H.R. 2492 · Where this bill is now
In the Senate
Passed the House May 13, 2025. Received May 14, 2025; no Senate vote yet
What this bill does
In plain words · AI-written from the official summarySpeeds up tree removal near power lines
The Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management could let electrical utilities trim or remove trees and brush near power lines on their land more quickly. Instead of going through a full timber sale process, utilities could do this work through a special permit or easement. If the utilities sell any of the removed wood, they'd have to share the money they make (minus transportation costs) with the federal agencies.
How it affects you
This mainly affects electrical utilities and the federal agencies managing forest and rangeland. For the rest of us, the practical benefit would be potentially faster clearing of vegetation around power lines, which could reduce wildfire risk near electrical infrastructure.
Read the official summary (Introduced in House, Mar 31, 2025)
Fire Safe Electrical Corridors Act of 2025
This bill allows the Forest Service and the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) to expedite the removal of trees or other vegetation near electrical lines on their lands under certain circumstances. Specifically, the Forest Service and the BLM may include in special use permits or easements provided to electrical utilities permission to cut, remove, and sell trees or other vegetation near electrical lines on such lands without a separate timber sale if the cutting or removal is consistent with (1) any applicable land and resource management plan, and (2) other applicable environmental laws.
A special use permit or easement that includes permission for cutting and removal of trees or vegetation must include a requirement that, if the applicable electrical utility sells any portion of the material removed under the permit or easement, the utility must provide to the Forest Service or the BLM any proceeds received from the sale, less any transportation costs incurred in the sale.
Written by AI (Claude) using only the official summary by the Congressional Research Service, the Library of Congress’s nonpartisan research staff. It can miss nuance, so check the official summary and the bill text for details.
1st SessionH. R. 2492
AN ACT
Fire Safe Electrical Corridors Act of 2025
Sponsor: Rep. Salud O. Carbajal (D-CA-24) · Introduced Mar 31, 2025 · Public Lands and Natural Resources · 3 versions of the text
Sources: Congress.gov actions and votes · bill text from GovInfo · latest official action May 14, 2025: “Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry.”
Sections
The wording of this bill hasn’t changed across its 3 official versions.