Joint Office of the Fire Environment Center

(a) Definitions In this section: (1) Artificial intelligence The term artificial intelligence has the meaning given such term in section 5002 of the National Artificial Intelligence Initiative Act of 2020 (15 U.S.C. 9401). (2) Board The term Board means the Board of the Joint Office. (3) Director The term Director means the Director of the Joint Office. (4) Joint Office The term Joint Office means the Joint Office of the Fire Environment Center under subsection (b)(1). (5) Machine learning The term machine learning has the meaning given such term in section 5002 of the National Artificial Intelligence Initiative Act of 2020 (15 U.S.C. 9401). (b) Establishment (1) In general Not later than one year after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Administrator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration shall establish a joint office, which shall be known as the Joint Office of the Fire Environment Center. (2) Structure The Joint Office shall be composed of the following components: (A) Technology and Engineering, which shall focus on modeling and the building and testing of technology and may enter into public-private partnerships. (B) Data Services, which shall be responsible for the following: (i) Testing artificial intelligence and machine learning to support managers, firefighters, and public health officials on the ground, including by producing decision consequence data (including information and metrics used to forecast, evaluate, and measure outcomes of proposed courses of action), modeling risk, and suggesting resources based on fire and smoke conditions at the time and place of ignition detection. (ii) Working with State, local, and Tribal entities with respect to data sharing. (C) Analysis and Prediction. (D) Education and Consultation, which shall be responsible for incident management. (E) Any other component determined necessary or appropriate by the Board. (c) Functions (1) In general (A) Availability of products and information The Joint Office shall make available to the following the products and information developed by the Joint Office: (i) Geographic area coordination centers. (ii) Incident management teams. (iii) Land managers. (iv) Air quality and water provider agencies. (v) State, local, and Tribal governments. (vi) Public health agencies. (B) Services and support The Joint Office shall provide real-time, science-based, and data-rich scientific and technical analytic services, decision support, and predictive services, to inform land and fuels management, community risk reduction, and fire management and response, including the following: (i) Pre-fire mitigation and risk reduction activities for landscapes and communities, including through assessments and modeling of the following: (I) Climate condition. (II) Fuels. (III) Home ignition. (IV) Structure-to-structure spread. (V) Values-at-risk. (ii) Activities that better protect public health and safety during and after a fire, including the following: (I) Mapping services and data provision to support evacuation decisions in communities at risk. (II) Air quality monitoring and data forecasting to support health risk information that helps protect the public from smoke impacts associated with fire. (iii) Fire response and management, including the following: (I) Response preparedness and initial attack readiness for new fires. (II) Deployment of response resources. (III) Firefighter movement decisions during active fire management. (iv) Post-fire activities, including with respect to the following: (I) Vegetation recovery. (II) Debris flows and flooding. (III) Watershed protection. (IV) Ecosystem health. (C) Coordination The Administrator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, in coordination with each of the agencies specified in subparagraphs (B) through (J) of subsection (d)(1), shall operate as a collective entity to produce accessible products and services for a variety of users and uses in fire management, including by carrying out the following: (i) Developing timely, manager-focused models, technologies, assessments, and forecasts, to support fire operational decision-making and short- and long-term fire planning. (ii) Integrating the existing specialties of the constituent land management, community preparedness, and public health agencies. (2) Technological common operating environment (A) In general The Joint Office shall develop a technological common operating environment for practitioners across the spectrum of risk mitigation, prescribed fire, response, and post-disaster response, to guide the development of highly dynamic decision support tools. (B) Public health information The Joint Office shall ensure public health information that is essential to integrate into the common operating environment under subparagraph (A) is provided to Federal, State, and local public health agencies ensure the products of the Joint Office accurately reflect the depth and breadth of wildfire issues, including with respect to air quality data, forecasts, and information pertaining to the built environment. (d) Board of the Joint Office (1) Number and appointment The Joint Office shall be governed by a board that is composed of 14 members, as follows: (A) One member who is a career employee of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, appointed by the Administrator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. (B) One member who is a career employee of the United States Fire Administration, appointed by the Administrator of the United States Fire Administration. (C) One member who is a career employee of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, appointed by the Administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency. (D) One member who is a career employee of the National Weather Service, appointed by the Director of the National Weather Service. (E) One member who is a career employee of the Forest Service, appointed by the Chief of the Forest Service. (F) One member who is a career employee of the Department of the Interior, appointed by the Secretary of the Interior. (G) One member who is a career employee of the Bureau of Land Management, appointed by the Director of the Bureau of Land Management. (H) One member who is a career employee of the Bureau of Indian Affairs, appointed by the Director of the Bureau of Indian Affairs. (I) One member who is a career employee of the National Park Service, appointed by the Director of the National Park Service. (J) One member who is a career employee of the United States Fish and Wildlife Service, appointed by the Director of the United States Fish and Wildlife Service. (K) Two members who are non-Federal representatives of the wildfire community (such as representatives of nongovernmental organizations, State or local fire agencies with significant wildland fire expertise, or relevant unions) appointed by the Board. (L) Two members who are State representations of the wildfire community, appointed by the Board. (2) Terms (A) In general Except as provided in subparagraphs (B) and (C), each member of the Board shall be appointed for a term of five years. (B) Terms of initial appointees For the members first appointed to the Board, the following apply: (i) The members appointed under subparagraphs (I) and (J) of paragraph (1) shall be appointed for terms of one year. (ii) The members appointed under subparagraphs (D) and (G) of such paragraph shall be appointed for terms of two years. (iii) The members appointed under subparagraphs (K) and (L) of such paragraph shall be appointed for terms of two years, which may be extended at the discretion of the Administrator. (iv) The members appointed under subparagraphs (F) and (H) of such paragraph shall be appointed for terms of three years. (v) The members appointed under subparagraphs (C) and (E) of such paragraph shall be appointed for terms of four years. (C) Vacancies A member of the Board appointed to fill a vacancy occurring before the expiration of the term for which such member’s predecessor was appointed shall be appointed only for the remainder of such term. Such member may serve after the expiration of such term until a successor has taken office. A vacancy in the Board shall be filled in the manner in which the original appointment was made. (3) Prohibition of compensation of Federal employees A member of the Board who is a career employee of the United States may not receive additional pay, allowances, or benefits by reason of service on the Board. (4) Travel expenses Each member of the Board shall receive travel expenses, including per diem in lieu of subsistence, in accordance with applicable provisions under subchapter I of chapter 57 of title 5, United States Code. (5) Quorum Nine members of the Board shall constitute a quorum. (6) Chairperson; vice chairperson The Chairperson and Vice Chairperson of the Board shall be elected by the members of the Board. The term of office of the Chairperson and Vice Chairperson shall be one year. (7) Meetings The Board shall meet not less frequently than quarterly and at a call of a majority of the members of the Board. (e) Director and staff of Joint Office; experts and consultants (1) Director The Joint Office shall have a Director who shall be appointed by the Board. To the extent or in the amounts provided in advance in appropriation Acts, the Director shall be paid at a rate of basic pay not to exceed the rate of basic pay for level II of the Executive Schedule. The budget and decision-making authority for the Joint Office is vested in the Director. (2) Chief Information Officer, Chief Financial Officer, Chief Technology Officer, and Chief Operating Officer With the approval of the Board, the Director may appoint a Chief Information Officer, Chief Financial Officer, Chief Technology Officer, and Chief Operating Officer. (3) Staff With the approval of the Board, the Director may appoint at least 100 personnel and may appoint such additional personnel as the Director considers appropriate. (4) Applicability of certain civil service laws The Director and staff of the Joint Office shall be appointed subject to the provisions of title 5, United States Code, governing appointments in the competitive service, and shall be paid in accordance with the provisions of chapter 51 and subchapter III of chapter 53 of such title relating to classification and General Schedule pay rates. (5) Experts and consultants With the approval of the Board, the Director may procure temporary and intermittent services under section 3109(b) of title 5, United States Code, but at rates for individuals not to exceed the daily equivalent of the maximum annual rate of basic pay under the General Schedule. (6) Staff of Federal agencies Upon request of the Director, the head of a Federal department or agency may detail, on a reimbursable basis, any of the personnel of such department or agency, as the case may be, to the Joint Office to assist in carrying out the duties of the Joint Office. (f) Contract authority The Joint Office may contract with and compensate government and private agencies or persons for supplies and services. (g) Consultation In carrying out the functions under this section, the Joint Office is encouraged to consult with and share relevant data with the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, the Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, the Director of the United States Geological Survey, and the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (h) Authorization of appropriations There is authorized to be appropriated to the Administrator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to carry out this section $150,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2027 through 2036.