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H.R. 5648: Emergency Wildland Fire Response Act of 2008

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H.R. 5648: Emergency Wildland Fire Response Act of 2008

110th Congress · introduced 2008-03-14 · Public Lands and Natural Resources · Latest: Referred to the Subcommittee on Department Operations, Oversight, Nutrition and Forestry.

federal

Follow this bill, step by step

  1. Where it came from: introduced 2008-03-14 · official record
  2. Who proposed it: Rep. Goodlatte, Bob [R-VA-6] · what a sponsor is
  3. What happened next: no floor votes in our records yet. Why?
  4. Where it stands now: Referred to the Subcommittee on Department Operations, Oversight, Nutrition and Forestry. Not final yet: this can still change. We check for updates every day.
  5. If it becomes law and spends money: follow the money to money laws, then agencies and contracts and grants.

What does this mean?

Official title

Emergency Wildland Fire Response Act of 2008

Plain summary

Emergency Wildland Fire Response Act of 2008 - Establishes a Federal Wildland Fire Emergency Suppression Fund to cover the costs of federal wildland fire suppression activities associated with a declared emergency wildland fire incident. Sets forth the criteria for which declarations of emergency wildland fire incidents may be made under this Act. Requires a declaration of such an incident to only be made by the Secretary of Agriculture, the Secretary of the Interior, or a designee of the Secretary concerned at the subcabinet level. Allows the Secretary concerned to only access the Fund if the President's annual budget requested funds for wildland fire operations amounting to at least the ten-fiscal year average of expenditures for wildland fire operations. Requires the Secretaries to jointly report every six months on expenditures from and deposits to the Fund. Permits any excess funds for wildland fire operations to be transferred to support reforestation and rehabilitation of forests following wildland fires. Limits the areas in which such funds may be expended. Requires review of wildfire incidents resulting in expenses greater than $10 million. Directs the Secretary of Agriculture to develop a national map of landscape areas most at risk of wildfire and in need of hazardous fuel treatment and maintenance. Authorizes such Secretary to: (1) provide cost-share grants to fire-ready communities to increase their capacity to defend against wildland fire; and (2) enter into contracts or cooperative agreements with a State Forester or equivalent official to implement good neighbor projects on such lands.

Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in House), quoted unchanged (nonpartisan). Read the source.

What a vote does

A “Yea” vote

If it passes both chambers and is signed, it becomes law.

A “Nay” vote

If it is not passed, current law stays as it is.

PSI Sci description of the legislative step (not an opinion).

What does this mean? (plain words)

Official text

Emergency Wildland Fire Response Act of 2008

Source: Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in House)

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The strongest published arguments

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Alternatives

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How did my representative vote? · This bill's floor votes

Officials and money

Sponsor: Rep. Goodlatte, Bob [R-VA-6] · 11 cosponsors

Cost estimate: No cost estimate published yet.

Cosponsors on this site

Janice D. Schakowsky (D-IL)

No linked floor roll calls in our collected records yet. This does not mean the bill has never had a vote. Check the official bill history.

Sources

Record fed-us-cong110-hr5648 · catalog fed-us-congress-bills-cong110 · updated 2026-11-15 by psicol fed-bills-cong110