H.R. 3957House119th Congress (2025-2027)In Committee

To amend the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act to authorize the President to provide certain fire management assistance to Indian Tribal Governments, and for other purposes.

AI-Generated Summary

Updated November 23, 2025 at 11:58 PM UTC

This bill amends the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act so that Indian Tribal Governments can directly request and receive federal fire‑management assistance from the President. It creates a new procedure for tribal leaders to submit requests, requires new regulations to be issued within a year, and ensures tribes can still get help through state requests if needed. The changes aim to improve disaster response for tribal lands affected by wildfires.

Key Provisions

Adds Indian Tribal Governments to the list of entities that can receive fire‑management assistance under the Stafford Act.
Allows a tribal chief executive (or a state governor) to submit a direct request for fire‑management assistance to the President.
Requires the President, within one year, to issue regulations that let FEMA receive those tribal requests and provide grants and resources directly to tribes.
Clarifies that tribes can still receive assistance through a state‑requested declaration if their own request is denied.
Mandates that the regulations consider tribal welfare, include government‑to‑government consultation with tribes, and update the relevant FEMA regulations.

Legislative Activity

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2 earlier actions

HouseCommittee Latest Action

Referred to the Subcommittee on Economic Development, Public Buildings, and Emergency Management.

Economic Development, Public Buildings, and Emergency Management Subcommittee

June 13, 2025

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HouseIntro Referral

Introduced in House

June 12, 2025

HouseIntro Referral

Referred to the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure.

Transportation and Infrastructure Committee

June 12, 2025

HouseCommittee

Referred to the Subcommittee on Economic Development, Public Buildings, and Emergency Management.

Economic Development, Public Buildings, and Emergency Management Subcommittee

June 13, 2025

Bill Text

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Introduced in HouseIssued June 12, 2025

119th CONGRESS

1st Session

H. R. 3957

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

June 12, 2025

Ms. Davids of Kansas (for herself and Mr. Johnson of South Dakota) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure

A BILL

To amend the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act to authorize the President to provide certain fire management assistance to Indian Tribal Governments, and for other purposes.

Indian tribal government eligibility

(a)

In general

Section 420 of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5187) is amended—

(1)

in subsection (a), by inserting , Indian Tribal Government, before or local government;

(2)

by redesignating subsections (b) through (e) as subsections (c) through (f), respectively;

(3)

by inserting after subsection (a) the following:

(b)

Procedure for request

The Governor of a State or the Chief Executive of an Indian Tribal Government affected by a fire described in subsection (a) may directly submit a request to authorize assistance under this section.

; and

(4)

by adding at the end the following:

(g)

Savings provision

Nothing in this section shall prohibit an Indian Tribal Government from receiving assistance under this section pursuant to an authorization made at the request of a State under subsection (b) if assistance is not authorized under this section for the same incident based on a request by the Indian Tribal Government under subsection (b).

(b)

Regulations

(1)

Update

Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of this Act, the President shall issue regulations updating part 204 of title 44, Code of Federal Regulations, to carry out the amendments made by subsection (a).

(2)

Contents

In issuing the regulations required under paragraph (1), the President shall—

(A)

authorize the Federal Emergency Management Agency to directly receive a request for a fire management assistance declaration from an Indian Tribal Government and directly provide related grants and resources to Indian Tribal Governments;

(B)

clarify that Indian Tribal Governments for which the President does not grant a request described in subparagraph (A) remain eligible to receive assistance under section 420 of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5187) through assistance granted under a fire management assistance declaration made at the request of a State;

(C)

consider the unique conditions that affect the general welfare of Indian Tribal Governments; and

(D)

enter into government-to-government consultation with Indian Tribal Governments regarding the regulations.

(3)

Fire management assistance declaration defined

In this subsection, the term fire management assistance declaration means a declaration approved under section 204.21(a) of title 44, Code of Federal Regulations.