The U.S. House Science, Space, and Technology Committee on July 27 approved bipartisan legislation introduced by U.S. Rep. Young Kim (R-CA) that would establish a program to improve fire weather and environment forecasting, detection, and local collaboration. The measure includes two wildfire-related bills the congresswoman introduced.
“With peak wildfire season approaching, many of my constituents, especially in canyon communities, are weary of the increased threat of wildfires,” Rep. Kim said. “Early detection and forecasting efforts can help us get ahead, so we can prevent wildfires and save lives.”
The Fire Weather Development Act of 2023, H.R. 4866, which Rep. Kim cosponsored on July 25 alongside bill sponsor U.S. Rep. Mike Garcia (R-CA) and fellow original cosponsor U.S. Rep. Yadira Caraveo (D-CO), would allow the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to enter private contracts to gain airborne and space-based data to enhance fire weather and fire environment monitoring and prediction; give NOAA the ability to assess drone use to improve data collection and to conduct drone pilot programs; and create both an Interagency Coordinating Committee on Wildfires and a National Advisory Committee on Wildfires, among several other provisions.
“The Fire Weather Development Act will improve information sharing to better understand and predict fire weather and environment conditions,” said Rep. Kim. “I am proud to help lead this common-sense bill and will continue fighting to improve wildfire readiness and protect CA-40 communities.”
H.R. 4866 also includes two bills Rep. Kim introduced to improve wildfire detection and communications efforts: The Fire Information and Reaction Enhancement (FIRE) Act of 2023, H.R. 550, and the NIST (National Institute of Standards and Technology) Wildland Fire Communications and Information Dissemination Act, H.R. 369.
H.R. 550, which Reps. Kim and Garcia introduced in late January with U.S. Rep. Julia Brownley (D-CA) would establish certain programs to improve wildfire forecasting and detection within the NOAA, including the development of weather research testbeds, which are collaborative spaces where researchers and forecasters work alongside each other to integrate new systems into models, test and streamline data assimilation methods, and otherwise improve weather products and services for the benefit of the public, according to the congressional record bill summary.
The other bill included in H.R. 4866 is H.R. 369, which Rep. Kim sponsored on Jan. 17 with two Democratic original cosponsors. The bill would require the NIST to conduct research on public safety communication coordination standards among wildland firefighters and fire management response officials, according to the text of the bill.
The House Science, Space, and Technology Committee voted 33-2 to pass the larger bill, which now heads to the full chamber for consideration.