{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://www.curtis.senate.gov/press-releases/curtis-padilla-introduce-bipartisan-bill-to-strengthen-rural-water-infrastructure-and-wildfire-readiness", "Curtis, Padilla Introduce Bipartisan Bill to Strengthen Rural Water Infrastructure and Wildfire Readiness", "2026-06-18", "2026", "2026-06", "Republican", "Senate", "UT", "John R. Curtis", "C001114", "www.curtis.senate.gov", "curtis", "https://www.curtis.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON\u2014U.S. Senators John Curtis (R-UT) and Alex Padilla (D-CA), members of the Environment and Public Works Committee, introduced the FIRE SMART Act, bipartisan legislation to expand funding eligibility for projects with fire suppression benefits in high-risk rural areas. The legislation would help build rural communities\u2019 resiliency by optimizing water infrastructure to provide the flow necessary for emergency responders to save lives and property during an active wildfire.\n\nThe legislation amends the Environmental Protection Agency\u2019s (EPA) Drinking Water State Revolving Funds to expand eligibility for water infrastructure projects that have both drinking water and wildfire suppression benefits, and are in communities at high risk for wildfires with fewer than 50,000 residents.\n\n\u201cAs wildfires continue to threaten Utah and the West, rural communities need access to the tools and infrastructure necessary to protect lives and property,\u201d said Senator Curtis. \u201cThis bipartisan legislation makes targeted, commonsense reforms to allow certain drinking water projects that also strengthen wildfire resilience to qualify for federal support. By helping small, high-risk communities upgrade critical water infrastructure, we can improve public safety while maintaining the core mission of providing reliable drinking water.\u201d\n\n\u201cWhile we\u2019ve made progress in wildfire mitigation and prevention, too many rural communities still lack the water infrastructure needed to effectively respond when disaster strikes,\u201d said Senator Padilla. \u201cThe FIRE SMART Act changes that reality by strengthening water systems and giving rural communities the tools they need to keep homes and families safe. While we can\u2019t predict when wildfires will strike, this commonsense legislation will help ensure rural communities are better prepared when they do.\u201d\n\nThe bill is also cosponsored by Senators Tim Sheehy (R-MT), Mark Kelly (D-AZ), John Boozman (R-AR), Adam Schiff (D-CA), Mike Crapo (R-ID), and Jeff Merkley (D-OR).\n\nThe full text of the bill can be found here.\n\nThe FIRE SMART Act is endorsed by several organizations, including the Tahoe Water for Fire Partnership, National Special Districts Association (NSDA), National Association of Emergency and Fire Officials, Arizona Special Districts Alliance, Montana Fire Trustees Association, and Family Farm Alliance.\n\n\u201cThe Tahoe Water for Fire Suppression Partnership commends Senators Padilla and Curtis for introducing the FIRE SMART Act of 2026 and for their dedication to protecting rural communities from catastrophic wildfire,\u201d said the Tahoe Water for Fire Suppression Partnership. \u201cWe strongly support this legislation, which modernizes the Drinking Water State Revolving Fund to allow rural communities at high risk from wildfire to improve fire flow capacity while maintaining safe drinking water standards.\u201d\n\n\u201cThe National Special Districts Association strongly supports the FIRE SMART Act to strengthen water infrastructure in communities at high risk of wildfire,\u201d said the National Special Districts Association (NSDA). \u201cWith more than 10,000 special districts nationwide providing fire protection and/or drinking water services, federal investments in water infrastructure\u2014including projects that support fire suppression\u2014are critical to ensuring community safety and resilience. By providing targeted flexibility within the Drinking Water State Revolving Fund (DWSRF), this legislation will help local agencies, particularly in rural and high-risk areas, invest in projects that deliver both safe drinking water and reliable fire suppression capacity. NSDA looks forward to working with Congress to advance this practical, locally driven approach to protecting lives, property, and essential water systems.\u201d\n\n\u201cRural and volunteer fire departments are on the front lines of the wildfire crisis, yet far too often they are asked to do more with less,\u201d said Marvin Hill, Vice President of the National Association of Emergency and Fire Officials. \u201cThe FIRE SMART Act is a critical step toward ensuring these departments have the infrastructure and resources needed to protect their communities safely and effectively. The National Association of Emergency and Fire Officials (NAEFO) supports FIRE SMART\u2019s comprehensive approach to wildfire resilience\u2014one that pairs fuel reduction with critical investments in local firefighting infrastructure. Rural and exurban fire districts are on the front lines of a growing wildfire crisis, yet they face systemic infrastructure gaps that must be addressed to ensure effective response and community protection.\u201d\n\n\u201cSpecial districts providing critical fire protection and water resources in Arizona\u2019s rural, wildland-urban interface communities have long faced increasing fire risk with regulatory barriers preventing existing programs from assisting with adequate fire suppression needs,\u201d said Carol Shrock, Arizona Special Districts Association President. \u201cThe FIRE SMART Act is a solution to provide flexibility for small, fire-prone communities to access Drinking Water State Revolving Fund resources to meet local water-for-fire infrastructure demands while advancing the program\u2019s environmental and public health goals. The Arizona Special Districts Association supports the FIRE SMART Act as a tool for rural special districts to enhance their community services and safety, and we applaud Senators Alex Padilla and John Curtis for their leadership for rural, WUI communities.\u201d\n\n\u201cThe Montana Fire Trustees Association strongly supports the FIRE Smart Act of 2026,\u201d said Bruce Suenram, Montana Fire Trustees Association Secretary/Treasurer. \u201cThis act would enable many of Montana\u2019s fire districts and fire service areas to improve water infrastructure for fire suppression in the rural areas we serve. Many of our members provide fire protection in communities which are a high risk for wildfires.\u201d\n\n\u201cThe Family Farm Alliance applauds Senators Padilla and Curtis for introducing the FIRE SMART Act of 2026 and advancing practical solutions to help rural communities prepare for increasingly severe wildfire conditions. Across the West, farmers, ranchers, irrigation districts, and rural water providers depend on reliable water infrastructure to protect both communities and agricultural operations. By allowing investments that improve fire flow capacity through the Drinking Water State Revolving Fund, this legislation helps ensure that rural areas have the tools they need to respond to wildfire threats while maintaining safe drinking water in rural communities. The Alliance strongly supports this commonsense approach to strengthening community resilience and protecting the people, rural economies, and natural resources that sustain the West,\u201d said Samantha Barncastle, Executive Director of the Family Farm Alliance.", 1, "2026-06-19T06:50:32Z", "2026-06-19T06:53:40Z"]], "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://www.curtis.senate.gov/press-releases/curtis-padilla-introduce-bipartisan-bill-to-strengthen-rural-water-infrastructure-and-wildfire-readiness"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 0.8292549755424261, "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"}