviewing and modifying existing fire suppression cost agreements to align with cooperative fire protection agreements.

Furthermore, the bill would require the Secretaries to complete second-level reviews of a fire suppression cost-share agreement following containment of a wildfire in consultation with State and local fire suppression organizations.

The establishment of standard operating procedures is a necessary step toward ensuring quicker and more efficient reviews so that local and State fire departments receive Federal reimbursements in a more timely manner.

As fire seasons continue to increase in frequency and severity, Congress needs to do everything we can to support our local and State fire departments and their firefighters.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to vote ``yes'' on this legislation, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from California (Mr. Harder), who is the author of this important bill.

Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.