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To direct the Secretary of Agriculture and the Secretary of the Interior to establish prepositioning protocols for aerial wildfire suppression for early-season fine fuel wildland fires, and for other purposes.
Summary
- Establishes a pilot program to preposition aerial wildfire suppression resources before early-season wildfires occur in five western states: Nebraska, Colorado, Kansas, South Dakota, and Wyoming
- Requires the Department of Agriculture's Forest Service and Department of the Interior's Wildland Fire Service to coordinate implementation
- Pilot program must align with each state's existing Master Cooperative Wildland Fire Management and Stafford Act Response Agreement
- Requires consultation with the Rocky Mountain Area Coordination Center during program development
- Uses existing wildland fire management funding and does not authorize new congressional appropriations
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)
- Sen. Ricketts, Pete [R-NE] (R-NE)
Actions (2)
- Aug 6, 2026 Read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. · senate
- Aug 6, 2026 Introduced in Senate
Text versions (1)
Bills are re-published as they move (Introduced → Reported → Engrossed → Enrolled …). Each stage below is a separate text; pick two to see what changed. Data from Congress.gov.
Full text
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
August 6, 2026
Mr. Ricketts introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources
A BILL
To direct the Secretary of Agriculture and the Secretary of the Interior to establish prepositioning protocols for aerial wildfire suppression for early-season fine fuel wildland fires, 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 “Pilot for Regional Emergency Prepositioning of Aerial Resources and Equipment Act” or the “PREPARE Act”.
SEC. 2. PREPOSITIONING PROTOCOLS FOR AERIAL WILDFIRE SUPPRESSION.
(a) In General.—The Secretary of Agriculture, acting through the Deputy Chief for Fire and Aviation Management of the Forest Service, and the Secretary of the Interior, acting through the Director of the Wildland Fire Service (or a successor agency), shall establish a pilot program for seasonal prepositioning protocols of aerial wildfire suppression resources for early-season fine fuel wildland fires in the States of Nebraska, Colorado, Kansas, South Dakota, and Wyoming.
(b) Requirements.—The pilot program under subsection (a) shall be established—
(1) in accordance with the State’s Master Cooperative Wildland Fire Management and Stafford Act Response Agreement; and
(2) in consultation with the Rocky Mountain Area Coordination Center.
(c) Funding.—
(1) In general.—The Secretary of Agriculture and the Secretary of the Interior shall carry out this section using funding otherwise available for wildland fire management.
(2) Effect.—Nothing in this section authorizes any additional appropriations to carry out this section. <all>
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