02-06-2025
Aerial firefighting bill may soon become law
The House plans to vote this week on bipartisan legislation that seeks to bolster aerial firefighting.
S. 160, the 'Aerial Firefighting Enhancement Act,' from Sen. Tim Sheehy (R-Mont.), passed the Senate by unanimous consent in April. House passage this week would send it to the White House for President Donald Trump's signature.
The bill would reauthorize until 2035 a program that allows the Department of Defense to sell excess aircraft and parts to fight wildfires. Authorization for the program lapsed in 2017.
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Sheehy, who unseated Democrat Jon Tester last year, founded an aerial firefighting company. The bill is co-sponsored by Energy and Natural Resources ranking member Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.).
