H.R. 528 · Where this bill is now
In the Senate
Passed the House Mar 16, 2026. Received Mar 17, 2026; no Senate vote yet
What this bill does
In plain words · AI-written from the official summaryHelps restore forests after disasters
When wildfires, floods, or other disasters damage forests on federal lands, nature sometimes can't recover on its own. This bill sets up a program where the Department of the Interior would identify which federal forests and grasslands need help replanting and restoring after these events. The department would then make a yearly list of the most urgent projects and carry out the restoration work through grants, contracts, or partnerships with other organizations and local groups.
How it affects you
If you live near or visit federal forests, national parks, or other public lands managed by agencies like the National Park Service or Forest Service, you may eventually see those damaged areas restored more quickly. The bill also supports Native American tribes that manage their own forest and rangeland, helping them restore their lands after disasters. Most people won't directly notice this program in their daily lives, but it affects the health and appearance of public lands over time.
Read the official summary (Introduced in House, Jan 16, 2025)
Post-Disaster Reforestation and Restoration Act of 2025
This bill directs the Department of the Interior to carry out a program for post-disaster reforestation and restoration.
Interior must identify covered lands requiring reforestation and restoration following unplanned disturbances that are unlikely to experience natural regeneration without assistance. Covered land means (1) any federal land or interest in land administered by the National Park Service, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the Bureau of Land Management, the Bureau of Reclamation, the Forest Service, or the Bureau of Indian Affairs; and (2) any Indian Forest Land or Rangeland.
Interior must propose a list that prioritizes projects for reforestation and restoration for each fiscal year. Interior may (1) carry out priority projects through grants, contracts, or cooperative agreements; and (2) support any grant contract or cooperative agreement that may be necessary to ensure adequate and appropriate seed and seedling availability to further the objectives of priority projects.
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. 528
AN ACT
Post-Disaster Reforestation and Restoration Act
Sponsor: Rep. Brittany Pettersen (D-CO-7) · Introduced Jan 16, 2025 · Public Lands and Natural Resources · 4 versions of the text
Sources: Congress.gov actions and votes · bill text from GovInfo · latest official action Mar 17, 2026: “Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.”