This bill directs the Secretary of the Interior to create the Wildfire Science and Technology Advisory Board. The Board must coordinate turning wildfire research into practical operations across federal agencies. It will identify ways to translate research, set criteria to prioritize research for use, help move prioritized research into operations, connect researchers and operators, and give feedback to improve research for practical use. The Board is asked to partner with private sector and federally funded research centers as it finds appropriate. It must encourage inclusion of public health, meteorological science, and predictive modeling, and consider both built and natural fire-prone environments. The Board must share information using newsletters, online portals, webinars, workshops, and other methods.
Membership includes specific federal officials (or their designees) from Interior, Agriculture, Commerce, FEMA, NOAA, CDC, EPA, NASA, NSF, NIST, USGS, and other agencies, plus up to 18 non‑Federal members appointed by the Secretary of the Interior. Non‑Federal members must include representatives from state, local, and tribal governments, fire departments, private‑sector entities with relevant expertise, researchers, public health experts, meteorologists, and predictive modeling experts. Non‑Federal members serve two‑year terms, serve without pay, and may receive travel expenses. The Chair rotates annually among the members representing Interior, Agriculture, and Commerce unless the Board designates a different chair. The Board may hire staff, detail federal employees to the Board, and procure temporary services, with staff pay capped at the annual rate for Executive Schedule level V. The Board must submit a report to specified House and Senate committees within two years describing its activities, progress on moving research into operations, barriers, and recommendations. The bill says that section 1013(a)(2) of title 5, U.S. Code, does not apply to the Board. The bill authorizes $10,000,000 to carry out the Board, to remain available until expended.
If you are a wildfire researcher, a member of a fire department, or work in state, local, or tribal emergency or land management, this bill creates a federal advisory board meant to connect research with operational needs and share findings. Federal agencies named in the bill are required to have members or designees on the Board. Private‑sector organizations and public health, meteorology, and modeling experts can be appointed as non‑Federal members. The Board will publish and share information through portals, newsletters, webinars, and workshops.
The bill authorizes $10,000,000 to carry out the Board, to remain available until spent. Federal members may also use funds available to their agencies for Board purposes. Board members serve without pay but may receive travel expenses and per diem under existing law. Staff hired by the Board can be paid up to the Executive Schedule level V rate. Federal employees may be detailed to the Board without reimbursement and without loss of civil service status.
No publicly available information.
No publicly available information.