Cross-Boundary Wildfire Solutions Act
Summary
What This Bill Does
The Cross-Boundary Wildfire Solutions Act would direct the Government Accountability Office (GAO), through the Comptroller General, to study existing federal programs, rules and authorities that help or impede wildfire mitigation across federal and non-federal property boundaries. It asks whether changes could improve capacity or funding access for land-management agencies and other specified public bodies. GAO must submit its findings and recommendations within two years of enactment. The bill does not itself change land ownership, authorize treatment projects, waive environmental review or provide new mitigation money.
Who Benefits and How
Federal land-management agencies, the Natural Resources Conservation Service, Federal Emergency Management Agency and U.S. Fire Administration could gain evidence about coordination and funding obstacles. State, local and Tribal governments are expressly included in the proposed analysis and recommendations. Communities exposed to wildfire could benefit only indirectly if later action on the recommendations improves mitigation. The House Natural Resources and Agriculture Committees and Senate Energy and Natural Resources and Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry Committees receive the report; the Senate substitute adds the two agriculture committees as recipients.
Who Bears the Burden and How
GAO bears the concrete study and reporting workload. The named land and emergency-management agencies are subjects and potential users of the review, not recipients of a new spending entitlement or an independently specified filing mandate in this bill. GAO must examine activities under section 103(e) of the Healthy Forests Restoration Act, whether they have improved access to mitigation funding, and how their efficacy could be improved. No dollar amount, procurement preference, private-landowner duty or new enforcement penalty is specified.
Key Provisions
- Requires GAO to study federal programs, rules and authorities affecting wildfire mitigation across ownership boundaries.
- Directs assessment of possible changes that could improve funding access or capacity for land-management agencies, NRCS, FEMA, the U.S. Fire Administration and State, local and Tribal governments.
- Requires evaluation of the effectiveness and funding-access effects of activities under Healthy Forests Restoration Act section 103(e).
- Requires a report within two years to four named House and Senate committees, including recommendations to simplify cross-boundary mitigation.
Evidence Chain:
This summary is generated from the full bill text using AI analysis. Expand "Detailed Analysis" below for identified beneficiaries/burden bearers with clause-level evidence links.
At a Glance
What This Bill Does
Require GAO to assess federal barriers and funding access for wildfire mitigation across ownership boundaries and deliver recommendations to four congressional committees within two years.
Key Policy Areas
Wildfire mitigation, Federal land management
Primary Purpose
Require GAO to assess federal barriers and funding access for wildfire mitigation across ownership boundaries and deliver recommendations to four congressional committees within two years.
Policy Domains
Cross-Boundary Wildfire Solutions Act
Identified Gains
- Federal land management agencies
- Natural Resources Conservation Service
- Federal Emergency Management Agency
- U.S. Fire Administration
- State wildfire mitigation agencies
- Tribal governments
Identified Costs
- Government Accountability Office
Sponsors
Legislative Progress
Passed SenateHeld at the desk.
Received in the House.
Message on Senate action sent to the House.
Passed Senate with an amendment by Unanimous Consent. (consideration: CR …
Passed/agreed to in Senate: Passed Senate with an amendment by …
Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. …
Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. Reported by Senator Lee …
Reported by Mr. Lee, with an amendment
Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. Ordered to be reported …
Committee on Energy and Natural Resources Subcommittee on Public Lands, …
Stakeholder Effects
cui bono?How this legislation distributes effects. Mention counts reflect frequency, not effect magnitude.
Bill Structure & Actor Mappings
Who is "The Secretary" in each section?
- "comptroller_general"
- → Comptroller General of the United States, head of the Government Accountability Office
- "fire_administration"
- → U.S. Fire Administration
- "agriculture_secretary"
- → Secretary of Agriculture acting through the Chief of the Natural Resources Conservation Service
- "homeland_security_secretary"
- → Secretary of Homeland Security acting through the FEMA Administrator
Note: {'description': 'The reported XML contains the struck original section and its replacement. The only substantive replacement change is adding both agriculture committees as report recipients; the study and two-year deadline remain. Later removal of the struck identifier is not repeal of the study.'}
Key Definitions
Terms defined in this bill
Uses the definition in section 802 of the Federal Lands Recreation Enhancement Act, 16 U.S.C. 6801.
We use a combination of our own taxonomy and classification in addition to large language models to assess meaning and potential beneficiaries. High confidence means strong textual evidence. Always verify with the original bill text.
Learn more about our methodology