Legislation4 days ago
50
To authorize implementation grants to community-based nonprofits to operate one-stop reentry centers.
HR8548Rep. Kamlager-Dove, Sydney [D-CA-37] (D-CA)
introduced
S3609119th CongressWALLET
Community Protection and Wildfire Resilience Act
Sponsored By: Senator Sen. Padilla, Alex [D-CA]
Introduced
Summary
Creates a FEMA-run grant program to fund local wildfire protection and resilience. It requires community protection plans, prioritizes high-risk areas, and sets grant caps and cost-share rules.
Show full summary
- Families and residents gain funding for measures that reduce fire risk. Grants support defensible space, structure hardening, evacuation planning, public alerts, and special strategies for elderly people, children, people with disabilities, and people experiencing homelessness.
- States, Tribes, local governments, volunteer fire departments, or collaborations can apply. Project awards cap at $10 million and generally require a 25% non-Federal share while plan grants cap at $250 thousand and require no share, and the Administrator may waive the share or allow low-income communities to use low interest federal loans.
- Federal coordination, mapping, and oversight increase. The bill requires GAO studies on federal wildfire authorities and a possible community resilience certification, updates and publishes at-risk community maps, requires a radio communications report, and allows structure hardening under the existing Community Wildfire Defense Grant Program.
*Authorizes $1.0 billion per year from 2025 through 2029 for the new grant program, increasing federal spending over that period.*
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Bill Overview
Analyzed Economic Effects
6 provisions identified: 5 benefits, 0 costs, 1 mixed.
Maps and GAO studies on wildfire risk
If enacted, the bill would require GAO to publish two reports within one year: one cataloging federal wildfire authorities and funding gaps, and another studying whether a community resilience certification could work and how insurers might accept it. The bill would also require FEMA and the Forest Service to publish a federal map of "at‑risk communities" within 180 days and update that map every five years.
New community wildfire grants program
If enacted, the bill would create a new FEMA grant program for local wildfire protection and resilience. Project grants could be up to $10 million each. Plan-development grants could be up to $250,000 each. The bill would authorize $1 billion per year for fiscal years 2025 through 2029 and would require FEMA to set award criteria within one year.
Wildfire radio communications report
If enacted, the bill would require FEMA, in coordination with USDA and state and local agencies, to prepare a radio communications report within two years. The report would assess whether emergency agencies can talk by radio during large fires, whether reserved frequencies are enough, recommend extra frequencies by type and place, analyze interoperability products, and include a plan if communications are not adequate.
Local cost-share and loan rules
If enacted, the bill would require most project grants to include at least a 25% non‑Federal share of project costs. Plan-development grants would need no local share. The local share can come from states, tribes, nonprofits, private industry, volunteer hours, or in‑kind donations. Low‑income communities could meet the share with a low‑interest Community Disaster Loan, which would create a repayment obligation, and FEMA could waive or reduce the share.
Grants allowed for structure hardening
If enacted, the bill would amend an existing Community Wildfire Defense grant program to explicitly allow structure hardening projects. That includes construction or modification to resist flames or embers and changes to nearby areas and vegetation to reduce exposure. Homeowners and property owners could be eligible for these grant‑funded hardening activities.
Preference for local hiring and contractors
If enacted, the bill would require grant recipients to give preference, when practicable, to contracting with businesses and hiring people from the area where a project is done. Recipients would be encouraged to partner with local corps groups like AmeriCorps or conservation corps. This would increase local contracting and job opportunities on funded projects.
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Sponsors & CoSponsors
Sponsor
Sen. Padilla, Alex [D-CA]
CA • D
Cosponsors
Sen. Sheehy, Tim [R-MT]
MT • R
Sponsored 1/8/2026
Roll Call Votes
No roll call votes available for this bill.
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