H.R. 582 — Community Protection and Wildfire Resilience Act

This section defines terms used in the Act, including (1) Administrator, as the Administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency; (2) Chief, as the Chief of the Forest Service; (3) community protection and wildfire resilience plan, as a collaboratively developed plan addressing wildfire detection, evacuation, infrastructure resiliency, defensible space, and land use that may incorporate existing plans; (4) critical infrastructure, as public safety, health, transportation, communications, water, power, or other essential facilities; (5) defensible space project, as vegetation management within 100 feet of structures (or per more restrictive state law); (6) eligible entity, as a State, Indian Tribe, local government, fire department, or collaborative thereof; (7) program, as the grant program established under section 3(a); and (8) State, to include U.S. territories and possessions.

This section establishes a Community Protection and Wildfire Resilience Grant Program, separate from FEMA's hazard mitigation grant program under the Stafford Act, to be administered by the FEMA Administrator through the U.S. Fire Administrator in coordination with the Forest Service Chief. The program awards grants to eligible entities either to implement projects from an existing community protection and wildfire resilience plan (up to $10 million per grant) or to develop such a plan (up to $250,000 per grant), with priority for high wildfire risk areas identified by state hazard maps or a specified 2018 appropriations map, a 25% non-Federal cost share required for implementation grants (waivable or reducible and 0% for plan development), and a preference for local contractors and labor. The section authorizes $1 billion annually for FY2025 through FY2029.

This section directs the Comptroller General of the United States to publish a report, not later than one year after the date of enactment of this Act, on (1) federal authorities and programs available to protect communities from wildfires, and (2) impediments to implementing such programs, including gaps in funding.

This section directs the Comptroller General of the United States to publish, not later than one year after the date of enactment of this Act, a study that includes (1) an assessment of the potential for a community protection and wildfire resilience plan to qualify for a certification identifying a level of wildfire survivability and resilience, and methods the federal government could use to incentivize insurance companies to accept such a certification; and (2) an identification of metrics that could assure insurance companies a community has wildfire resilience measures in place.

This section revises the definition of "at-risk community" under the Healthy Forests Restoration Act of 2003 by replacing the prior description—which included wildland-urban interface communities as defined in a 2001 Federal Register notice or groups of homes and structures adjacent to federal land—with only the latter (i.e., a group of homes and other structures with basic infrastructure and services within or adjacent to federal land). (Thus, at-risk communities under the Act, which are eligible for priority hazardous fuels reduction projects on adjacent federal lands to mitigate wildfire threats to life and property, are no longer tied to the static 2001 interface community list.) The section further directs the FEMA Administrator, acting through the U.S. Fire Administrator and in coordination with the Forest Service chief, to develop and publish a map depicting such at-risk communities—including Tribal at-risk communities—not later than 180 days after enactment and every five years thereafter.

This section directs the Administrator, acting through the United States Fire Administrator and in coordination with the Chief, to prepare a report not later than two years after enactment on insufficient radio frequencies, interoperability barriers, and available products and technologies to overcome those barriers for wildfire management. In preparing the report with cooperation from specified entities—including the Secretary of Agriculture, federal land management agencies, state fire marshals, state and local emergency response agencies, Tribal fire departments and emergency managers, and various fire departments—the report must determine (1) entities' radio communication ability during potential fire suppression for a community conflagration; (2) whether reserved frequencies suffice or if additional ones should be reserved or obtained (listed by type and location); (3) analyze commercially available interoperability technologies and products; and (4) if needed, provide a plan to ensure adequate communication during such efforts.

This section expands eligible projects under the Community Wildfire Defense Grant program to include covered projects (i.e., structure hardening activities such as constructing, modifying, or maintaining structures to resist flames or embers; and modifying structures or adjacent areas—including vegetation, vehicles, garages, sheds, and fencing—to reduce exposure to direct flame, radiation, or embers from wildfire, with consideration for nearby combustible features).