The "National Prescribed Fire Act of 2024" outlines a comprehensive framework, including a short title and table of contents, which organizes various sections such as the use of funds, cooperative agreements, human resources, liability issues, environmental reviews, education programs, and detailed reporting provisions related to prescribed fires.

Congress has identified that a significant amount of U.S. forest land is at high risk for wildfires and notes the benefits of cultural and prescribed burning in reducing wildfire costs and health impacts. They highlight the need for better education, regulation, and liability frameworks across different states to promote the responsible use of prescribed fires.

The section provides definitions for terms used in the Act, such as "Federal land," which includes public lands and areas like national parks and forests, and "landscape-scale prescribed fire plan," a document for managing fire on certain federal lands. It also defines "National Forest System," excluding national grasslands, "prescribed fire" as controlled burning to manage land, and explains who the "Secretaries" and "Secretary" refer to in the context of the Interior and Agriculture departments.

The section establishes prescribed fire accounts for the Departments of Agriculture and the Interior, authorizing $300 million annually to manage prescribed fires, which are controlled burns used to improve ecosystem health and reduce wildfire risk. It requires collaboration with state, local, and Tribal governments to develop fire strategies, prioritize funding for important areas, and track progress, while also allowing for support of fire management on non-federal lands.

The section states that starting from the first fiscal year after this law is passed, for the next nine years, the Secretaries must carry out more prescribed fires on Federal land, increasing both the number and total size by 10% compared to the previous year.

The section outlines a Collaborative Prescribed Fire Program established by the Secretary of the Interior to financially assist various entities, such as government agencies and organizations, in conducting prescribed fires on priority landscapes. Limitations are set on funding amounts, and recipients must meet annual targets and provide training while reporting progress and fund usage; appropriations are authorized at $10 million annually from 2024 to 2033.

The section allows the Secretaries to make agreements or contracts with eligible entities such as states, tribes, and NGOs to manage prescribed fires on federal land. These entities can act on behalf of the Secretaries, and contracts can last up to 10 years, but no project can start without written approval from the Secretaries.

The proposed bill section aims to develop and support a workforce specialized in prescribed fires by highlighting the need for broad and inclusive training, increasing workforce retention through pay incentives and benefits, and ensuring the hiring and employment opportunities for diverse groups, including women, veterans, formerly incarcerated individuals, and Indigenous organizations. Additionally, it outlines protective indemnity measures for practitioners, plans for new training centers, and the enhancement of cooperation between Federal and non-Federal fire practitioners.

The section defines a "covered law" as a state law that sets a higher standard of "gross negligence" for civil suits against certified prescribed fire managers if they follow specific safety measures during a prescribed fire, such as obtaining permits and following fire plans. It also allows for funding up to $1,000,000 for an agreement to host a conference to discuss liability and incentives for states to enact such laws.

The text directs a study to be done within a year of the Act's enactment by key government officials to evaluate the possibility and design of a national fund for prescribed fire claims. This study will look into issues like the fund's feasibility, how it would work alongside existing insurance, how claims would be managed, and State laws regarding practitioner liability.

The section outlines policies for smoke management in prescribed fires, emphasizing coordination between federal, state, tribal, and local agencies to ensure health and safety while facilitating these fires. It includes provisions for funding use, exceptional event demonstrations, exemptions for large prescribed fires, approval and enforcement of state or tribal standards, evaluation and research, development of landscape-scale fire plans, and requires collaboration and consultation with various stakeholders, including Indian Tribes, with compliance to environmental laws.

The section establishes a national education program about prescribed fires, which will be overseen by the Secretary of Agriculture and the Secretary of the Office of Wildland Fire. The program may include public ads, social media, educational campaigns, commercial licensing, character appearances, and awards.

The section mandates that states in the U.S. must report their use of prescribed fires to the National Fire Planning and Operations Database each year to qualify for financial support. If a state fails to report by December 31, it will not be eligible for funding for the prior year.

The section requires that within one year of the law being passed, and every year after that, each Secretary must provide Congress with a report detailing what activities have been performed under this law.

The National Prescribed Fire Act of 2024 is a bill that outlines the use of prescribed fires for managing forests and preventing wildfires. It includes sections on how funding should be used, collaboration efforts, legal responsibilities, and educational programs, with the goal of improving fire management practices and reporting.

In this Act, several terms are defined: "congressional committees" refers to specific committees in the Senate and House of Representatives; "Federal land" includes land managed by the Secretary or part of the National Forest System; a "landscape-scale prescribed fire plan" is a document for managing fires in specific natural areas; "National Forest System" has a legal definition but excludes certain lands; "prescribed fire" is a planned fire for managing land; "Secretaries" refers to both the Secretary of the Interior and the Secretary of Agriculture; "Secretary" means the Secretary of the Interior; and "Secretary concerned" refers to either the Interior or Agriculture Secretaries depending on the land in question.

In this section, the term "prescribed fire" is defined as it is in section 2, but it specifically does not include fires started mainly for the purpose of pile burning.

The section authorizes the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the Department of the Interior to use up to 15% of their funds for managing hazardous fuels to support prescribed fire activities, such as contracts, grants, and training, benefiting both Federal and non-Federal lands. It also outlines prioritization criteria for funding projects that cover large areas, involve multiple lands, are near communities or Tribal lands, face high wildfire risks, have critical habitats, or support strategic fire response planning.

The section requires that starting from the first fiscal year after the act is passed, and continuing for nine more years, prescribed fires must be increased by 10% each year on Federal land. Additionally, the Secretary must collaborate with various governments to create a strategy for each region that identifies fire deficits and the necessary resources to handle them.

The Collaborative Prescribed Fire Program aims to identify and fund forest fire management projects that follow environmental laws and use community collaboration to restore and maintain ecosystems. The project proposals must demonstrate clear plans for reducing wildfire risks, improving wildlife habitats, leveraging non-federal investment, and supporting local economies; selected projects are subject to funding limits and performance targets.

The section defines "eligible entities" that can enter into cooperative agreements or contracts with the Secretary, which may include states, Indian Tribes, local governments, fire districts, nongovernmental organizations, and private entities. These agreements allow these entities to plan or conduct prescribed fires on federal land for up to 10 years, and they might subcontract these tasks as long as they follow the Secretary's terms.

The text outlines plans for improving the prescribed fire workforce, including providing hazard pay, offering incentive payments for specific tasks, and allowing seasonal firefighters to become permanent employees. It also highlights initiatives to employ formerly incarcerated individuals and veterans, enhance training opportunities, and foster cooperation between Federal and non-Federal fire practitioners.

This section outlines the definitions and liability protections related to prescribed fire managers, including the roles of Federal and non-Federal entities, and the establishment of a memorandum with Governors to discuss liability laws. It also details training for employees on liability protections, the consideration of non-Federal entities as Federal employees for certain legal purposes, and the requirement for annual funding requests for liability reimbursements.

The section mandates a study on the possibility and design of a national fund to support prescribed fires, which are controlled burns used for land management. It will assess how this fund could improve the use of prescribed fires, consider its design and administration, and explore how it might work alongside private insurance, focusing on making it accessible and fair for all practitioners, while also examining the influence of state liability laws.

The section discusses plans to enhance the safe use and management of prescribed fire to prevent wildfires while considering public health and safety. It emphasizes collaboration among federal, state, tribal, and local agencies, investment in research for improving smoke management, and the development of large-scale prescribed fire plans with environmental compliance and input from various stakeholders, including Indian Tribes.

The section describes a program where the Secretaries will conduct a national education initiative about prescribed fires, focusing on their ecological roles and how they are planned and carried out. This program may include elements like public service ads, social media use, educational campaigns, commercial licensing, character appearances, and awards.

The section requires states to report their annual prescribed fire activities to a national database by December 31 each year. If they do not, they will not be eligible for federal funds for the previous year, although they can receive financial help to cover reporting costs if funds are available.

The section requires the Secretaries to submit a yearly report to the congressional committees, detailing the activities conducted under the Act, starting one year after the Act becomes law.