H.R. 1393: Wildfire Response Improvement Act
Sponsor
Greg Stanton
Democrat · AZ-4
Bill Progress
Latest Action · Feb 14, 2025
Assigned to Subcommittee on Economic Development, Public Buildings, and Emergency Management. for review
Why it matters
Major wildfires are exposing gaps in federal recovery and mitigation rules, and this bill gives FEMA exactly 1 year after enactment to rewrite key guidance for fire response, cleanup, and prevention.
Third, the bill requires FEMA to review how it measures whether wildfire mitigation projects are cost-effective under sections 203 and 404 of the Stafford Act, codified at 42 U.S.C. 5133 and 42 U.S.C. 5170c. The review must cover a pre-calculated benefits criterion for common defensible space mitigation projects, nature-based infrastructure, vegetation management, reducing the negative public-health effects of wildfire smoke, and lessening wildfire impacts on water infrastructure. After that review, FEMA must issue updated guidance and prioritize section 203 and 404 projects using the new criteria. In plain English, the bill pushes FEMA to better value prevention work before the next fire hits.
What does H.R. 1393 do?
FEMA must rewrite fire assistance rules within 1 year
Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment, the Administrator of FEMA must recommend regulations or guidance for the fire management assistance program under section 420 of the Stafford Act, 42 U.S.C. 5187, so that assessments and emergency stabilization are eligible when they protect public safety.
Declared-fire aid can’t depend on incident period
The bill says eligibility for those wildfire-related assessments and emergency stabilization measures must be determined irrespective of the incident period for a declared fire, a specific rule change aimed at work that is still needed after the formal fire period ends.
Public Assistance guide must cover 3 wildfire problems
Within 1 year after enactment, FEMA must amend the Public Assistance Program and Policy Guide to include wildfire-specific recovery challenges, specifically debris removal, emergency protective measures, and the toxicity of drinking water resources.
Cost-effectiveness review for sections 203 and 404
FEMA must review the criteria it uses to evaluate wildfire mitigation projects under sections 203 and 404 of the Stafford Act, 42 U.S.C. 5133 and 42 U.S.C. 5170c, and that review must include 5 topics: pre-calculated benefits for common defensible space projects, nature-based infrastructure, vegetation management, wildfire smoke public-health impacts, and wildfire damage to water infrastructure.
Pre-calculated benefits for defensible space projects
One required part of the review is establishing a pre-calculated benefits criterion for common defensible space mitigation projects, which could make it easier for applicants to prove cost-effectiveness without building a new analysis from scratch for every project.
Updated guidance must also change project priority
After completing the review, and still not later than 1 year after enactment, the FEMA Administrator must issue guidance that both updates cost-effectiveness evaluation criteria and prioritizes projects under sections 203 and 404 using those updated criteria.
Who benefits from H.R. 1393?
Wildfire-hit local governments
Cities, counties, and special districts could benefit from FEMA guidance that explicitly covers debris removal, emergency protective measures, and toxic drinking water resources, all of which must be added to the Public Assistance Program and Policy Guide within 1 year after enactment.
Communities with damaged drinking water systems
People in fire-affected areas benefit because the bill specifically requires FEMA to address the toxicity of drinking water resources and to consider how mitigation can lessen wildfire impacts on water infrastructure.
Applicants proposing defensible space and vegetation projects
Homeowner associations, tribes, local governments, and other applicants could benefit if FEMA creates a pre-calculated benefits criterion for common defensible space mitigation projects and gives more weight to vegetation management under sections 203 and 404.
Public health and emergency response agencies
Health departments and emergency managers could benefit because FEMA's cost-effectiveness review must consider reducing the negative effects of wildfire smoke on public health, potentially making smoke-related mitigation projects easier to justify.
Who is affected by H.R. 1393?
Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)
The FEMA Administrator is directly affected because the bill imposes 3 separate deadlines, all due not later than 1 year after enactment: recommend fire assistance regulations or guidance, amend the Public Assistance Program and Policy Guide, and review and update mitigation cost-effectiveness criteria.
State emergency management agencies
States that work with FEMA on Stafford Act aid would need to adjust to revised eligibility and prioritization rules under section 420, 42 U.S.C. 5187, and mitigation project criteria under sections 203 and 404, 42 U.S.C. 5133 and 42 U.S.C. 5170c.
Utilities and water system operators
Operators of drinking water and related infrastructure are affected because the bill specifically highlights the toxicity of drinking water resources and requires FEMA to consider projects that lessen wildfire impacts on water infrastructure.
Communities seeking mitigation grants
Applicants for wildfire mitigation funding would face a changed review system because FEMA must update cost-effectiveness rules and prioritize projects based on the new criteria, including nature-based infrastructure and vegetation management.
H.R. 1393 Common Questions
How long would FEMA have to update wildfire rules under HR 1393?
FEMA would have 1 year after enactment to recommend new fire management assistance rules, amend the Public Assistance guide, and update mitigation guidance under the Wildfire Response Improvement Act (Sections 2-4).
Can FEMA wildfire aid cover work done after the official fire incident period ends?
Yes. Under the Wildfire Response Improvement Act, eligibility for wildfire assessments and emergency stabilization must be determined regardless of the incident period for a declared fire (Section 2).
Does HR 1393 make wildfire assessments eligible for FEMA fire management assistance?
Yes. Under the Wildfire Response Improvement Act, FEMA must recommend guidance so assessments are eligible when they protect public safety under the fire management assistance program (Section 2).
Can emergency stabilization be reimbursed under FEMA wildfire assistance for public safety?
Yes. According to HR 1393 Section 2, FEMA must recommend rules making emergency stabilization eligible under the fire management assistance program when it protects public safety.
What wildfire issues must FEMA add to the Public Assistance Program and Policy Guide?
Under the Wildfire Response Improvement Act, FEMA must add guidance on debris removal, emergency protective measures, and toxicity of drinking water resources (Section 3).
Does the bill address toxic drinking water after wildfires?
Yes. Under the Wildfire Response Improvement Act, FEMA must amend its Public Assistance guide to address the toxicity of drinking water resources after wildfires (Section 3).
Can defensible space projects get pre-calculated FEMA benefits under HR 1393?
Yes. HR 1393 requires FEMA to review and establish a pre-calculated benefits criterion for common defensible space mitigation projects (Section 4).
Does HR 1393 change how FEMA judges wildfire mitigation cost-effectiveness?
Yes. Under the Wildfire Response Improvement Act, FEMA must review and update cost-effectiveness criteria for wildfire mitigation projects under Stafford Act sections 203 and 404 (Section 4).
Which five wildfire mitigation topics must FEMA review under Section 4 of HR 1393?
According to HR 1393 Section 4, FEMA must review defensible space benefits, nature-based infrastructure, vegetation management, wildfire smoke public-health impacts, and wildfire impacts on water infrastructure.
Does the bill require FEMA to prioritize some wildfire mitigation projects over others?
Yes. Under the Wildfire Response Improvement Act, FEMA must prioritize projects under Stafford Act sections 203 and 404 using the updated cost-effectiveness criteria it develops (Section 4).
Based on H.R. 1393 bill text
HR1393 Legislative Journey
House: Committee Action
Feb 14, 2025
Referred to the Subcommittee on Economic Development, Public Buildings, and Emergency Management.
About the Sponsor
Greg Stanton
Democrat, Arizona's 4th congressional district · 7 years in Congress
Committees: House Select Committee on the Strategic Competition Between the United States and the Chinese Communist Party, Foreign Affairs, Transportation and Infrastructure
View full profile →
Cosponsors (2)
This bill has 2 cosponsors: 1 Democrat, 1 Republican, reflecting bipartisan support. Cosponsors represent 1 state: California.
Committee Sponsors
Transportation and Infrastructure Committee
1 of 65 committee members cosponsored
30 Democrats across this committee haven't cosponsored yet. Mobilize their constituents
H.R. 1393 Quick Facts
- Committee
- Transportation and Infrastructure
- Chamber
- House
- Policy
- Emergency Management
- Introduced
- Feb 14, 2025
Assigned to Subcommittee on Economic Development, Public Buildings, and Emergency Management. for review
Feb 14, 2025
Official Sources
Official bill page with text, actions, sponsors, and status for the Wildfire Response Improvement Act.
This FEMA program page is directly relevant to Section 2, which updates eligibility and guidance for fire management assistance.
This FEMA page covers the benefit-cost framework that underlies project cost-effectiveness reviews, including the kind of criteria HR 1393 would require FEMA to revisit.
Official FEMA overview of mitigation grant programs connected to Stafford Act sections 203 and 404, which the bill targets for updated wildfire criteria.
Official U.S. Code entry for Stafford Act section 420, the statutory authority for the Fire Management Assistance Grant Program referenced in Section 2.
Official U.S. Code entry for Stafford Act section 203, one of the two mitigation authorities whose cost-effectiveness criteria the bill orders FEMA to review.
Official U.S. Code entry for Stafford Act section 404, the other mitigation authority specifically named in Section 4 of the bill.
H.R. 1393 Bill Text
“To direct the Administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency to conduct a review of the criteria for evaluating the cost-effectiveness of certain mitigation projects, and for other purposes.”
Source: U.S. Government Publishing Office
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