H.R. 1442: Depleting Risk from Insect Infestation, Soil Erosion, and Catastrophic Fire Act

113th Congress · introduced 2013-04-09 · Public Lands and Natural Resources · Latest: Referred to the Subcommittee on Conservation, Energy, and Forestry.

federal

Follow this bill, step by step

Where it came from: introduced 2013-04-09 · official record
Who proposed it: Rep. Markey, Edward J. [D-MA-5] · what a sponsor is
What happened next: no floor votes in our records yet. Why?
Where it stands now: Referred to the Subcommittee on Conservation, Energy, and Forestry. Not final yet: this can still change. We check for updates every day.
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

Depleting Risk from Insect Infestation, Soil Erosion, and Catastrophic Fire Act

Plain summary

Depleting Risk from Insect Infestation, Soil Erosion, and Catastrophic Fire Act - Amends the Healthy Forests Restoration Act of 2003 to state findings concerning the threat to forests in the Western region of the United States posed by the mountain pine beetle. Directs the Secretary of Agriculture (USDA) or the Secretary of the Interior, as appropriate, to designate as part of an insect and disease treatment and research pilot program at least one subwatershed in at least one national forest in each state that is experiencing an insect or disease epidemic and characterized by: (1) substantially increased tree mortality due to infestation; (2) the risk of substantially increased tree mortality over the next 15 years due to infestation; or (3) presence in an area in which the risk of hazard trees poses an imminent risk to public infrastructure, health, or safety. Authorizes the Secretary to carry out priority projects on federal land in the designated subwatersheds to reduce the risk or extent of, or increase the resilience to, insect or disease infestation in the subwatersheds. Deems such projects to be authorized hazardous fuel reduction projects. Extends the authorization of appropriations for the insect infestation and related diseases program through FY2017. Allows the Secretary to use amounts appropriated to carry out the Soil Conservation and Domestic Allotment Act to cover the costs of technical assistance, management, and enforcement responsibilities for land enrolled in the healthy forests reserve program. Authorizes the Chief of the Forest Service and the Director of the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) to enter into stewardship contracting projects to perform services to achieve land management goals for the national forests and the public lands that meet local and rural community needs. Replaces a similar program established by the Department of the Interior and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 1999. Allows the Secretary to issue a task order for, or enter into a good neighbor agreement or a cooperative agreement or contract with, a governor for purposes of carrying out similar and complementary forest, rangeland, and watershed restoration services on adjacent federal and non-federal land (with exceptions). Amends emergency runoff retardation and soil erosion preventive provisions of the Agricultural Credit Act of 1978 to require the Secretary of Agriculture to give priority consideration to applications for assistance submitted by landowners and land users for measures needed to remediate the effects of catastrophic wildfire on federal land that is the source of drinking water for the landowners and land users.

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

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What does this mean? (plain words)

Official text

Depleting Risk from Insect Infestation, Soil Erosion, and Catastrophic Fire Act

Source: Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in House)

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

Officials and money

Sponsor: Rep. Markey, Edward J. [D-MA-5] · 0 cosponsors

Cost estimate: No cost estimate published yet.

Sponsor's campaign money: Rep. Markey, Edward J. [D-MA-5] reported raising $6.0 million (2025–2026). Details. Shown for context only; it does not mean any donor supported this bill.

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.

Words on this page, explained (2)

Appropriation: Money a legislature sets aside by law for a specific purpose. Government agencies may spend public money only as it has been appropriated.
Authorization: A law that creates or continues a government program and says what it may do, often with a suggested spending ceiling. An authorization alone does not provide money; a separate appropriation does.

Plain meanings written from linked sources. All words.

Sources

Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in House)
Congress.gov
Data: GovInfo BILLSTATUS bulk data (Library of Congress), BILLSTATUS-113hr1442.xml <https://www.govinfo.gov/bulkdata/BILLSTATUS/113/hr>

Record fed-us-cong113-hr1442 · catalog fed-us-congress-bills-cong113 · updated 2026-11-15 by psicol fed-bills-cong113