WASHINGTON — The first wave of legislation has been introduced by both Republicans and Democrats in response to the devastating Los Angeles County wildfires, as Congressional leaders debate whether to add conditions to federal aid in response to wildfires. .

The move comes as President Biden has promised 100% federal aid for disaster relief over the next six months, but the future of the funding is uncertain as President-elect Donald Trump takes office in less than a week. It is not completely guaranteed.

Meanwhile, House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-Louisiana) says he intends to help Californians in need after the fires, but is debating with his Republican colleagues whether to tie the aid to the highly political debate over raising the debt ceiling. He said he was discussing it. House Democrats, including several Southern Californians, said they would not accept a conditional deal on disaster aid.

The measures announced so far in Congress are the first of many, addressing topics such as forest management, disaster financing, and the authority of the California Coastal Commission.

Here’s a look at some of the bills.

forest management

The Fix Our Forests Act is a comprehensive measure that streamlines environmental regulations, speeds up forest management, prevents “frivolous” lawsuits by environmental groups, and prioritizes community prevention efforts.

“Decades of mismanagement and climate change have created unnatural conditions,” said Rep. Scott Peters (D-San Diego), an environmental lawyer and co-author of the bill, adding that the environment needed for forest management is “decades of mismanagement and climate change.” He added that the review may be delayed. Projects that sometimes span years. “We waste a lot of time on processes that we don’t have. We don’t have time for this. In the meantime, the forest is burning.”

The bill, introduced Thursday with bipartisan support, could be the farthest out of the earlier bills.

Matt Weiner, chief executive and founder of the advocacy group Megafire Action, which pushed for the bill, said supporters of the Solve Our Forests Act are committed to raising public awareness about forests and fires. He said that he hopes that this will renew the debate.

“We continue to be overwhelmed, and our solution is to look back at the exact systems that continue to fail us,” Weiner said. “When you think it’s clear that these systems are failing us and we need to create new systems.”

The bill proposes creating a center to help federal, tribal, state, and local agencies coordinate fire prevention and track areas where wildfires are most likely to occur. The law allows leaders to use new scientific methods to assess wildfire-prone areas and implement a variety of forest management practices, including thinning, prescribed burning, logging, firebreaks, and removal of dead brush. Be able to utilize tools.

“What we’re trying to do is use proven scientific methods and common sense to reduce fuel loads,” said Rep. Bruce Westerman (R-Ark.), chairman of the House Natural Resources Committee. “It’s about making our communities safer.” And Forester. “I always say that forest management is like the old adage: An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.”

The bill was approved by nearly all Republicans, including nearly all Republicans and prominent Californians such as former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-San Francisco) and House Democratic Caucus Chairman Pete Aguilar (D). It would revamp a bill passed by the House last year with the support of members of Congress and 55 Democrats. Redlands). The Senate did not vote on the bill.

The bill received bipartisan support last year but drew the ire of some. environmental organizationsaid it could undermine key environmental laws and have devastating effects on community oversight of forests, endangered species and federal land management.

“Our organization recognizes the challenge of addressing the threats posed by climate change, including the increased risk from fires. It will harm the climate, water and biodiversity.” letter More than 85 organizations signed the petition, including the Center for Biological Diversity and the Sierra Club.

The Fix Our Forests Act has become a political lightning rod for both parties. A thorough review of forest management, particularly in California, is a frequent challenge for President Trump and his allies. Progressives, meanwhile, have long called for a return to ancient Native American practices governing preventive burns, and the proposed bill would codify cultural burns into law.

“Everyone is saying the same thing, just saying it differently,” Westerman said.

Peters and Westerman hope the national attention surrounding the Los Angeles-area fires will help the bill garner enough support. Although the Palisades and Eaton fires were primarily concentrated in populated areas rather than forests, Weiner said the bill could prevent such disasters in the future.

For example, the Pacific Palisades is considered a “very high fire risk area,” Weiner said, and the region will be prioritized for funding and preparedness under the Forestry Act.

“The Los Angeles area is a different ecosystem than the large timber forests of Northern California or Canada, but the principles of treatment and fuel load reduction are the same,” said co-sponsor Rep. George Whiteside (D-Agua Dulce). ) said. He is the author of the bill and co-founder of Megafire Action.

Firefighter recruitment

Rep. Darrell Issa (R-Bonsall) on Wednesday introduced a bill he calls “Fire Direct Hire” to streamline hiring of federal firefighters, citing the Los Angeles County fires as a catalyst.

“Today’s unacceptably slow hiring process means that critical positions used to put out fires will go unfilled and fires will continue to burn for even longer,” Issa said in a statement. said. “We need this common sense federal hiring process to get all available resources to where they are needed most.”

FEMA funding

Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-Dublin) introduced a measure Tuesday to increase funding for the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

The Preventing the Next Natural Disaster Act calls for changes to the way FEMA prepares for disasters, including increasing funding and prioritizing applicants in the hardest-hit areas. There will also be a need for a central database to integrate information collected from all levels of government during disaster response.

“From coastal flooding to devastating wildfires, California is among the states experiencing an increase in natural disasters due to climate change,” Swalwell said in a statement. “This bill aims to provide funding to communities most vulnerable to natural disasters and strengthen preparedness against growing threats.”

Coastal Commission changes

Rep. Kevin Kiley (R-Rocklin) said Tuesday. There are plans to introduce legislation. Restrain the California Coastal Commission. Kiley tied his bill to a recent decision by regulators to deny Elon Musk’s company SpaceX permission to increase rocket launches from Vandenberg Space Force Base.

Mr. Musk’s company had requested that the cap on rocket launches be increased from 36 to 50 a year, but the committee rejected the request. The board cited Musk’s political influence (he is a close ally of President Trump and also owns social media site X) as part of the reason.

Kiley said the commission’s decision shows “how the politicization of state agency decisions can delay projects critical to national security.”

“A history of irrational decision-making could threaten the Los Angeles region’s efforts to rebuild,” Kiley said in a statement. “My legislation will ensure that important projects are not held hostage by unnecessary red tape or political bias.”

Gov. Gavin Newsom signed an executive order Sunday relaxing certain environmental requirements to speed up the rebuilding process in areas affected by wildfires.