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119-s-4812119th CongressWALLET

FIRE SMART Act of 2026

Sponsored By: Senator Padilla, Alex [D-CA]

Introduced

Summary

Direct State Revolving Fund support to water projects that help fight wildfires in rural, high‑risk communities. This bill would require the EPA Administrator to revise drinking water SRF regulations within two years to define "community at high risk from fire or wildfire", "rural", and "water infrastructure for fire suppression" and to expand eligible and priority projects to include enhancements to water delivery, distribution, and other public water system improvements that aid fire suppression. It would also direct the Administrator to allow immediate implementation of those regulatory changes upon enactment.

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  • Rural families and residents: Would make it easier for small, high‑risk towns to get SRF-funded water upgrades that support firefighting and protect drinking water.
  • Local water systems and utilities: Could use SRF money for improvements that both ensure Safe Drinking Water Act compliance and boost fire suppression capacity.
  • EPA and State SRF programs: Would have to update SRF rules and project priority systems to include and prioritize combined drinking water and fire suppression projects, including consideration of community wildfire protection plans.

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Bill Overview

Analyzed Economic Effects

1 provisions identified: 1 benefits, 0 costs, 0 mixed.

More firefighting water for rural towns

If enacted, the EPA would begin applying revised drinking-water rules on the date of enactment and finish formal regulatory changes within two years. The revisions would define "community at high risk from fire or wildfire" using State wildfire maps or the specified geospatial map and adopt the statutory meaning of "rural." The Drinking Water State Revolving Fund would explicitly cover upgrades that boost water delivery, storage, distribution capacity, or consolidation when those upgrades help fight fires in rural high-risk communities. Projects that help both drinking water and fire suppression would be eligible for priority, with first priority to communities that adopted a community wildfire protection plan or took steps to reduce private-property fire risk.

Sponsors & CoSponsors

Sponsor

Padilla, Alex [D-CA]

CA • D

Cosponsors

  • Sen. Curtis, John R. [R-UT]

    UT • R

    Sponsored 6/17/2026

  • Sen. Boozman, John [R-AR]

    AR • R

    Sponsored 6/17/2026

  • Sen. Crapo, Mike [R-ID]

    ID • R

    Sponsored 6/17/2026

  • Sen. Kelly, Mark [D-AZ]

    AZ • D

    Sponsored 6/17/2026

  • Sen. Merkley, Jeff [D-OR]

    OR • D

    Sponsored 6/17/2026

  • Sen. Schiff, Adam B. [D-CA]

    CA • D

    Sponsored 6/17/2026

  • Sen. Sheehy, Tim [R-MT]

    MT • R

    Sponsored 6/17/2026

Roll Call Votes

No roll call votes available for this bill.

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