The bill directs federal agencies to create a seasonal aerial-resource prepositioning pilot for early-season fine-fuel fires in five states, following existing agreements and using available wildfire-management funding.AI-written
INTRO AUG 6· LAST ACTION AUG 6
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Introduced only
tl;dr
AI-written
A five-state pilot would position aerial wildfire-fighting resources ahead of early-season fires. It would use existing funds, not new appropriations.
LEGISLATIVE PROGRESS
STEP 2 / 8
Introduced
In Committee
Reported
Passed Senate
Passed House
Conference
To President
Became Law
WHAT THE BILL DOES
AI-written
Positioning aerial firefighting resources seasonally could affect how those resources are arranged for early-season fires in the five states. The bill does not specify the number or types of resources, where they would be positioned, or how the pilot would be evaluated.
KEY PROVISIONS
4AI-extracted
PROVISION 01
Creates a pilot for seasonal prepositioning of aerial wildfire-suppression resources.
This is the bill’s central action: arranging aerial resources in advance for certain early-season fires.
PROVISION 02
Limits the pilot to Nebraska, Colorado, Kansas, South Dakota, and Wyoming.
These are the states covered by the proposed program.
PROVISION 03
Requires the program to follow each state’s Master Cooperative Wildland Fire Management and Stafford Act Response Agreement and to consult the Rocky Mountain Area Coordination Center.
The pilot would operate in line with existing state response agreements and involve the regional coordination center.
PROVISION 04
Requires the departments to use funding already available for wildland fire management and authorizes no additional appropriations.
The bill does not provide new funding; carrying out the pilot would rely on existing funds.
IN COMMITTEE· 119TH CONGRESS · ENERGY AND NATURAL RESOURCES COMMITTEE · INTRODUCED AUG 6, 2026
Senate BillS 5293
PREPARE Act
The bill directs federal agencies to create a seasonal aerial-resource prepositioning pilot for early-season fine-fuel fires in five states, following existing agreements and using available wildfire-management funding.AI-written
Positioning aerial firefighting resources seasonally could affect how those resources are arranged for early-season fires in the five states. The bill does not specify the number or types of resources, where they would be positioned, or how the pilot would be evaluated.
KEY PROVISIONS
AI-extracted
high
Creates a pilot for seasonal prepositioning of aerial wildfire-suppression resources.
This is the bill’s central action: arranging aerial resources in advance for certain early-season fires.
high
Limits the pilot to Nebraska, Colorado, Kansas, South Dakota, and Wyoming.
These are the states covered by the proposed program.
med
Requires the program to follow each state’s Master Cooperative Wildland Fire Management and Stafford Act Response Agreement and to consult the Rocky Mountain Area Coordination Center.
The pilot would operate in line with existing state response agreements and involve the regional coordination center.
med
Requires the departments to use funding already available for wildland fire management and authorizes no additional appropriations.
The bill does not provide new funding; carrying out the pilot would rely on existing funds.
GLOSSARY
AI-written
Prepositioning
Placing resources in locations ahead of when they may be needed.
Aerial wildfire suppression
Efforts to fight wildfires using aircraft or other resources deployed from the air.
Fine fuels
The term used in the bill for the type of material involved in the targeted early-season wildland fires; the bill does not define it.
Pilot program
A limited program set up to try an approach, rather than a requirement to apply it everywhere.
Appropriations
Funding provided by law for government purposes.
Stafford Act
The federal law named in the state response agreements that the pilot must follow.