H.R. 6618 · Where this bill is now
In the Senate
Passed the House Mar 24, 2026. Received Mar 25, 2026; no Senate vote yet
What this bill does
In plain words · AI-written from the official summaryStudies how drones interfere with wildfire fighting
The FAA would investigate how drones affect wildfire suppression efforts on public lands. The study would count how many times drones have gotten in the way of firefighting over the past five years and look at what happens each time. It would also examine whether the government could use technology to block unwanted drones or teach people why they shouldn't fly drones near active wildfires.
How it affects you
This doesn't directly change things for most people right now. But if you live near public lands or care about wildfire safety, the findings could eventually lead to better ways to keep drones out of firefighting airspace, which might help fires get controlled faster and more safely.
Read the official summary (Reported to House, Mar 16, 2026)
Wildfire Aerial Response Safety Act
This bill directs the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to study the effects of unmanned aircraft system (i.e., drone) incursions on wildfire suppression on public lands.
Specifically, the FAA must study drone operations in any airspace for which the FAA issued a temporary flight restriction because of a wildfire on land managed by the Departments of Agriculture or the Interior. Among other things, the study must determine the number of occurrences over the last five years in which a drone incursion interfered with wildfire suppression and estimate the effects of each occurrence.
The study must also evaluate the feasibility and effectiveness of (1) deploying counter-drone systems to detect, mitigate, and prevent drone incursions during wildfire suppression operations; and (2) disseminating educational materials related to the effects of the incursions on wildfire suppression operations.
The FAA must submit a report to Congress on the study's findings and any related recommendations.
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. 6618
AN ACT
Wildfire Aerial Response Safety Act
Sponsor: Rep. Janelle S. Bynum (D-OR-5) · Introduced Dec 11, 2025 · Transportation and Public Works · 4 versions of the text
Sources: Congress.gov actions and votes · bill text from GovInfo · latest official action Mar 25, 2026: “Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.”