Public-private wildfire technology deployment and demonstration partnership

(a) Definitions In this section: (1) Covered agency The term covered agency means— (A) each Federal land management agency (as defined in section 802 of the Federal Lands Recreation Enhancement Act (16 U.S.C. 6801)); (B) the Department of Defense; (C) the Bureau of Indian Affairs; (D) the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration; (E) the Federal Emergency Management Agency; (F) the National Aeronautics and Space Administration; (G) the United States Fire Administration; (H) a State, Tribal, county, or municipal fire department or district operating through the United States Fire Administration or pursuant to an agreement with a Federal agency; and (I) any other Federal agency involved in wildfire response. (2) Covered entity The term covered entity means— (A) a private entity; (B) a nonprofit organization; and (C) an institution of higher education (as defined in section 101 of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1001)). (3) Pilot program The term Pilot Program means the deployment and demonstration pilot program established under subsection (b). (4) Secretaries The term Secretaries means the Secretary and the Secretary of the Interior, acting jointly. (b) Establishment Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretaries, in coordination with the heads of the covered agencies, shall establish a deployment and demonstration pilot program for new and innovative wildfire prevention, detection, communication, and mitigation technologies. (c) Functions In carrying out the Pilot Program, the Secretaries shall— (1) incorporate the Pilot Program into the National Wildfire Coordinating Group; (2) in consultation with the heads of the covered agencies, identify and advance the demonstration and deployment of key technology priority areas with respect to the deployment of wildfire prevention, detection, communication, and mitigation technologies, including— (A) hazardous fuels reduction activities or treatments; (B) dispatch communications; (C) remote sensing, detection, and tracking; (D) safety equipment; (E) common operating pictures or operational dashboards; and (F) interoperable commercial data; and (3) connect each covered entity selected to participate in the Pilot Program with the appropriate covered agency to coordinate real-time and on-the-ground testing of technology during wildfire mitigation activities and training. (d) Applications To be eligible to participate in the Pilot Program, a covered entity shall submit to the Secretaries an application at such time, in such manner, and containing such information as the Secretaries may require, including a proposal to demonstrate technologies specific to key technology priority areas identified under subsection (c)(2). (e) Prioritization of emerging technologies In selecting covered entities to participate in the Pilot Program, the Secretaries shall give priority to covered entities that— (1) have participated in the Fire Weather Testbed of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration; or (2) propose in the application under subsection (d) to develop and apply emerging technologies for wildfire mitigation, including artificial intelligence, quantum sensing, computing and quantum-hybrid applications, satellite detection, augmented reality, 5G private networks, and device-to-device communications supporting nomadic mesh networks and detection. (f) Outreach The Secretaries, in coordination with the heads of the covered agencies, shall make publicly available the key technology priority areas identified under subsection (c)(2) and invite covered entities to apply under subsection (d) to deploy and demonstrate technologies to address those priority areas. (g) Reports and recommendations Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of this Act, and annually thereafter for the duration of the Pilot Program, the Secretaries shall submit to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate, the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology of the House of Representatives, and the relevant committees of Congress a report that includes the following with respect to the Pilot Program: (1) A list of participating covered entities. (2) A brief description of the technologies deployed and demonstrated by each such covered entity. (3) An estimate of the cost of acquiring the each such technology and applying the technology at scale. (4) Outreach efforts by covered agencies to covered entities developing wildfire technologies. (5) Assessments of, and recommendations relating to, new technologies with potential adoption and application at-scale in the wildfire prevention, detection, communication, and mitigation efforts of Federal land management agencies (as defined in section 802 of the Federal Lands Recreation Enhancement Act (16 U.S.C. 6801)). (6) A description of the relationship and coordination between the Pilot Program and the activities of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, including the Fire Weather Testbed. (h) Sunset The Pilot Program terminates on the date that is 7 years after the date of enactment of this Act.