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HR 956
Introduced Re-checks Congress.gov for new actions and updates the bill's status, and fills in any sponsors, committees, or related bills that are missing. It does not re-pull sponsors/cosponsors/committees/related — those rarely change — and it skips all work if nothing has changed upstream, so it's cheap to click.

Aerial Firefighting Enhancement Act of 2025

To amend the Wildfire Suppression Aircraft Transfer Act of 1996 to reauthorize the sale by the Department of Defense of aircraft and parts for wildfire suppression purposes, and for other purposes.

Introduced Feb 4, 2025

Latest action (Mar 7, 2025) Referred to the Subcommittee on Forestry and Horticulture.

Referred to
Agriculture Committee Armed Services Committee Oversight and Government Reform Committee
Policy area
Armed Forces and National Security
Issues
Defense

Summary
  • Reauthorizes the Department of Defense to sell surplus aircraft and parts to agencies for wildfire suppression operations
  • Expands suppressant options for aircraft to include both fire retardant and water
  • Restricts purchased aircraft to use only for wildfire suppression purposes
  • Extends the authorization period for these sales through October 1, 2035

AI-generated plain-language summary of the bill text — neutral, and may be imperfect. See the full text below for the exact wording.

Sponsor (1)
17 cosponsors

Money behind the sponsor

Top reported contributors to Dan Newhouse’s campaign committee (2024 cycle) — who funds the bill’s sponsor, not a claim about this bill. Data from FEC.

  • Employer not reported $25,950
  • N/A TRIBE $23,100
  • TRIBE $14,200
  • SCHWEITZER ENGINEERING LABS $13,200
  • CORNERSTONE GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS $11,800

Organizations whose employees gave the most — itemized individual contributions grouped by the donor’s reported employer (FEC Schedule A). Full finance for Dan Newhouse → · Outside spending →

Actions (3)
  1. Mar 7, 2025 Referred to the Subcommittee on Forestry and Horticulture. · house
  2. Feb 4, 2025 Referred to the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, and in addition to the Committees on Armed Services, and Agriculture, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned. · house
  3. Feb 4, 2025 Introduced in House

Similar bills (6)

Bills with similar text or summary — includes reintroductions across Congresses. Ranked by semantic similarity of the bill text (computed locally); a neutral discovery aid, not a claim the bills are duplicates.

  • S 160 — Aerial Firefighting Enhancement Act of 2025 · Became Law Jun 12, 2025 · Cong. 119 86%
  • HR 753 — FIRE Act of 2025 · Introduced Jan 28, 2025 · Cong. 119 74%
  • HR 1242 — Military Support for Fighting Wildfires Act of 2023 · Introduced Jun 7, 2023 · Cong. 118 72%
  • HR 345 — Fire Department Repayment Act of 2025 · Introduced Jul 23, 2025 · Cong. 119 71%
  • HR 9534 — Wildfire Response Modernization Act · Introduced Jun 29, 2026 · Cong. 119 71%
  • HR 4852 — Wildfire Emergency Preparedness Act of 2025 · Introduced Aug 2, 2025 · Cong. 119 70%

Full text

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

February 4, 2025

Mr. Newhouse (for himself, Mr. Ellzey, Mr. Carbajal, and Mr. Vasquez) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, and in addition to the Committees on Armed Services, and Agriculture, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned

A BILL

To amend the Wildfire Suppression Aircraft Transfer Act of 1996 to reauthorize the sale by the Department of Defense of aircraft and parts for wildfire suppression purposes, and for other purposes.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

This Act may be cited as the “Aerial Firefighting Enhancement Act of 2025”.

SEC. 2. MODIFICATION AND REAUTHORIZATION OF AUTHORITY FOR SALE BY DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE OF AIRCRAFT AND PARTS FOR WILDFIRE SUPPRESSION PURPOSES.

Section 2 of the Wildfire Suppression Aircraft Transfer Act of 1996 (Public Law 104-307; 10 U.S.C. 2576 note) is amended—

(1) in subsection (a)(1)—

(A) by striking “a period” and inserting “the period”; and

(B) by inserting “or water” after “fire retardant”;

(2) in subsection (b), by striking “sold under subsection

(a)” and all that follows through the period at the end and inserting “sold under subsection (a) may be used only for the provision of aircraft services for wildfire suppression purposes.”;

(3) in subsection (c), by inserting “or water” after “fire retardant”;

(4) in subsection (d)(1), in the second sentence, by striking “subsection (a)(1)” and inserting “subsection

(g)”; and

(5) by striking subsection (g) and inserting the following:

“(g) Period for Exercise of Authority.—The period specified in this subsection is the period beginning on October 1, 2025, and ending on October 1, 2035.”. <all>

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