HR4075-119

What This Bill Does

The Fire Weather Development Act builds a federal fire-weather forecasting and communications architecture around NOAA. NOAA must establish a program to improve fire weather and fire environment forecasting, detection, warning products, smoke-dispersion communication, early detection, and wildland-urban interface forecasting, using input from the weather industry, academics, and stakeholders. OSTP must create an Interagency Coordinating Committee on Wildfires chaired by NOAA and including FEMA, the United States Fire Administration, Forest Service, NASA, Interior, Agriculture, USGS, OSTP, and other agencies, with a strategic plan due within one year. OSTP must also create a nonfederal advisory committee. NOAA must establish a fire-weather testbed funded at $4 million annually for fiscal years 2026 through 2029, assess National Weather Service incident meteorologist workforce needs within six months, and conduct wildland-fire communications research and field testing through NIST public safety and fire research units.

Who Benefits and How

State emergency officials benefit from more timely and usable fire-weather forecasts, warnings, and communications. Local wildfire responders benefit from improved real-time data, alerts, smoke information, and communications standards. National Weather Service incident meteorologists benefit from workforce planning and premium-pay treatment for emergency wildland fire suppression services. Weather researchers and technology developers benefit from a NOAA testbed that evaluates models, tools, products, and services.

Who Bears the Burden and How

NOAA must create and administer the fire-weather program, testbed, workforce assessment, and forecasting improvements. OSTP must establish and manage the interagency wildfire committee and national advisory committee. Federal wildfire agencies must coordinate strategic planning, data infrastructure, stakeholder engagement, and implementation roles. Federal taxpayers bear the $4 million annual fire-weather testbed authorization and related program costs.

Key Provisions

• Creates a NOAA fire-weather forecasting, detection, and product-delivery program.
• Establishes an OSTP-led interagency wildfire committee and nonfederal national advisory committee.
• Authorizes a NOAA fire-weather testbed at $4 million annually for fiscal years 2026 through 2029.
• Requires incident meteorologist workforce planning and wildland-fire communications research, testing, recommendations, and reporting.