Aerial Firefighting Enhancement Act of 2025
Sponsored By: Representative Newhouse, Dan [R-WA-4]
In Committee
Summary
Reauthorizes DoD sales of aircraft and parts for wildfire suppression and explicitly adds water as an approved deliverable. It limits those sales to use in providing aerial firefighting services and fixes the authority window from October 1, 2025 through October 1, 2035.
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- Department of Defense: Would have a defined 10-year period to sell aircraft and parts for wildfire suppression instead of an open-ended authority.
- Wildfire agencies and private contractors: Could obtain aircraft, parts, and either water or fire retardant to deliver aerial firefighting services.
- Program rules: Sales under the authority must be used only to provide aircraft services for wildfire suppression and the statutory list of deliverables is expanded to include water.
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Bill Overview
Analyzed Economic Effects
1 provisions identified: 0 benefits, 0 costs, 1 mixed.
Rules for DoD wildfire aircraft sales
This bill would let the Department of Defense sell aircraft, parts, fire retardant, and water for wildfire suppression. The sales would be allowed only from October 1, 2025 through October 1, 2035. Items sold under this authority could be used only to provide aircraft services for wildfire suppression. Small aerial firefighting companies and state or local fire agencies would be affected by both the new access and the new use limits.
Sponsors & CoSponsors
Sponsor
Newhouse, Dan [R-WA-4]
WA • R
Cosponsors
Ellzey
TX • R
Sponsored 2/4/2025
Rep. Carbajal, Salud O. [D-CA-24]
CA • D
Sponsored 2/4/2025
Rep. Vasquez, Gabe [D-NM-2]
NM • D
Sponsored 2/4/2025
Rep. Zinke, Ryan K. [R-MT-1]
MT • R
Sponsored 2/6/2025
Fulcher
ID • R
Sponsored 2/12/2025
Bentz
OR • R
Sponsored 2/27/2025
Rep. Jacobs, Sara [D-CA-51]
CA • D
Sponsored 3/3/2025
Stansbury
NM • D
Sponsored 3/10/2025
Simpson
ID • R
Sponsored 3/27/2025
Cisneros
CA • D
Sponsored 3/31/2025
Rep. Harder, Josh [D-CA-9]
CA • D
Sponsored 4/1/2025
Rep. Downing, Troy [R-MT-2]
MT • R
Sponsored 4/1/2025
Rep. Valadao, David G. [R-CA-22]
CA • R
Sponsored 4/21/2025
Rep. Biggs, Andy [R-AZ-5]
AZ • R
Sponsored 5/6/2025
LaMalfa
CA • R
Sponsored 6/3/2025
Rep. Vindman, Eugene Simon [D-VA-7]
VA • D
Sponsored 10/3/2025
Rep. Whitesides, George [D-CA-27]
CA • D
Sponsored 11/21/2025
Roll Call Votes
No roll call votes available for this bill.
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