S. 5293Senate119th Congress (2025-2027)In Committee

PREPARE Act

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Updated August 13, 2026 at 3:02 AM UTC

The PREPARE Act directs the Secretaries of Agriculture and the Interior to create a pilot program that prepositions aerial firefighting resources for early‑season fine‑fuel wildfires in Nebraska, Colorado, Kansas, South Dakota, and Wyoming. The program must follow each state’s existing fire‑management agreements and be coordinated with the Rocky Mountain Area Coordination Center. It uses money already set aside for wildland fire management and does not create new funding.

Key Provisions

The USDA Forest Service and the Interior’s Wildland Fire Service will develop a seasonal prepositioning protocol for aerial suppression assets in the five listed states.
The program must align with each state’s Master Cooperative Wildland Fire Management and Stafford Act Response Agreement.
Implementation must be coordinated with the Rocky Mountain Area Coordination Center.
Funding will come from existing wildland fire management budgets; the bill does not authorize additional appropriations.

Legislative Activity

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2 earlier actions

SenateCommittee Latest Action

Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. Hearings held.

Energy and Natural Resources Committee

September 16, 2026

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SenateIntro Referral

Introduced in Senate

August 6, 2026

SenateIntro Referral

Read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.

Energy and Natural Resources Committee

August 6, 2026

SenateCommittee

Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. Hearings held.

Energy and Natural Resources Committee

September 16, 2026

Bill Text

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Introduced in SenateIssued August 6, 2026

119th CONGRESS

2d Session

S. 5293

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

August 6, 2026

Mr. Ricketts introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources

A BILL

To direct the Secretary of Agriculture and the Secretary of the Interior to establish prepositioning protocols for aerial wildfire suppression for early-season fine fuel wildland fires, and for other purposes.

Short title

This Act may be cited as the Pilot for Regional Emergency Prepositioning of Aerial Resources and Equipment Act or the PREPARE Act.

Prepositioning protocols for aerial wildfire suppression

(a)

In general

The Secretary of Agriculture, acting through the Deputy Chief for Fire and Aviation Management of the Forest Service, and the Secretary of the Interior, acting through the Director of the Wildland Fire Service (or a successor agency), shall establish a pilot program for seasonal prepositioning protocols of aerial wildfire suppression resources for early-season fine fuel wildland fires in the States of Nebraska, Colorado, Kansas, South Dakota, and Wyoming.

(b)

Requirements

The pilot program under subsection (a) shall be established—

(1)

in accordance with the State's Master Cooperative Wildland Fire Management and Stafford Act Response Agreement; and

(2)

in consultation with the Rocky Mountain Area Coordination Center.

(c)

Funding

(1)

In general

The Secretary of Agriculture and the Secretary of the Interior shall carry out this section using funding otherwise available for wildland fire management.

(2)

Effect

Nothing in this section authorizes any additional appropriations to carry out this section.