A bill to direct the Secretary of Agriculture and the Secretary of the Interior to establish prepositioning protocols for aerial wildfire suppression for early-season fine fuel wildland fires, and for other purposes.

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress] [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office] [S. 5293 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

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119th CONGRESS 2d Session S. 5293

To direct the Secretary of Agriculture and the Secretary of the Interior to establish prepositioning protocols for aerial wildfire suppression for early-season fine fuel wildland fires, and for other purposes.

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IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

August 6, 2026

Mr. Ricketts introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources

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A BILL

To direct the Secretary of Agriculture and the Secretary of the Interior to establish prepositioning protocols for aerial wildfire suppression for early-season fine fuel wildland fires, and for other purposes.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

This Act may be cited as the ``Pilot for Regional Emergency Prepositioning of Aerial Resources and Equipment Act'' or the ``PREPARE Act''.

SEC. 2. PREPOSITIONING PROTOCOLS FOR AERIAL WILDFIRE SUPPRESSION.

(a) In General.--The Secretary of Agriculture, acting through the Deputy Chief for Fire and Aviation Management of the Forest Service, and the Secretary of the Interior, acting through the Director of the Wildland Fire Service (or a successor agency), shall establish a pilot program for seasonal prepositioning protocols of aerial wildfire suppression resources for early-season fine fuel wildland fires in the States of Nebraska, Colorado, Kansas, South Dakota, and Wyoming. (b) Requirements.--The pilot program under subsection (a) shall be established-- (1) in accordance with the State's Master Cooperative Wildland Fire Management and Stafford Act Response Agreement; and (2) in consultation with the Rocky Mountain Area Coordination Center. (c) Funding.-- (1) In general.--The Secretary of Agriculture and the Secretary of the Interior shall carry out this section using funding otherwise available for wildland fire management. (2) Effect.--Nothing in this section authorizes any additional appropriations to carry out this section. <all>