National Prescribed Fire Act of 2025

Key Points

• The bill requires a 10% annual increase in prescribed fire acreage on federal land for 10 years. This ramp-up is designed to reduce the buildup of dead wood and brush that fuels catastrophic wildfires across the country.
• Federal employees working on controlled burns would receive hazard pay. The bill also creates pathways for veterans and formerly incarcerated firefighters to build careers in prescribed fire work.
• The bill formally recognizes and supports cultural burning practices of Native American Tribes, including funding for an Indigenous-led prescribed fire and cultural burning training center.
• A new Collaborative Prescribed Fire Program would fund up to 20 large-scale projects per year, with a cap of $20 million total and $1 million per project annually, running through 2034.
• Non-federal contractors and partners helping with burns on federal land would be treated as federal employees for liability purposes, removing a major barrier that has discouraged outside participation in prescribed fire work.
• New research on smoke prediction and public health protections is required, with the EPA coordinating with state and tribal air quality agencies to manage smoke impacts on nearby communities.

Votes

No votes have been recorded for this legislation yet.