H.R. 1183: Wildfire Prevention Act of 2017

115th Congress · introduced 2017-02-16 · Emergency Management · Latest: Referred to the Subcommittee on Economic Development, Public Buildings and Emergency Management.

federal

Follow this bill, step by step

Where it came from: introduced 2017-02-16 · official record
Who proposed it: Rep. Ruiz, Raul [D-CA-36] · what a sponsor is
What happened next: no floor votes in our records yet. Why?
Where it stands now: Referred to the Subcommittee on Economic Development, Public Buildings and Emergency Management. 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

Wildfire Prevention Act of 2017

Plain summary

Wildfire Prevention Act of 2017 This bill amends the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act to authorize the President to provide hazard mitigation assistance in any area affected by a fire for which fire management assistance was provided under such Act, regardless of whether a major disaster is declared. Recipients of hazard mitigation assistance may use such assistance to conduct the following activities to help reduce the risk of future damage, hardship, loss, or suffering in any area affected by a wildfire: reseeding ground cover with quick-growing or native species; mulching with straw or chipped wood; constructing straw, rock, or log dams in small tributaries to prevent flooding; placing logs and other erosion barriers to catch sediment on hill slopes; installing debris traps to modify road and trail drainage mechanisms; modifying or removing culverts to allow drainage to flow freely; adding drainage dips and constructing emergency spillways to keep roads and bridges from washing out during floods; planting grass to prevent the spread of noxious weeds; installing warning signs; establishing defensible space measures; and reducing hazardous fuels. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) shall submit to specified congressional committees a report containing a summary of any projects carried out, and any funding provided to those projects, under this bill.

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

Wildfire Prevention Act of 2017

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. Ruiz, Raul [D-CA-36] · 10 cosponsors

Cost estimate: No cost estimate published yet.

Cosponsors on this site

Mark Pocan (D-WI), Scott H. Peters (D-CA), Jared Huffman (D-CA), John Garamendi (D-CA)

Sponsor's campaign money: Rep. Ruiz, Raul [D-CA-36] reported raising $2.5 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)

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.
Bill: A proposed law. It becomes law only if it passes the legislature and is signed by the president or governor (or a veto is overridden).

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-115hr1183.xml <https://www.govinfo.gov/bulkdata/BILLSTATUS/115/hr>

Record fed-us-cong115-hr1183 · catalog fed-us-congress-bills-cong115 · updated 2026-11-15 by psicol fed-bills-cong115