Tim Sheehy (R-MT)
Wildfire Response and Preparedness Act of 2025
A Republican bill with 2 Democratic cosponsors · See all 2 cosponsors
Last activity — Committee on Energy and Natural Resources Subcommittee on Public Lands, Forests, and Mining. Hearings held. With printed Hearing: S.Hrg. 119-237.
In committee
Introduced and handed to a committee in the chamber it started in.
The committee holds it, and most bills are never heard from again. A hearing or a committee vote would be news; silence is the usual outcome, and it kills the bill without anyone voting against it.
Its path through Congress
- Introduced
- In Committee
What this bill would do
The Wildfire Response and Preparedness Act of 2025 requires the Secretary of Agriculture and the Secretary of the Interior to create standards for how quickly they respond to wildfire incidents. This includes setting a goal for response times to be no more than 30 minutes and deploying fire suppression assets within 3 hours. The bill also mandates a detailed report to Congress within one year. This report must cover budget requests, performance indicators, and the composition of firefighting fleets. Additionally, it seeks to identify ways to speed up the dispatching of assets and streamline contracting mechanisms.
Yes· 3 of 11
- Scored +5
Would people in rural areas be better off under this?
The bill specifically aims to improve the speed and efficiency of responding to wildfires on federal lands often adjacent to rural areas.
- Scored +5
Does this better protect air, water and wildlife?
Mandating faster wildfire response times helps mitigate the environmental damage caused by large-scale uncontrolled fires.
- Scored +4
Would Native Americans be better off under this?
The bill impacts the Bureau of Indian Affairs, which manages lands relevant to Native American communities.
The opposite
No question was scored the opposite.
Who it would affect, and how
Potential Positive Impacts for People
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Faster Wildfire Response: The bill establishes a goal for a response time of no more than 30 minutes and the deployment of fire suppression assets within 3 hours (Section 2(b)(2)). This could help control fires more quickly once they are ignited.
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Improved Coordination and Planning: The requirement for a single point of contact at the Department of the Interior and a unified budget request aims to streamline how different agencies handle wildland fire activities (Section 2(c)(1) and (2)).
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Better Resource Readiness: The bill requires a description of the firefighting fleet and an estimation of the size needed to meet response goals, which could lead to more prepared and available firefighting assets (Section 2(c)(4)).
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Faster Dispatch and Contracting: The act calls for descriptions of how to speed up the dispatch system and how to streamline contracting to ensure assets can be provided within a 1-year period (Section 2(c)(5) and (6)).
Potential Negative Impacts for People
- No specific negative impacts are explicitly mentioned in the text provided.
Groups and Interests Ranking
Every group the model scored this bill for, from -10 to +10. Tap or hover a score for the reason it gave.
- Demographic And Interest Groups
- Would people in rural areas be better off under this? — The bill specifically aims to improve the speed and efficiency of responding to wildfires on federal lands often adjacent to rural areas. Would Native Americans be better off under this? — The bill impacts the Bureau of Indian Affairs, which manages lands relevant to Native American communities. Would households on low incomes be better off under this? — Improved wildfire response can help protect the property and safety of all households, including those on lower incomes. Would middle-income households be better off under this? — Enhanced wildfire response helps protect the homes and assets of middle-income families.
- Environment Energy And Infrastructure
- Does this better protect air, water and wildlife? — Mandating faster wildfire response times helps mitigate the environmental damage caused by large-scale uncontrolled fires. Does this improve help for people hit by a disaster? — The bill enhances readiness and response standards for wildfire-related disasters through federal agency coordination. Does this invest in rural communities? — Improved wildfire response standards provide better protection for rural communities and federal lands.
- Governance And Ideology
- Does this make what the government does easier for the public to see? — The bill requires a detailed report to Congress regarding firefighting fleets, budget requests, and performance indicators. Does this give the federal government more power? — The bill mandates specific response time goals and coordination requirements for federal agencies like the Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management.
- Economy And Finance
- Does this make the government pay for what it commits to? — The bill requires a unified budget request to better coordinate wildland fire activities across departments.
- Social Issues And Justice
- Does this make housing cost less? — Faster wildfire response times can help protect residential properties from destruction.
- 5/19/2026
- 1 Cosponsor added.
- 12/2/2025
- Committee on Energy and Natural Resources Subcommittee on Public Lands, Forests, and Mining. Hearings held. With printed Hearing: S.Hrg. 119-237.
- 3/6/2025
- Read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.
- 1 Cosponsor added.
- Introduced in Senate
One bill Congress.gov lists as related to this one — companions in the other chamber, earlier versions, and bills this one absorbed or was folded into.
Andy KimDemocrat · New Jersey
Jon OssoffDemocrat · Georgia