U.S. Congress legislation · 119th Congress
SB5293: PREPARE Act
Status: In committee, September 16, 2026
A bill to direct the Secretary of Agriculture and the Secretary of the Interior to establish prepositioning protocols for aerial wildfire suppression for early-season fine fuel wildland fires, and for other purposes.
What the bill says
To direct the Secretary of Agriculture and the Secretary of the Interior to establish prepositioning protocols for aerial wildfire suppression for early-season fine fuel wildland fires, and for other purposes.
From the introduced text, August 6, 2026:
A BILL To direct the Secretary of Agriculture and the Secretary of the Interior to establish prepositioning protocols for aerial wildfire suppression for early-season fine fuel wildland fires, and for other purposes. SECTION 1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Pilot for Regional Emergency Prepositioning of Aerial Resources and Equipment Act or the PREPARE Act . SECTION 2. Prepositioning protocols for aerial wildfire suppression (a) In general The Secretary of Agriculture, acting through the Deputy Chief for Fire and Aviation Management of the Forest Service, and the Secretary of the Interior, acting through the Director of the Wildland Fire Service (or a successor agency), shall establish a pilot program for seasonal prepositioning protocols of aerial wildfire suppression resources for early-season fine fuel wildland fires in the States of Nebraska, Colorado, Kansas, South Dakota, and Wyoming. (b) Requirements The pilot program under subsection (a) shall be established-- (1) in accordance with the State's Master Cooperative Wildland Fire Management and Stafford Act Response Agreement; and (2) in consultation with the Rocky Mountain Area Coordination Center. (c) Funding (1) In general The Secretary of Agriculture and the Secretary of the Interior shall carry out this section using funding otherwise available for wildland fire management. (2) Effect Nothing in this section authorizes any additional appropriations to carry out this section.
Sponsors
- Ricketts, Pete (R) · primary sponsor
Latest actions
- : Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. Hearings held.
- : Read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.
- : Introduced in Senate
Subjects: South Dakota, Colorado, Forests, forestry, trees, Fires, Public Lands and Natural Resources, Kansas, Aviation and airports, Nebraska
Common questions
- What is SB5293?
- SB5293 is a bill in Congress (119th Congress): PREPARE Act.
- What does SB5293 do?
- In its own words: To direct the Secretary of Agriculture and the Secretary of the Interior to establish prepositioning protocols for aerial wildfire suppression for early-season fine fuel wildland fires, and for other purposes.
- What is the status of SB5293?
- In committee as of September 16, 2026. Latest action: Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. Hearings held. (September 16, 2026).
- Who sponsored SB5293?
- Ricketts, Pete (R).
- Where is the official record for SB5293?
- On the Congress website: https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/senate-bill/5293
Source: official Congress record. Tracked by Delilah, AI for legislation across all 50 states and Congress.