,,ii #aagth ,,congress #b;d ,session ,s4 #dice ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of ,,the ,,united ,,states ,september #bb1 #bjbb,mr4 ,manchin introduced the following bill2 which was read twice and referred to the ,committee on ,energy and ,natural ,resources ,a ,,bill ,to require the ,secretary of the ,interior and the ,secretary of ,agriculture to implement measures to better prepare for and more quickly respond to wildfires on certain public land and in certain ,national ,forests4 #a4 ,short title ,this ,act may be cited as the ,more ,hasty ,response to ,firefighting ,act of #bjbb4 #b4 ,definitions ,in this ,act3 7#a7 ,initial attack ,the term initial attack means an aggressive action to put a fire out by the first resources to arrive1 consistent with firefighter and public safety and values to be protected4 7#b7 ,national forest ,the term ,national ,forest means a unit of the ,national ,forest ,system located west of the #ajjth meridian4 7#c7 ,public land ,the term public land has the meaning given the term public lands in section #ajc of the ,federal ,land ,policy and ,management ,act of #aigf 7#dc ,u4,s4,c4 #agjb74 7#d7 ,qualifying unit ,the term qualifying unit means a ,national ,forest or unit of public land for which the ,secretary concerned has developed potential operational delineations for wildfires4 7#e7 ,secretary concerned ,the term ,secretary concerned means-- 7,a7 the ,secretary of ,agriculture1 acting through the ,chief of the ,forest ,service1 with respect to a ,national ,forest2 and 7,b7 the ,secretary of the ,interior1 with respect to public land4 #c4 ,notification and training 7a7 ,in general ,with respect to each qualifying unit1 the ,secretary concerned shall-- 7#a7 notify each person who is authorized to carry out timber harvesting work or vegetation management work within the boundaries of the qualifying unit of-- 7,a7 the strategic response zone in which the contractor is authorized to carry out the work2 7,b7 the potential-fire response strategy developed for that strategic response zone2 7,c7 each training offered under paragraph 7#b72 and 7,d7 the financial incentive established under paragraph 7#c7 for attending that training2 7#b7 in coordination with the ,national ,wildfire ,coordinating ,group1 offer a #a-;day training in the vicinity of that qualifying unit each fiscal year1 beginning with fiscal year #bjbd1 in basic firefighting safety and resource protection1 specifically for persons who routinely carry out timber harvesting work or vegetation management work2 and 7#c7 provide1 not more frequently than once per fiscal year for fiscal year #bjbd and each fiscal year thereafter1 #a1jjj to each company described in subsection 7b74 7b7 ,company described ,a company referred to in subsection 7a77#c7 is a company-- 7#a7 to which the ,administrator of ,general ,services has assigned a ,unique ,entity ,identifier2 7#b7 that-- 7,a7 has placed not fewer than #a bid to carry out timber harvesting work or vegetation management work within the boundaries of a qualifying unit during the previous fiscal year2 or 7,b7 is authorized to carry out timber harvesting work or vegetation management work within the boundaries of a qualifying unit during that fiscal year2 7#c7 each of the employees of which that may carry out timber harvesting work or vegetation management work within the boundaries of a qualifying unit attends a training offered under subsection 7a77#b72 and 7#d7 that submits to the ,secretary concerned a certification of attendance described in paragraph 7#c7 at such time and in such manner as the ,secretary concerned may prescribe4 #d4 ,initial attack of wildfires by trained persons 7a7 ,in general ,notwithstanding any other provision of law 7including regulations71 on discovery of a wildfire within the boundaries of a qualifying unit by a person described in subsection 7b71 the person may undertake initial attack within the qualifying unit on the wildfire1 including suppressing1 containing1 or extinguishing the wildfire1 if-- 7#a7 the person has completed a training offered under section #c7;a77#b7 or a similar training1 as determined by the ,secretary concerned2 7#b7 the total area burned by the wildfire is approximately #e acres or less in size2 and 7#c7 the initial attack on the wildfire is consistent with the potential-fire response strategy for the strategic response zone in which the wildfire is occurring4 7b7 ,person described ,a person referred to in subsection 7a7 is-- 7#a7 a person described in section #c7;a77#a72 7#b7 a landowner who-- 7,a7 owns not fewer than #a1jjj acres of land adjacent to a qualifying unit2 and 7,b7 routinely carries out timber harvesting work or vegetation management work2 or 7#c7 an employee of a landowner described in paragraph 7#b7 the employment of whom relates to timber harvesting work or vegetation management work on the land described in that paragraph4 7c7 ,notification requirement ,if a person undertakes an initial attack authorized under subsection 7a71 the person1 to the maximum extent practicable1 shall immediately-- 7#a7 alert the local emergency dispatch center2 and 7#b7 notify the ,secretary concerned of-- 7,a7 the location of the wildfire2 and 7,b7 the initial attack being undertaken4 7d7 ,reimbursement of costs ,the ,secretary concerned shall not provide reimbursement or compensation to a person for undertaking an initial attack authorized under subsection 7a74 7e7 ,liability 7#a7 ,liability of persons ,a person undertaking an initial attack authorized under subsection 7a7 shall not be subject to enforcement1 civil or criminal penalties1 citizen suits1 or any other liability 7including any liability for response costs1 damage to natural resources1 or contribution7 for undertaking the initial attack4 7#b7 ,liability of the ,federal ,government ,the ,secretary concerned shall not be liable for an initial attack undertaken by a person pursuant to subsection 7a74 7#c7 ,savings clause ,nothing in paragraph 7#a7 limits the liability of-- 7,a7 any person not authorized to undertake an initial attack under subsection 7a72 7,b7 a person that was responsible for starting the applicable fire2 or 7,c7 a person described in section #c7;a77#a7 that was not in compliance with the terms of the authorization to carry out timber harvesting work or vegetation management work provided by the ,secretary concerned4 #e4 ,fire prevention measures ,as part of an authorization to carry out timber harvesting work or vegetation management work within the boundaries of a qualifying unit1 the ,secretary concerned shall-- 7#a7 establish and operate a decision support tool1 to be known as a project activity level1 to support regulation for fire prevention purposes of an authorized party carrying out timber harvesting work or vegetation management work within the boundaries of the qualifying unit2 and 7#b7 require the authorized party to have appropriate personnel1 tools1 and equipment onsite and immediately available for suppressing operations fires1 negligent fires1 and other fires in the work area4 #f4 ,state and local agency response 7a7 ,in general ,the ,secretary concerned may-- 7#a7 authorize any ,state or local firefighting agency to undertake initial attack on a wildfire described in subsection 7b71 including suppressing1 containing1 or extinguishing the wildfire1 without further approval by the ,secretary concerned1 if consistent with the potential-fire response strategy for the strategic response zone in which the wildfire is occurring2 and 7#b7 enter into partnerships with ,state and local firefighting agencies to dispatch multiple firefighting resources located near a wildfire described in subsection 7b7 to undertake initial attack on the wildfire1 including suppressing1 containing1 or extinguishing the wildfire1 if consistent with the potential-fire response strategy for the strategic response zone in which the wildfire is occurring4 7b7 ,wildfire described ,a wildfire referred to in subsection 7a7 is a wildfire that-- 7#a7 is located within the boundaries of a qualifying unit2 and 7#b7 has burned not more than approximately #aj acres4