HR 1567 United States House · 118th Congress

ACRES Act

HR 1567, the ACRES Act, requires the U.S. Departments of Agriculture and Interior to improve reporting on wildfire risk reduction work on public lands. Starting in 2025, agencies must annually report the exact number of acres treated, including details like wildfire risk levels, cost per acre, location in the wildland-urban interface, and effectiveness of treatments. The bill mandates standardized data tracking methods to ensure accuracy and requires these reports to be publicly posted online. A GAO study will later assess the Act's implementation, focusing on reporting and data tracking challenges.

Issues: ✓ Environment

Sub-Topics: Forestry Public Lands

Bill status passed 3 of 5 stages cleared

Introduction

Mar 2023

Committee Review

Sep 2023

House Passage

Sep 2023

Senate Passage

President

Introduced Mar 10, 2023 Last action Sep 14, 2023

Maddy AI version diff · 1 comparison

What changed between versions

Introduced in House → Engrossed in House · 5 edits · Sep 13, 2023

MODERATE

The Engrossed version narrows reporting scope to Federal lands only, removes the exclusion of wildfires managed for resource benefits from the definition of hazardous fuels reduction activity (requiring them to be reported separately), adds a new definition of 'Federal lands,' and includes a no-new-funds provision. These changes make the bill more targeted while expanding what counts as reportable activity.

SCOPE

All reporting requirements now apply only to 'acres of Federal land' rather than all acres where hazardous fuels reduction activities occur, narrowing the geographic scope of the reporting obligation.

DEFINITION

New definition of 'Federal lands' added as subsection (d)(2), defined as lands under the jurisdiction of the Secretary of the Interior or the Secretary of Agriculture.

The definition of 'hazardous fuels reduction activity' no longer excludes 'a wildland fire managed for resource benefits.' Previously both wildfires managed for resource benefits and contract awards were excluded; now only contract awards are excluded. This means prescribed burns and other actions taken during managed wildfires now count as reportable hazardous fuels reduction activities.

REQUIREMENT

New reporting requirement added under subsection (a)(2)(B)(iii) requiring the Secretary to delineate whether hazardous fuels reduction activities were conducted in a wildfire managed for resource benefits or through a planned project, providing transparency into how much work is done during active fires versus planned operations.

FISCAL

New subsection (e) added stating that no additional funds are authorized to carry out the Act and all activities are subject to the availability of appropriations made in advance for such purposes.

Floor votes · House Sep 13, 2023

How they voted

406–4

Passed · 23 other

Total votes 433

Sep 13, 2023

D Democratic212

200 Yea 12

94% Yea

I Independent1

1 Yea

100% Yea

R Republican220

205 Yea 4 Nay 11

93% Yea

Vote distribution

All Yea All Nay Mixed No data

Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions

Key actions

Committee

Amendments

Sep 14, 2023

Committee

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

upper

Sep 13, 2023

Introduced

On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended Agreed to by the Yeas and Nays: (2/3 required): 406 - 4 (Roll no. 386). (text: 9/12/2023 CR H4249)

lower

Sep 13, 2023

Lower · Passed

Passed/agreed to in House: On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended Agreed to by the Yeas and Nays: (2/3 required): 406 - 4 (Roll no. 386). (text: 9/12/2023 CR H4249)

lower

Sep 12, 2023

Introduced

Mr. Westerman moved to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended.

lower

Sep 8, 2023

Lower · Passed

Committee on Agriculture discharged.

lower

Sep 8, 2023

Lower · Passed

Reported (Amended) by the Committee on Natural Resources. H. Rept. 118-186, Part I.

lower

Apr 28, 2023

Introduced

Ordered to be Reported (Amended) by Unanimous Consent.

lower

Apr 28, 2023

Lower · Passed

Committee Consideration and Mark-up Session Held.

lower

Apr 28, 2023

Lower · Passed

Subcommittee on Federal Lands Discharged.

lower

Apr 5, 2023

Committee

Referred to the Subcommittee on Forestry.

lower

Mar 23, 2023

Lower · Passed

Subcommittee Hearings Held.

lower

Mar 22, 2023

Committee

Referred to the Subcommittee on Federal Lands.

lower

Mar 10, 2023

Committee

Referred to the Committee on Natural Resources, and in addition to the Committee on Agriculture, 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.

lower

Mar 10, 2023

Introduced

Introduced in House

lower

1 primary · 1 co-sponsor