S. 306 — Fire Ready Nation Act of 2025

This section designates the Act as the Fire Ready Nation Act of 2025 and sets forth the table of contents.

This section establishes definitions for terms used in the Act, including (1) Administration (i.e., National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration); (2) appropriate committees of Congress (i.e., Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation and House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology); (3) Earth system model (i.e., mathematical model of atmosphere, oceans, land, cryosphere, and biosphere); (4) fire environment (i.e., conditions influencing fuel, fire behavior, smoke emissions, and post-fire impacts); (5) fire weather (i.e., weather influencing wildfires, smoke, and air quality); (6) impact-based decision support services (i.e., NOAA scientific advice for emergency and public safety decisions); (7) Indian tribe and tribal organization (as defined in 25 U.S.C. 5304); (8) Native Hawaiian organization (as defined in 20 U.S.C. 7517); (9) seasonal (as defined in 15 U.S.C. 8501); (10) State (i.e., any state, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, Guam, American Samoa, Northern Mariana Islands, U.S. Virgin Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Republic of the Marshall Islands, or Republic of Palau); and (11) Under Secretary (i.e., Under Secretary of Commerce for Oceans and Atmosphere).

This section establishes a coordinated fire weather services program among offices of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) in existence as of enactment. The program's functions, consistent with weather research priorities under section 101 of the Weather Research and Forecasting Innovation Act of 2017 (15 U.S.C. 8511) (i.e., improving weather data, modeling, computing, forecasting, and warnings), include (1) supporting U.S. readiness, responsiveness, understanding, and resilience to wildfires, fire weather, smoke, post-fire flooding and debris flows, and related hazards; (2) developing and disseminating risk communications, forecasts, watches, and warnings with federal land management agencies; (3) partnering with public, government, tribal, and academic entities for capabilities and decision support; (4) conducting research and development on models, technologies, and fire environment prediction; (5) transitioning research to operations; (6) developing communications for remote and rural communities; and (7) providing integrated impact-based decision support services. In implementing the program, NOAA must prioritize (1) fire weather-enabled Earth system models and data assimilation incorporating artificial intelligence and post-fire rain gauge networks; (2) observational capabilities for pre-ignition risks, ignitions, fire behavior, and threat levels; (3) user-oriented decision tools for the fire lifecycle and post-fire hazards; and (4) parity of access for rural communities; and may conduct supporting research on physical and social sciences, fuel assessments, ecosystem impacts, attribution science, and wildfire smoke forecasting.

This section directs the Under Secretary of Commerce for Oceans and Atmosphere (i.e., NOAA administrator) to establish a fire weather testbed to enable collaboration across federal, state, and local governments, academia, private sector, research laboratories, and end-users in evaluating and accelerating the transition to operations of fire weather technologies, models, products, and research. It requires (1) a research and development program for uncrewed systems to enhance fire weather data collection, modeling, forecasts, and decision support—including pilots to test systems in real-world scenarios, assess data utility, input data into fire behavior models, and develop best practices, plus coordination with other federal agencies and adherence to airspace protocols; and (2) additional pilot projects that may incorporate advanced satellite fire detection, commercial data procurement, and evaluation of user information needs. This section further amends the annual reporting requirements of the United States Weather Research Program (15 U.S.C. 8520(a)(5)) by adding to the list of projects closest to operationalization a description of research successfully transitioned into operations, including from the new fire weather testbed.

This section amends Section 301 of the Weather Research and Forecasting Innovation Act of 2017 (15 U.S.C. 8531) to require the NOAA Under Secretary to make agency-generated data and metadata fully and openly available per federal open data and records laws; preserve, curate, manage, and steward such data using enterprise infrastructure, emerging technologies, commercial partnerships, and interoperability standards (including digital object identifiers); and collaborate with federal partners and stakeholders to enhance data standards, access, and usability. This section amends Section 1114 of the John D. Dingell, Jr. Conservation, Management, and Recreation Act (43 U.S.C. 1748b–1) to (1) add NOAA to the list of agencies for wildfire technology coordination; (2) require the Secretaries of Agriculture and Interior to consult with the NOAA Under Secretary on impact-based decision support services (i.e., scientific advice for emergency decisions) related to NOAA wildfire activities; and (3) direct those Secretaries to collaborate with NOAA on wildfire smoke prediction, forecasting, modeling, coordination, and data interoperability. This section further requires the NOAA Under Secretary to develop and maintain a comprehensive, centralized, publicly accessible digital presence—including geospatial data, decision support tools, training, and best practices—for the program established under section 3(a) of the Act to provide real-time fire weather forecasts; and to acquire sufficient high-performance computing resources for that program's research, operations, data storage, and workforce development, considering federal and commercial capabilities.

This section requires the Under Secretary of Commerce for Oceans and Atmosphere to conduct annual post-fire-weather-season surveys and assessments beginning in the second winter after enactment—including investigating data gaps, improving strategies and information dissemination, updating systems, evaluating fire weather forecast accuracy, and refining performance measures—and authorizes surveys after individual wildfire events to increase post-wildfire community impact studies. It further requires annual briefings to congressional committees on fire season overviews, outlooks, and forecasts; coordination with federal, state, local, tribal, and other partners; public availability of data and findings; and incorporation of results into NOAA research, development, and operations. The section also requires the Under Secretary, in collaboration with the Federal Aviation Administration Administrator and Secretary of Defense, to (1) assess the Automated Surface Observing System (ASOS)—a nationwide network of automated airport weather stations—to identify upgrades for observation quality, planetary boundary layer data, public access, latency reduction, wildfire-related atmospheric composition data, operational continuity (including remote staffing), data handling, and advanced research-to-operations transitions; (2) develop and implement a plan addressing assessment findings with standardized upgrades across agencies; (3) assess and develop cooperative agreements for remote automatic weather stations, ASOS, and wildfire smoke monitors; and (4) submit a report to Congress within two years after enactment.

This section establishes an Incident Meteorologist Service within the National Weather Service to formalize existing and future incident meteorologists who provide on-site impact-based decision support services—preceding, during, and following significant weather-related events such as wildland fires—to federal, state, and local government emergency response agencies, Indian tribes, Tribal organizations, and Native Hawaiian organizations, as well as support for seasonal planning and pre-fire mitigation activities. The section directs the Under Secretary to deploy the service as determined or upon request from another federal agency head; maintain adequate staffing and resources to meet user needs; and provide incident meteorologists with real-time fire weather forecasts, training, administrative and logistical support, and mental health resources related to responses to high-impact and extreme fire weather events.

This section waives limitations on premium pay under 5 U.S.C. §5547(a) (i.e., the cap on aggregate basic pay and premium pay at the Executive Level I rate) and §5307 (i.e., the annual aggregate pay cap) for covered employees of the Departments of Agriculture, Commerce, and the Interior performing wildland fire response services (e.g., as wildland firefighters, incident meteorologists, or on incident management teams) during calendar year 2025. Specifically, (1) such premium pay is disregarded in calculating those caps; (2) total basic pay and premium pay (including disregarded amounts) may not exceed the Executive Level II rate; (3) any additional premium pay resulting from the waiver is not creditable as basic pay for retirement or lump-sum leave payments. This section also (1) amends 5 U.S.C. §5542(a)(5) to include Department of Commerce employees after "Interior" (thus authorizing premium pay under the provision preceding §5547(a)(1), such as overtime, for those employees); (2) requires the Secretaries of Agriculture, Commerce, and the Interior, in consultation with the Office of Management and Budget and Office of Personnel Management, to jointly develop and implement by March 30, 2026, a plan to hire, appoint, promote, or train sufficient covered employees for fiscal years beginning in FY2026 without premium pay waivers (not contingent on appropriations exceeding FY2024 levels), and to submit the plan to specified congressional committees 30 days prior to implementation; and (3) requires each Secretary concerned to maintain policies and procedures promoting the health, safety, and well-being of covered employees.

This section directs the Under Secretary of Commerce for Oceans and Atmosphere to submit to the appropriate congressional committees, not later than 18 months after the date of enactment of this Act—(1) a plan detailing observational data, modeling, computational, research and development, personnel, engagement, and resource requirements and timelines to implement specified fire weather services functions and priorities, as well as other activities under this Act; (2) an assessment of current and projected staffing levels and infrastructure needs for incident meteorologists supporting wildfires and other high-impact fire weather events; and (3) an assessment of support services needs for National Weather Service (NWS) emergency response employees, including Public Health Service support and required appropriations, and directs the Under Secretary to seek additional such services. Following completion of the plan, this section further directs the Under Secretary to submit to Congress annually, concurrent with the President's budget submission under 31 U.S.C. 1105, a proposed budget corresponding to the plan.

This section directs the Executive Director of the Interagency Committee for Advancing Weather Services—established under 15 U.S.C. 8542 to coordinate federal weather research and forecast innovation—to establish, within 90 days of enactment, the Fire Science and Technology Working Group, chaired by the Under Secretary or designee. The working group coordinates science, research, technology, and operations related to wildland fire prediction, detection, forecasting, modeling, resilience, response, management, and assessments across specified agencies, while soliciting input from non-Federal stakeholders. (b) Within 18 months of enactment, the Interagency Committee must submit to Congress a strategic plan for interagency coordination, research, and development to improve wildland fire and wildfire smoke assessment, prediction, and impacts—including on communities, infrastructure, ecosystems, watersheds, social and economic factors, community resilience, fire regimes, weather and drought effects, prescribed fires, and public safety communications—incorporating specified elements such as priorities for vulnerable populations, high-performance computing needs, timelines for interagency data sharing and model interconnection, observational technologies (e.g., satellites, radars, uncrewed aerial systems), public communication frameworks, and social-behavioral research integration. The working group terminates one year after enactment.

This section directs the Under Secretary of Commerce for Oceans and Atmosphere (i.e., NOAA administrator), in collaboration with the chiefs of the Forest Service, U.S. Geological Survey, National Park Service, Federal Emergency Management Agency, Fish and Wildlife Service, Bureau of Indian Affairs, and Bureau of Land Management, and appropriate stakeholders, to evaluate the current federal system for rating wildfire risk and determine whether updates are needed to ensure accurate reflection of fire risk severity. If updates are determined to be necessary, the Under Secretary must implement them.

This section directs the Comptroller General of the United States to submit four reports to Congress on fire weather services, wildfire interagency bodies and coordination, and automated surface observing systems, as follows: (1) a report evaluating the performance of the fire weather services program established under section 3(a)—including baseline capabilities, progress toward operationalizing functions under section 3(b), and recommendations—due not later than 3 years after enactment; (2) a report identifying specified federal interagency bodies for wildfire forecasting, prevention, planning, and management (e.g., Wildland Fire Leadership Council, National Wildfire Coordinating Group), evaluating their roles, performance, efficacy, and overlaps, and providing streamlining recommendations (including potential addition of the Administration), due not later than 1 year after enactment; (3) a report identifying authorities, roles, and services relating to wildland fire activities provided by specified agencies (e.g., Department of Commerce including the Administration and National Institute of Standards and Technology, NASA, Department of the Interior, Department of Agriculture) and recommending improvements in coordination, research and development, data management, interoperability, communications, and decision support tools with stakeholders including state and local governments and tribes, due not later than 1 year after enactment; and (4) a report evaluating the automated surface observing system across the Administration, Federal Aviation Administration, and Department of Defense—including functionality, progress on the plan under section 6(b)(1)(B), collaboration, reliability (particularly in remote areas), and federal coordination on related assets—and providing recommendations, due not later than 4 years after enactment.

This section requires each federal agency to cooperate with the Under Secretary in carrying out this Act. It directs the Under Secretary to coordinate with federal and external partners—including agencies at the National Interagency Fire Center, the Predictive Services Program, the National Wildfire Coordinating Group, and relevant interagency bodies identified in the report under section 12(b)—and to consult with specified federal agencies (e.g., NASA, DOI, FEMA); requires the Under Secretary, not later than 18 months after enactment, to develop and submit to the appropriate congressional committees a process for annual coordination with state and local governments, Indian Tribes, Tribal organizations, and Native Hawaiian organizations to improve fire weather products and services; and authorizes the Under Secretary to develop international agreements on transboundary wildfire and related issues, with consultation from the Department of State and other relevant partners.

This section establishes general provisions that (1) direct the Under Secretary to avoid duplication, to the greatest extent practicable, of activities carried out under this Act with other parts of the Administration or relevant federal agencies and to coordinate with the Administration and other federal research agencies to ensure activities enhance and complement existing efforts while promoting stewardship of funds; and (2) clarify that nothing in the Act satisfies government-to-government consultation requirements with Indian tribes or affects or modifies any treaty or other right of any Indian tribe.

This section authorizes appropriations to the Administration to carry out this Act and its amendments of $15 million for FY2026, $20 million for FY2027, $27 million for FY2028, $36 million for FY2029, and $50 million for FY2030. It prohibits use of these funds to unnecessarily duplicate activities funded under title VIII of division D of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (P.L. 117-58).