What This Bill Does · Plain English
Summary · Congress.gov
Wildfire Recovery Act This bill provides flexibility to increase the federal cost share for the Fire Management Assistance Grant (FMAG) program of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). It also requires updates to FMAG policy to remove limitations on reimbursement for predeployment of firefighting assets. Under current law, FEMA’s regulations require a 75% federal cost share for FMAG assistance and do not permit adjustments. The bill establishes FMAG’s 75% federal cost share as a minimum, providing flexibility for such percentage to be increased in certain instances. It also requires FEMA to establish by regulation criteria through which FEMA may recommend the President increase FMAG’s federal cost share above 75%. Such criteria must include a financial threshold, relating to the costs of state or local government response to a fire triggering FMAG assistance, above which FEMA may recommend the President increase the federal cost share. Also, currently, FMAG may reimburse costs for pre-positioning firefighting resources into areas of higher fire danger up to 21 days before a declared fire. However, under current FMAG policy, costs for pre-positioning state or local government-owned resources within their own state are ineligible. The bill requires FEMA to update FMAG grants policy to allow reimbursement for predeployment of domestic assets by state, local, or Indian tribal governments in a manner consistent with other FEMA programs.
Action Timeline
2025-12-01
Referred to the Subcommittee on Economic Development, Public Buildings, and Emergency Management.
2025-09-30
Introduced in House
2025-09-30
Referred to the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure.
2025-09-30
Introduced in House
Frequently Asked Questions
Did HR.5652 pass?
HR.5652 is still alive. Current stage: COMMITTEE. Pass likelihood: pending.
What does HR.5652 do?
Wildfire Recovery Act This bill provides flexibility to increase the federal cost share for the Fire Management Assistance Grant (FMAG) program of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). It also requires updates to FMAG policy to remove limitations on reimbursement for predeployment of firefighting assets. Under current law, FEMA’s regulations require a 75% federal cost share for FMAG assistance and do not permit adjustments. The bill establishes FMAG’s 75% federal cost share as a minimum, providing flexibility for such percentage to be increased in certain instances. It also requires …
Who sponsored HR.5652?
HR.5652 was sponsored by Joe Neguse (D-Colorado).
Full Bill Text
119 HR 5652 IH: Wildfire Recovery Act U.S. House of Representatives 2025-09-30 text/xml EN Pursuant to Title 17 Section 105 of the United States Code, this file is not subject to copyright protection and is in the public domain. I 119th CONGRESS 1st Session H. R. 5652 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES September 30, 2025 Mr. Neguse (for himself, Mr. LaMalfa , Ms. DeGette , Mr. Huffman , Mr. Swalwell , Ms. Bonamici , Ms. Norton , Mr. Carbajal , Mr. Garamendi , Mr. Costa , Mr. Lynch , Ms. Pettersen , Ms. Leger Fernandez , and Mr. Harder of California ) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure A BILL To amend the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act to provide flexibility with the cost share for fire management assistance, and for other purposes. 1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Wildfire Recovery Act . 2. Fire management assistance cost share (a) In general Section 420 of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act is amended— (1) by redesignating subsection (e) as subsection (f); and (2) by inserting after subsection (d) the following: (e) Federal share The Federal share of assistance under this section shall be not less than 75 percent of the eligible cost of such assistance. . (b) Applicability The amendment made by subsection (a) shall only apply to amounts appropriated on or after the date of enactment of this Act. 3. Rulemaking Not later than 3 years after the date of enactment of this Act, the President, acting through the Administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, shall conduct and complete a rulemaking to provide criteria for the circumstances under which the Administrator may recommend the President increase the Federal cost share for section 420 of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act ( 42 U.S.C. 5187 ). Such criteria shall include a threshold metric that assesses the financial impact to a State or local government from responding to a fire for which fire management assistance is being provided. 4. Policy update The Administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency shall update the policy for grants made under section 420 of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act ( 42 U.S.C. 5187 ), consistent with assistance provided under a major disaster and emergency declaration under such Act, to provide that predeployment of domestic assets by States, local, and Tribal governments may be eligible for reimbursement under such section 420.
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