This bill would invalidate a final rule issued by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration that rescinded the definition of "harm" under the Endangered Species Act. By declaring that the 2026 rule has no force or effect, the legislation aims to restore the previous legal interpretation of how actions can harm protected species. This change directly affects entities subject to the Endangered Species Act by reinstating the broader regulatory framework for protecting endangered and threatened wildlife.
The Wildfire Response and Readiness Act establishes a national prescribed fire program that requires federal agencies to increase the acreage of controlled burns on public lands by 10 percent annually for a decade. It creates a ten-year national wildfire plan to coordinate landscape-scale forest restoration, reforestation, and watershed protection efforts across federal, state, tribal, and private boundaries. The bill also authorizes new funding for community resilience, including grants for home hardening, satellite monitoring technology, and a joint office dedicated to fire environment data and prediction. Additionally, it modernizes the firefighting workforce by establishing training academies, expanding civilian conservation centers, and providing liability protections for non-federal partners conducting prescribed fires.
The PREPARE Act directs the Secretaries of Agriculture and Interior to establish a pilot program for prepositioning aerial wildfire suppression resources in Nebraska, Colorado, Kansas, South Dakota, and Wyoming. This initiative specifically targets early-season fires involving fine fuels and must be implemented in consultation with state agreements and the Rocky Mountain Area Coordination Center. The bill requires these actions to be carried out using existing funds available for wildland fire management, explicitly prohibiting any new appropriations for this purpose.
The FLOOD Act amends the Food Security Act to incorporate specific emergency watershed protection measures from the Agricultural Credit Act of 1978. This change directly affects farmers and agricultural operations by integrating existing disaster response protocols into the broader food security framework. The bill does not create new programs but rather expands the scope of current emergency measures to include watershed protection. By linking these two statutes, the legislation ensures that watershed safeguards are formally recognized as part of the emergency response options available to the agricultural sector.
The National Coordination on Resilience for Security Act of 2026 creates a new Chief Resilience Officer within the National Security Council to lead federal efforts in preparing for natural hazards and enhancing national security. This official will establish interagency working groups and a Partners Council on Resilience that includes representatives from state, local, tribal, and private sector entities to coordinate strategies and identify funding gaps. The bill requires the development of a National Resilience Strategy that outlines how federal agencies will collaborate with non-federal partners to improve infrastructure, reduce waste, and support vulnerable communities. Additionally, the act mandates the creation of a public clearinghouse to share resilience data and technical assistance, with all provisions set to expire after ten years or following a third independent assessment.
The Guaranteed Disaster Assistance Act requires the President to implement hazard mitigation measures during disaster responses. This change directly affects federal disaster relief operations by making mitigation a mandatory step rather than an optional one. The bill amends the existing Stafford Act to replace the President's discretion with a strict obligation to include these safety measures.
The Emergency Mountain Pine Beetle Response Act creates a competitive grant program administered by the U.S. Forest Service to help states, local governments, tribes, and utilities address mountain pine beetle outbreaks. Eligible recipients can receive funding to remove infested trees, process wood, thin forests to reduce fire risk, plant new trees, and stabilize watersheds on National Forest System lands. The law prioritizes projects that protect municipal water supplies, critical infrastructure, and communities located near forests, ensuring that grant funds are distributed quickly to support these emergency restoration efforts.
The SAFE Rural Act creates a new funding program to help rural communities, Tribal lands, and territories prepare for floods before disasters occur. It establishes a dedicated fund that receives 2% of annual disaster relief money to provide formula-based grants to States and Tribal governments for projects like restoring wetlands, upgrading drainage, and building resilient infrastructure. To ensure these funds reach smaller towns, the bill requires States to pass the money down as subgrants to local governments with populations of 50,000 or fewer, while also offering a simplified application process for small projects under $500,000. The legislation further mandates that recipients submit streamlined plans for maintaining their projects long-term and sets aside specific grants to build local capacity for managing hazard mitigation programs.
The FLOOD Act amends the Food Security Act of 1985 to incorporate emergency watershed protection measures from the Agricultural Credit Act of 1978. This change directly affects farmers and landowners by expanding the legal framework available for addressing urgent water-related issues on agricultural land. By adding this specific reference to existing law, the bill ensures that current emergency protocols for watershed protection are formally recognized within the broader food security legislation. The provision does not create new funding or alter eligibility criteria but rather integrates an existing set of measures into the statutory text.
The Wildfire Response Modernization Act directs the Secretary of the Air Force to purchase commercial satellite data to help the Department of Defense and Northern Command support wildfire management efforts. This data will be used to protect military installations and provide emergency assistance to state, local, and Tribal governments during fire events. Additionally, the bill allows the government to share this purchased data directly with local authorities to aid their firefighting operations. The funding for these purchases depends on the availability of future appropriations.
