{"format":1,"id":"118-hr-4866","congress":118,"number":"H.R. 4866","kind":"bill","group":"bills","title":"Fire Weather Development Act of 2024","title_source":"Short Title(s) as Passed House","official_title":"To direct the Administrator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to establish a program to improve fire weather and fire environment forecasting, detection, and local collaboration, and for other purposes.","titles":[{"type":"Official Title as Introduced","title":"To direct the Administrator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to establish a program to improve fire weather and fire environment forecasting, detection, and local collaboration, and for other purposes."},{"type":"Short Titles from RFS (Referred to Senate) bill text","title":"Fire Weather Development Act of 2024"},{"type":"Display Title","title":"Fire Weather Development Act of 2024"},{"type":"Short Title(s) as Introduced","title":"Fire Weather Development Act of 2023"},{"type":"Short Title(s) as Reported to House","title":"Fire Weather Development Act of 2023"},{"type":"Short Title(s) as Passed House","title":"Fire Weather Development Act of 2024"},{"type":"Official Titles as Amended by House","title":"To direct the Administrator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administrator to improve fire weather and fire environment forecasting, detection, and local collaboration, and for other purposes."}],"outcome":"passed_house","law_number":null,"introduced":"2023-07-25","chambers":{"house":{"status":"roll_call","date":"2024-04-29","vote":{"id":"118-2024-h153","question":"On Motion to Suspend the Rules and Pass, as Amended","title":"Fire Weather Development Act","result":"Passed","yea":341,"nay":48,"present":0,"not_voting":39,"source":"https://clerk.house.gov/evs/2024/roll153.xml"}},"senate":{"status":"na","date":null,"vote":null}},"president":{"status":"na","date":null},"vice_president_tie_breaker":null,"latest_action":{"text":"Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.","date":"2024-04-30"},"nominees":null,"amendments":[],"other_votes":[],"crs_summary":{"date":"2024-04-29","stage":"Passed House","blocks":[{"k":"h","t":"Fire Weather Development Act of 2024"},{"k":"p","t":"This bill establishes several programs and requirements to address wildfire forecasting, detection, and management, particularly with respect to interagency collaboration."},{"k":"p","t":"For example, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) must establish a program to improve collaboration between federal, state, and local entities with respect to wildfire management. Program goals include improving communication about wildfire spread, earlier detection of wildfires, and better understanding of the impact of climate change on fire weather environments. Authorized activities include research and development of communication tools, modeling systems, and other relevant technology to help with wildfire management, as well as education and training for researchers and enhancing data sharing capabilities between agencies."},{"k":"p","t":"NOAA may also (1) contract with private sector entities to obtain additional airborne and space-based data to support wildfire prediction and monitoring, and (2) conduct pilot programs to test the use of unmanned aircraft systems for fire weather observations."},{"k":"p","t":"The bill also establishes the Interagency Coordinating Committee on Wildfires (to assist state and local agencies with wildfire management while avoiding duplication of activities) and the National Advisory Committee on Wildfires (to advise the coordinating committee and other relevant entities on wildfire management)."},{"k":"p","t":"Finally, the bill exempts incident meteorologists of the National Weather Service from premium pay limitations when responding to emergency wildfires. It also requires the National Institute of Standards and Technology to recommend ways to improve the standards of communication between wildfire first responders and fire management response officials."}],"words":243},"summary":{"main_subject":{"text":"Directs the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to establish a fire weather and fire environment forecasting and detection program, and sets up related interagency and advisory committees, a testbed, workforce provisions and communications research.","cites":[{"label":"Sec. 2","href":"https://www.congress.gov/bill/118th-congress/house-bill/4866/text/eh#HB476D183E928436CA97C25E27CBAEB4C"},{"label":"Sec. 3","href":"https://www.congress.gov/bill/118th-congress/house-bill/4866/text/eh#H62153CEF853E49509E77F1CE91A9800D"},{"label":"Sec. 4","href":"https://www.congress.gov/bill/118th-congress/house-bill/4866/text/eh#H38E4C5F721164FD9AD997A2A8EC5F98E"},{"label":"Sec. 5","href":"https://www.congress.gov/bill/118th-congress/house-bill/4866/text/eh#H70AC32269E25476B90D92B5D8CC53D7A"},{"label":"Sec. 6","href":"https://www.congress.gov/bill/118th-congress/house-bill/4866/text/eh#HD26C887A7BD94DD88B7F5BCE3C5BAF7A"},{"label":"Sec. 7","href":"https://www.congress.gov/bill/118th-congress/house-bill/4866/text/eh#HC67FD77E333E436D818D05C390320839"}]},"core_areas":["Wildfire weather forecasting and detection program at NOAA","Interagency and advisory committees on wildfires","Unmanned aircraft systems for fire weather observation","Fire weather testbed","National Weather Service incident meteorologist workforce and pay","Wildland fire communications standards research"],"what_it_does":[{"text":"Requires the NOAA Administrator to establish a program to improve fire weather and fire environment forecasting, detection, and delivery of products or services through collaboration with Federal and State agencies, local emergency managers, and relevant entities.","cite":{"label":"Sec. 2","href":"https://www.congress.gov/bill/118th-congress/house-bill/4866/text/eh#HB476D183E928436CA97C25E27CBAEB4C"}},{"text":"Requires the Director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy to establish an Interagency Coordinating Committee on Wildfires within 90 days, chaired by the NOAA Administrator, which must submit a strategic plan to Congress within one year.","cite":{"label":"Sec. 3","href":"https://www.congress.gov/bill/118th-congress/house-bill/4866/text/eh#H62153CEF853E49509E77F1CE91A9800D"}},{"text":"Requires the Director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy to establish a National Advisory Committee on Wildfires of not fewer than seven and not more than 15 non-Federal members, which terminates on September 30, 2028.","cite":{"label":"Sec. 4","href":"https://www.congress.gov/bill/118th-congress/house-bill/4866/text/eh#H38E4C5F721164FD9AD997A2A8EC5F98E"}},{"text":"Requires the NOAA Administrator to establish a fire weather testbed to evaluate the accuracy and usability of technology, models, and fire weather products, and authorizes $4,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2025 through 2028.","cite":{"label":"Sec. 5","href":"https://www.congress.gov/bill/118th-congress/house-bill/4866/text/eh#H70AC32269E25476B90D92B5D8CC53D7A"}},{"text":"Disregards premium pay for National Weather Service Incident Meteorologists, when determined primarily related to emergency wildland fire suppression, in calculating pay limits under section 5547 of title 5, United States Code.","cite":{"label":"Sec. 6","href":"https://www.congress.gov/bill/118th-congress/house-bill/4866/text/eh#HD26C887A7BD94DD88B7F5BCE3C5BAF7A"}},{"text":"Requires the Director of the National Institute of Standards and Technology to research wildland fire communication standards and to develop, publish and transmit recommendations to improve them.","cite":{"label":"Sec. 7","href":"https://www.congress.gov/bill/118th-congress/house-bill/4866/text/eh#HC67FD77E333E436D818D05C390320839"}}],"unexpected":[{"category":"selective_carve_out","items":[{"cite":{"label":"Sec. 6","href":"https://www.congress.gov/bill/118th-congress/house-bill/4866/text/eh#HD26C887A7BD94DD88B7F5BCE3C5BAF7A"},"heading":"Incident meteorologist workforce","effect":"Premium pay for National Weather Service Incident Meteorologists, when the Secretary of Commerce determines it is primarily related to emergency wildland fire suppression, is disregarded when applying pay limits under section 5547 of title 5. It also adds the National Weather Service to section 5542(a)(5) of title 5.","amount":null,"quote":"shall be disregarded in calculating the aggregate of such employee’s basic pay and premium pay for purposes of a limitation under section 5547 of title 5, United States Code"},{"cite":{"label":"Sec. 2","href":"https://www.congress.gov/bill/118th-congress/house-bill/4866/text/eh#HB476D183E928436CA97C25E27CBAEB4C"},"heading":"Fire weather forecasting and detection","effect":"Bars NOAA from buying unmanned aircraft systems made or assembled by an entity in a foreign country of concern, but exempts purchases the Administrator finds necessary solely for marine or atmospheric science or management, and allows case-by-case waivers.","amount":null,"quote":"the procurement of an unmanned aircraft system is necessary for the sole purpose of marine or atmospheric science or management"}]}],"version":{"type":"Engrossed in House","date":"2024-04-29","rule":"passed","href":"https://www.congress.gov/bill/118th-congress/house-bill/4866/text/eh"},"current":true,"model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","approved":"2026-10-02","approved_by":"checks"},"sources":{"congress_gov":"https://www.congress.gov/bill/118th-congress/house-bill/4866","text":"https://www.congress.gov/bill/118th-congress/house-bill/4866/text"},"card":{"image":"card/item/118-hr-4866.png","v":"2f09537986cb","alt":"Votes on Record. H.R. 4866, 118th Congress: Fire Weather Development Act of 2024. House: 341 Yea, 48 Nay. Outcome: Passed House, 29 Apr 2024."}}