{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://neguse.house.gov/media/press-releases/rep-neguse-applauds-passage-wildfire-response-and-drought-resiliency-act", "Rep. Neguse Applauds Passage of Wildfire Response and Drought Resiliency Act", "2022-07-29", "2022", "2022-07", "Democrat", "House", "CO", "Joe Neguse", "N000191", "neguse.house.gov", "neguse", "https://neguse.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "The Congressman managed House debate of his omnibus bill earlier today, watch here.\n\nWashington, D.C. \u2014 Today, Congressman Joe Neguse secured the passage of his Wildfire Response and Drought Resiliency Act, H.R. 5118. The monumental legislative package significantly increases investments to tackle wildfires, boosts wildland firefighter pay, and funds resiliency and mitigation projects for communities impacted by recent climate-induced disasters.\n\n\u201cIt has been roughly six months since the community I\u2019m honored to serve experienced the most destructive wildfire in our state history. Today, the House has taken a significant step forward in our work to recover from these devastating disasters and better prepare for both wildfires and drought in the future by passing the Wildfire Response and Drought Resiliency Act. For the families across the country who\u2019ve lost their homes due to wildfires, and for the neighborhoods impacted by drought, this legislation provides an all-hands-on-deck approach to recovery, creating and funding several programs that support rebuilding and bolster resiliency.\u201d said Congressman Neguse. \u201cNotably, we\u2019ve also secured the passage of several measures that will make drastic improvements to firefighter pay and improve retention rates for the brave firefighters who sacrifice so much to protect our communities. Together, we are working to take every precaution necessary to reduce the threat of any future disaster.\u201d\n\nThe Wildfire Response and Drought Resiliency Act advanced several Neguse-led legislative priorities, including:\n\nThe Wildfire Recovery Act increases flexibility in the federal cost share for Fire Management Assistance Grants (FMAG) and brings in additional resources for communities as they rebuild from wildfire damage.\n\nThe Wildfire Smoke Relief Act provides federal emergency assistance to at-risk individuals in Colorado and nationwide suffering from unhealthy air quality caused by wildfire smoke.\n\nThe REPLACE Act requires that certain critical document replacement fees be automatically waived for individuals that are affected by major disasters and where Individuals and Households Program (IHP) assistance has been granted for that disaster.\n\nThe Upper Colorado and San Juan River Basins Recovery Act protects endangered fish species in the Upper Colorado and San Juan River Basins, and preserves critical water infrastructure projects.\n\nThe Land Restoration and Resiliency Act establishes the Community Resilience and Restoration Fund, to provide grants to invest in restoration and resiliency projects to protect against the threat of climate change, administered through the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF).\n\nThe bill also included provisions from:\n\nThe Tim Hart Wildland Firefighter Classification and Pay Parity Act\u2014 Specifically, the sections which establish a GS-6 starting wage with parity for federal firefighters, annual adjustments, disability annuity, hazard duty pay, and 7-day mental health leave. The package also includes sections of Tim\u2019s Act that issue a report to Congress on compensation comparable to state and local federal firefighters.\n\nThe Western Wildfire Support Act\u2014 Specifically, these sections:\n\nEstablishes a Long-Term Burned Area Recovery Account to protect watersheds, prioritizing those recently impacted by wildfires.\n\nRequires a spatial wildland fire management plan, specifically for prescribed burns.\n\nThe Tribal Access to Clean Water Act\u2014 Specifically, the section that allocates funds to the Bureau of Reclamation for water infrastructure development and maintenance.\n\nA provision based on the SOAR Act, which encourages the use of Conservation and Youth Corps to fulfill the goals of the 10-year wildland fire management plan.\n\nNeguse, the Co-Chair of the Bipartisan Wildfire Caucus, has emerged as a leader amongst his colleagues in the fight for increased federal support to communities recovering from climate-induced natural disasters. Following Colorado\u2019s record-setting wildfires seasons in 2020 and 2021, Neguse has worked tirelessly to bring federal resources home to recovering communities and advocate for increased support for wildland firefighters, wildfire prevention, and forest management. He serves as Chair of the U.S. Subcommittee on National Parks, Forests and Public Lands, where his Restoring Our Lands and Communities Agenda prioritizes addressing the causes and impacts of wildfires.\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-08T02:49:02Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://neguse.house.gov/media/press-releases/rep-neguse-applauds-passage-wildfire-response-and-drought-resiliency-act"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 1.749682705849409, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}