Fire Ready Nation Act of 2025

Senate Bill

S. 306

119th Congress

Fire Ready Nation Act of 2025

Held at the desk.

Introduced:Jan 29, 2025

Primary Sponsor

Chris Van Hollen

Senator

Democratic

MD

Cosponsors

8

Quick Stats

Policy Area

Science, Technology, Communications

Summary

The Fire Ready Nation Act establishes NOAA fire weather services program, creates a fire weather test bed, establishes Incident Meteorologist Service, and updates weather observation systems. It exempts wildland firefighters from certain premium pay caps.

Latest Action

Held at the desk.

SponsorChris Van Hollen (D-MD)

Introduced1/29/2025

StatusHeld at the desk.

ChamberSenate

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Vote Prediction

Fire Ready Nation Act of 2025

The Fire Ready Nation Act establishes NOAA fire weather services program, creates a fire weather test bed, establishes Incident Meteorologist Service, and updates weather observation systems. It exempts wildland firefighters from certain premium pay caps.

Community Breakdown

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The Fire Ready Nation Act establishes NOAA fire weather services program, creates a fire weather test bed, establishes Incident Meteorologist Service, and updates weather observation systems. It exempts wildland firefighters from certain premium pay caps.

Bill Number: 306
Sponsor: Chris Van Hollen (D-MD)
Introduced: 1/29/2025
Status: Held at the desk.
Policy Area: Science, Technology, Communications

Data from Congress.gov

AI-generated summary

Fact Sheet

Title: Fire Ready Nation Act of 2025
Bill Number: 306
Sponsor: Chris Van Hollen (D-MD)
Status: Held at the desk.
Introduced: 1/29/2025
Summary: The Fire Ready Nation Act establishes NOAA fire weather services program, creates a fire weather test bed, establishes Incident Meteorologist Service, and updates weather observation systems. It exempts wildland firefighters from certain premium pay caps.

Data from Congress.gov

AI Summary

Plain-English explanation of this bill

The Fire Ready Nation Act establishes NOAA fire weather services program, creates a fire weather test bed, establishes Incident Meteorologist Service, and updates weather observation systems. It exempts wildland firefighters from certain premium pay caps.

Last updated: 1/5/2026

Official Summary

Congressional Research Service summary

Fire Ready Nation Act of 2025This bill provides statutory authority for existing wildfire response services of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), and establishes new programs and collaborative efforts to improve fire forecasting and readiness.  Specifically, in addition to other efforts, the bill directs NOAA to <ul><li>establish a coordinated fire weather services program to support readiness for and responsiveness to wildfires, fire weather, smoke, post-fire flooding and debris, and related hazards;</li><li>develop a digital presence to promote access to and use of the services, tools, data, and information produced by the fire weather services program;</li><li>establish a fire weather test bed to facilitate the evaluation and implementation of new capabilities, including through research and development on the use of uncrewed aircraft systems (commonly known as drones) to improve data collection;</li><li>conduct an annual assessment after the close of fire weather season to investigate data gaps and update systems as needed;</li><li>evaluate and update, as appropriate, the Automated Surface Observing System (the primary surface weather network in the United States) and the system used to rate the risk of wildfire; and</li><li>establish an Incident Meteorologist Service within the National Weather Service to provide on-site support before, during, and after significant weather-related events.</li></ul>The bill also exempts federal wildland firefighters, fire management response officials, and accompanying incident meteorologists and management teams from certain premium pay limitations. Finally, the bill directs the Government Accountability Office to evaluate and report on the implementation of the fire weather services program, among other topics.

Key Points

Main provisions of the bill

Establishes NOAA coordinated fire weather services program
Creates fire weather test bed for new capabilities
Establishes Incident Meteorologist Service in NWS
Updates weather observation and fire risk rating systems
Exempts firefighters from premium pay limitations

How This Impacts Americans

Potential effects on citizens and communities

Wildfire response would improve with better weather forecasting, on-site meteorologist support, and updated monitoring systems. Firefighters would receive better pay during extended deployments without hitting federal caps.

Policy Areas

Primary Policy Area

Science, Technology, Communications

Related Subjects

Advanced technology and technological innovations

Atmospheric science and weather

Computers and information technology

Congressional oversight

Emergency communications systems

Emergency planning and evacuation

Environmental assessment, monitoring, research

Environmental technology

Fires

First responders and emergency personnel

+6 more

Scope & Jurisdiction

Jurisdiction Level

federal

Congressional Session

119th Congress

Citation Reference

306, 119th Congress (2025). "Fire Ready Nation Act of 2025". Source: Voter's Right Platform. https://votersright.org/bills/118-s-306

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