S. 443

Fire Management Assistance Grants for Tribal Governments Act

Shown here: Introduced in Senate (2025-02-06)

To amend the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act to allow Indian tribal governments to directly request fire management assistance declarations and grants, and for other purposes.

1. Short title

This Act may be cited as the “Fire Management Assistance Grants for Tribal Governments Act”.

2. Indian tribal government eligibility

(a) In general

Section 420 of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5187) is amended—

(1) in subsection (a), by inserting “, Indian tribal government,” before “or local government”;

(2) by redesignating subsections (b) through (e) as subsections (c) through (f), respectively;

(3) by inserting after subsection (a) the following:

(b) Procedure for request
The Governor of a State or the Chief Executive of an Indian tribal government affected by a fire described in subsection (a) may directly submit a request to authorize assistance under this section.

(4) by adding at the end the following:

(g) Savings provision
Nothing in this section shall prohibit an Indian tribal government from receiving assistance under this section pursuant to an authorization made at the request of a State under subsection (b) if assistance is not authorized under this section for the same incident based on a request by the Indian tribal government under subsection (b).

(b) Regulations

(1) Fire management assistance declaration defined

In this subsection, the term fire management assistance declaration means a declaration approved under section 204.21(a) of title 44, Code of Federal Regulations.

(2) Update

Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of this Act, the President shall issue regulations updating part 204 of title 44, Code of Federal Regulations, to carry out the amendments made by subsection (a).

(3) Contents

In issuing the regulations required under paragraph (2), the President shall—

(A) authorize the Federal Emergency Management Agency to directly receive a request for a fire management assistance declaration from an Indian tribal government and directly provide related grants and resources to Indian tribal governments;

(B) clarify that Indian tribal governments for which the President does not grant a request described in subparagraph (A) remain eligible to receive assistance under section 420 of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5187) through assistance granted under a fire management assistance declaration made at the request of a State;

(C) consider the unique conditions that affect the general welfare of Indian tribal governments; and

(D) enter into government-to-government consultation with Indian tribal governments regarding the regulations.

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