SENATE BILL REPORT
SJM 8015
As of January 27, 2026
Brief Description: Requesting Congress to ensure that federal wildfire response entities have the capacity to protect communities and infrastructure, limit impacts to natural resources and watersheds, and protect wildland firefighter health and safety.
Sponsors: Senators Short, Chapman, Dozier, Hasegawa and Trudeau.
Brief History:
Committee Activity: Agriculture & Natural Resources: 1/29/26.
Brief Summary of Bill
  • Requests the federal government takes appropriate steps to ensure federal wildfire response entities have the capacity to protect communities, limit impacts to natural resources, and operate in a manner that protects wildland firefighter health and safety.
SENATE COMMITTEE ON AGRICULTURE & NATURAL RESOURCES
Staff: Jeff Olsen (786-7428)
Background:

On federal lands there are five federal agencies responsible for wildland fire management including the United States Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Forest Service, the Department of the Interior’s (DOI) Bureau of Indian Affairs, Bureau of Land Management, Fish and Wildlife Service, and National Park Service.

 

On June 12, 2025, Executive Order 14308 was signed to streamline federal wildland fire governance.  The order directs the DOI and USDA to merge wildland fire programs for efficiency, leading to the creation of the United States Wildland Fire Service to unify fire response.
Summary of Bill:

The memorialists request that the federal government take appropriate steps to ensure the federal wildfire response entities have the capacity to protect communities and infrastructure, limit impacts to natural resources and watersheds, and conduct activities in a manner that protects wildland firefighter health and safety, including through the following:

  • ensure that the consolidation of the DOI Wildland Fire Service be fully operational and staffed by April 1, 2026, to enable a coordinated, cohesive response capability ahead of the 2026 wildfire season;
  • delay any further reorganization, which may include the United States Forest Service, until wildland fire activity has subsided nationally to a Preparedness Level 2; and
  • provide that the unification process, if implemented, should be done carefully and deliberately to avoid a reduction of wildland firefighting capacity in 2027.
Appropriation: None.
Fiscal Note: Not requested.
Creates Committee/Commission/Task Force that includes Legislative members: No.
Effective Date: Ninety days after adjournment of session in which bill is passed.