S. 306 · Passed Senate · Science, Technology, Communications

Fire Ready Nation Act of 2025

Sponsor: Maria Cantwell (D-WA)

What it does

• Gives statutory authority to NOAA's existing wildfire response services and creates new programs to improve fire forecasting and readiness.
• Directs NOAA to establish a coordinated fire weather services program covering wildfires, fire weather, smoke, and post-fire flooding and debris.
• Establishes a fire weather test bed to evaluate new capabilities, including research on using drones to improve data collection.
• Requires an annual post-season assessment of data gaps and updates to the Automated Surface Observing System and the wildfire risk rating system as appropriate.
• Creates an Incident Meteorologist Service within the National Weather Service for on-site support around significant weather events.

Official summary

Fire Ready Nation Act of 2025 This 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 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; develop a digital presence to promote access to and use of the services, tools, data, and information produced by the fire weather services program; 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; conduct an annual assessment after the close of fire weather season to investigate data gaps and update systems as needed; evaluate and update, as appropriate, the Automated Surface Observing System (the primary surface weather network in the United States) and the system used to…

Latest action

Sep 11, 2025: Held at the desk.

Committee: Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation