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House Passes Four Lofgren Bills to Combat Wildfires, Pay Firefighters More, And Improve Wildfire Research

July 29, 2022

WASHINGTON, DC – Today, U.S. Congresswoman Zoe Lofgren (CA-19) – a senior member of the House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology and Chair of the California Democratic Congressional Delegation – issue the following statement hailing the passage of H.R. 5118, the Wildfire Response and Drought Resiliency Act.

Four bills introduced by Lofgren were included in the legislation, and Lofgren worked closely with several committees and House Leadership in crafting a whole-of-government response to increasingly severe and destructive wildfires.

"Increasingly dangerous wildfires threaten the health and safety of communities across the West," said Rep. Lofgren. "This legislation will help reduce the risk of catastrophic wildfires, identify and prepare for future threats, and support our brave federal firefighters. I encourage the Senate to promptly take up this vital legislation which will save lives and property.

"I am proud that four pieces of my legislation were included in this package and passed the House today. My legislation will make sure federal firefighters get the overtime they deserve, improve FEMA's response to wildfires, support crucial scientific research to better predict and monitor wildfires, and support state and local governments that have faced repeat wildfires and other disasters.

"I look forward to continuing to work with my colleagues to make our communities safer and more resilient."

The four Lofgren-sponsored bills included in the legislation are:

  • H.R. 5781, the National Wildland Fire Risk Reduction Program Act, a comprehensive science authorization bill which strengthens federal coordination of research and operational efforts and advances a united federal agenda for reducing wildland fire risk. More information on the National Wildland Fire Risk Reduction Program Act is available here.
  • H.R. 5782, the FIRE Act of 2021, which amends the Stafford Act to allow FEMA to pre-deploy assets during times of highest risk and improve relocation and housing assistance, among other provisions. More information on the FIRE Act is available here. A one-pager is available here.
  • H.R. 5780, the Disaster Equity and Fairness Act, which ensures underserved communities have equitable access to federal grants following a disaster, strengthens emergency food and water delivery, and increases federal cost share of disaster assistance for concurrent or consecutive disasters. More information on the Disaster Equity and Fairness Act is available here. A one-pager is available here.
  • H.R. 4274, the Wildland Firefighter Fair Pay Act, which waives the annual premium pay caps for federal firefighters working overtime to battle increasingly intense wildfires. More information on the Wildland Firefighter Fair Pay Act is available here.

Today, Rep. Lofgren spoke on the House floor in support of the legislation. Her remarks can be viewed here.

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