S. 2033: Cross-Boundary Wildfire Solutions Act

This bill, known as the Cross-Boundary Wildfire Solutions Act, aims to enhance the effectiveness of wildfire mitigation efforts across various land ownership boundaries. The key elements of the bill are as follows:

Study on Wildfire Mitigation

The bill mandates that the Comptroller General of the United States conduct a comprehensive study addressing several critical aspects of wildfire management:

• Assessment of Existing Programs: The study will examine current federal programs, rules, and authorities that either facilitate or hinder wildfire mitigation efforts across different types of land ownership, including both federal and non-federal lands.
• Opportunities for Improvement: It will analyze whether modifying existing programs, rules, or authorities could enhance the capacity of federal land management agencies, the Secretary of Agriculture, the Secretary of Homeland Security, states, local governments, and tribal governments in their efforts to reduce wildfire risks and access funding for such initiatives.
• Evaluation of Healthy Forests Restoration Act: The study will also look into how well activities under the Healthy Forests Restoration Act of 2003 are performing, focusing on:
  • Ways to improve the effectiveness of these activities in wildfire mitigation.
  • Whether this act has made it easier for federal and state agencies to gain access to funding for wildfire mitigation.

Reporting Requirements

After completing the study, the Comptroller General is required to submit a report within two years of the enactment of this Act. This report will include:

• The findings from the study conducted on wildfire mitigation.
• Recommendations aimed at simplifying the coordination of wildfire mitigation efforts between federal land management agencies and state, local, and tribal governments.

Overall Purpose

The overarching goal of this legislation is to identify and address barriers to effective wildfire management across different jurisdictions and enhance collaborative efforts in reducing wildfire risks.

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