,,ii  #aaith ,,congress  #ast ,session  
,s4 #bjch  ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of     
,,the ,,united ,,states  ,june #aa1     
#bjbe ,mr4 ,gallego introduced the      
following bill2 which was read twice and
 referred to the ,committee on ,energy  
and ,natural ,resources  ,a ,,bill  ,to 
direct the ,secretary of the ,interior  
to establish the ,wildfire ,science and 
,technology ,advisory ,board4  #a4      
,short title  ,this ,act may be cited as
 the ,wildfire ,coordination ,act4  #b4 
,wildfire ,science and ,technology      
,advisory ,board  7a7  ,establishment   
,the ,secretary of the ,interior shall  
establish a permanent advisory          
committee1 to be known as the ,wildfire 
,science and ,technology ,advisory      
,board 7referred to in this section as  
the ,board74  7b7  ,duties  ,the ,board 
shall-- 7#a7 coordinate the             
operationalization within the ,federal  
,government of wildfire research1       
including by--  7,a7 identifying avenues
 for translating wildfire research into 

practical applications2  7,b7           
establishing criteria and frameworks to 
prioritize wildfire research projects   
for operationalization2  7,c7           
facilitating the transition of          
prioritized wildfire research into      
operational projects2  7,d7 connecting  
and supporting entities in wildfire     
research and operations2  7,e7 providing
 feedback to refine and enhance wildfire
 research outputs for practical         
application2 and  7,f7 partnering1 as   
the ,board determines appropriate1 with 
private sector and federally funded     
research centers to further the work of 
the ,board2  7#b7 encourage wildfire    
researchers and ,federal agencies       
undertaking wildfire operations to      
include--  7,a7 relevant disciplines1   
such as public health1 meteorological   
science1 and predictive modeling2 and   
7,b7 consideration of built and natural 
fire-prone environments2 and  7#c7      
disseminate information1 including by-- 
7,a7 establishing mechanisms1 such as   

newsletters and publications1 online    
portals1 webinars1 and workshops1 to    
disseminate wildfire research findings1 
operational best practices1 and         
resources to relevant stakeholders and  
practitioners2 and  7,b7 promoting      
activities of the ,board to ensure      
visibility and accessibility to         
stakeholders4  7c7  ,membership  7#a7   
,number and appointment  ,the ,board    
shall be composed of the following      
members3 7,a7 ,the ,secretary of the    
,interior 7or a designee74  7,b7 ,the   
,secretary of ,agriculture 7or a        
designee74  7,c7 ,the ,secretary of     
,commerce 7or a designee74  7,d7 ,the   
,chief of the ,forest ,service 7or a    
designee74  7,e7 ,the ,director of the  
,bureau of ,indian ,affairs 7or a       
designee74  7,f7 ,the ,director of the  
,bureau of ,land ,management 7or a      
designee74  7,g7 ,the ,administrator of 
the ,federal ,emergency ,management     
,agency 7or a designee1 except that such
 designee may not be the member of the  

,board serving pursuant to subparagraph 
7,h774  7,h7 ,the ,united ,states ,fire 
,administrator 7or a designee74  7,i7   
,the ,director of the ,united ,states   
,fish and ,wildlife ,service 7or a      
designee74  7,j7 ,the ,administrator of 
the ,national ,oceanic and ,atmospheric 
,administration 7or a designee74  7,k7  
,the ,director of the ,national ,park   
,service 7or a designee74  7,l7 ,the    
,director of the ,national ,institute of
 ,standards and ,technology 7or a       
designee74  7,m7 ,the ,director of the  
,united ,states ,geological ,survey 7or 
a designee74  7,n7 ,the ,director of the
 ,office of ,science and ,technology    
,policy 7or a designee74  7,o7 ,the     
,director of the ,national ,science     
,foundation 7or a designee74  7,p7 ,the 
,administrator of the ,national         
,aeronautics and ,space ,administration 
7or a designee74  7,q7 ,the ,director of
 the ,centers for ,disease ,control and 
,prevention 7or a designee74  7,r7 ,the 
,administrator of the ,environmental    

,protection ,agency 7or a designee74    
7,s7 ,not more than #ah non-,federal    
members1 to be appointed by the         
,secretary of the ,interior1 as follows3
  7i7 ,at least #a representative from  
each of the following3  7,i7 ,state     
government4  7,,ii7 ,local government4  
7,,iii7 ,tribal government4  7ii7       
,representatives of fire departments4   
7iii7 ,representatives of relevant      
private-sector entities1 such as codes  
and standards-setting organizations1    
prescribed fire associations1 and       
entities with expertise in wildfire     
science and wildfire risk               
identification1 transfer1 and           
mitigation4  7iv7 ,wildfire1 forest     
health1 or ecological restoration       
researchers4  7v7 ,public health        
experts4  7vi7 ,meteorological          
scientists4  7vii7 ,predictive modeling 
experts4  7viii7 ,such other members as 
the ,secretary of the ,interior         
determines to be appropriate4  7#b7     
,terms  7,a7  ,in general  ,each member 

of the ,board serving pursuant to       
paragraph 7#a77,s7 shall be appointed   
for a term of #b years4  7,b7           
,vacancies  ,a vacancy on the ,board    
shall be filled in the manner in which  
the original appointment was made4  7#c7
  ,pay and expenses  7,a7  ,prohibition 
on compensation  ,a member of the ,board
 shall serve without compensation4  7,b7
 ,travel expenses ,each member of the   
,board shall receive travel expenses1   
including per diem in lieu of           
subsistence1 in accordance with the     
applicable provisions of subchapter ,i  
of chapter #eg of title #e1 ,united     
,states ,code4  7#d7  ,chairperson  7,a7
  ,in general  ,except as provided in   
subparagraph 7,b71 the ,chairperson     
shall rotate annually among the members 
of the ,board serving pursuant to       
subparagraphs 7,a71 7,b71 and 7,c7 of   
paragraph 7#a71 beginning with the      
member serving pursuant to paragraph    
7#a77;,a71 followed by the member       
serving pursuant to paragraph 7#a77;,b74

  7,b7  ,exception  ,for any term1 the  
members of the ,board may designate a   
member of the ,board to serve as the    
,chairperson of the ,board in lieu of   
the official 7or the designee thereof7  
who would otherwise serve as the        
,chairperson pursuant to subparagraph   
7,a74  7#e7  ,staff2 temporary and      
intermittent services  7,a7  ,staff     
,the ,board may appoint personnel as it 
considers appropriate4  7,b7  ,pay  ,the
 ,chairperson of the ,board may fix the 
compensation of the personnel appointed 
under subparagraph 7,a7 without regard  
to the provisions of chapter #ea and    
subchapter ,,iii of chapter #ec of title
 #e1 ,united ,states ,code1 relating to 
classification of positions and ,general
 ,schedule pay rates1 except that the   
rate of pay for such personnel may not  
exceed the annual rate of basic pay     
prescribed for level ,v of the          
,executive ,schedule under section #ecaf
 of such title4  7,c7  ,detail of       
,federal employees  7i7  ,in general    

,the head of any ,federal department or 
agency may detail any of the personnel  
of that department or agency to the     
,board4  7ii7  ,effect  ,a detail under 
clause 7i7 shall be without             
reimbursement and without interruption  
or loss of civil service status or      
privilege4  7,d7  ,procurement of       
temporary and intermittent services     
,the ,chairperson of the ,board may     
procure temporary and intermittent      
services under section #caji7;b7 of     
title #e1 ,united ,states ,code1 at     
rates for individuals that do not exceed
 the daily equivalent of the annual rate
 of basic pay prescribed for level ,v of
 the ,executive ,schedule under section 
#ecaf of that title4  7d7  ,report  7#a7
  ,in general  ,not later than #b years 
after the date of enactment of this     
,act1 the ,board shall submit to the    
relevant congressional committees a     
report1 which shall--  7,a7 detail the  
activities of the ,board2  7,b7 discuss 
progress on transitioning wildfire      

research into operations within the     
,federal ,government2  7,c7 discuss     
barriers to successfully transitioning  
wildfire research into operations within
 the ,federal ,government2 and  7,d7    
provide recommendations on future       
wildfire research priorities and        
operational needs4  7#b7  ,relevant     
congressional committees  ,in this      
subsection1 the term relevant           
congressional committees means--  7,a7  
the ,committee on ,agriculture1         
,nutrition1 and ,forestry1 the          
,committee on ,commerce1 ,science1 and  
,transportation1 the ,committee on      
,energy and ,natural ,resources1 the    
,committee on ,environment and ,public  
,works1 and the ,committee on ,homeland 
,security and ,governmental ,affairs of 
the ,senate2 and  7,b7 the ,committee on
 ,agriculture1 the ,committee on        
,natural ,resources1 the ,committee on  
,science1 ,space1 and ,technology1 and  
the ,committee on ,transportation and   
,infrastructure of the ,house of        

,representatives4  7e7  ,termination    
,section #ajac7;a77#b7 of title #e1     
,united ,states ,code1 shall not apply  
to the ,board4  7f7  ,funding  7#a7     
,authorization of appropriations  ,there
 is authorized to be appropriated to    
carry out this section #aj1jjj1jjj1 to  
remain available until expended4  7#b7  
,additional funding  ,in addition to the
 amounts made available pursuant to     
paragraph 7#a71 the ,federal members of 
the ,board may1 for purposes of carrying
 out this section1 use amounts the      
purpose of which is not otherwise       
specified by the appropriations laws    
available to the employing agencies of  
such members4