ACRES Act
AI Summary
The ACRES Act requires the Department of Agriculture and the Department of the Interior to provide more transparent and standardized reporting on hazardous fuels reduction projects on federal lands. The bill mandates that agencies count unique acres treated rather than double-counting multiple activities on the same acre, while also requiring data on wildfire risk levels and costs per acre. It further tasks the GAO with auditing the effectiveness of these new reporting and tracking procedures within two years.
Impact & Passage
Composite Passage Score
Medium confidenceBased on 3 of 5 available signals
View signal breakdown
LLM-only estimate
The bill has already passed the House of Representatives with significant momentum early in the 119th Congress. Its focus on fiscal transparency, administrative accountability, and data-driven wildfire management typically garners broad bipartisan support, making it highly likely to be considered and passed by the Senate.
Provisions
The act is officially named the 'Accurately Counting Risk Elimination Solutions Act' or the 'ACRES Act'.
Requires annual reports detailing the number of unique acres treated for wildfire risk, including information on risk levels, activity types, and costs per acre.
Mandates the creation and implementation of standardized procedures to track and verify the accuracy of hazardous fuels reduction data within 90 days.
Directs the Comptroller General to conduct a study within two years on how well the reporting and tracking requirements are being implemented.
Defines key terms such as 'hazardous fuels reduction activity', 'Federal lands', and 'wildland-urban interface' for the purposes of the act.
States that no new funding is authorized to carry out the act, meaning agencies must use existing appropriations.
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Version History
Provision Changes
Introduced in House Engrossed in House 1 added, 0 removed, 5 modified
Defines key terms used in the act, such as 'hazardous fuels reduction activity', 'Federal lands', and 'wildland-urban interface'.
Designates the official name of the bill as the 'Accurately Counting Risk Elimination Solutions Act' or the 'ACRES Act'.
This Act may be cited as the 'Accurately Counting Risk Elimination Solutions Act' or the 'ACRES Act'.
Requires the Secretaries of Agriculture and the Interior to include an annual report in the budget process detailing the specific number of unique acres treated for wildfire risk to prevent double-counting.
Requires the Secretaries of Agriculture and the Interior to include annual reports in the President's budget regarding the specific number of acres where hazardous fuel reduction was performed.
Directs agencies to implement standardized data tracking and verification procedures within 90 days to ensure the accuracy of wildfire mitigation records.
Mandates the implementation of standardized procedures for tracking and verifying data related to fuel reduction activities within 90 days.
Requires the Government Accountability Office to conduct a study within two years to evaluate how well the agencies are tracking and reporting their hazardous fuel reduction activities.
Requires the Comptroller General to conduct a study and report to Congress within two years on the effectiveness and limitations of the new reporting and tracking systems.
Specifies that no new money is being authorized to carry out this act, requiring agencies to use existing appropriated funds.
States that no new funding is authorized for these activities; they must be funded through existing appropriations.
Engrossed in House Referred in Senate 0 added, 0 removed, 6 modified
This Act may be cited as the 'Accurately Counting Risk Elimination Solutions Act' or the 'ACRES Act'.
The act is officially named the 'Accurately Counting Risk Elimination Solutions Act' or the 'ACRES Act'.
Requires the Secretaries of Agriculture and the Interior to include annual reports in the President's budget regarding the specific number of acres where hazardous fuel reduction was performed.
Requires annual reports detailing the number of unique acres treated for wildfire risk, including information on risk levels, activity types, and costs per acre.
Mandates the implementation of standardized procedures for tracking and verifying data related to fuel reduction activities within 90 days.
Mandates the creation and implementation of standardized procedures to track and verify the accuracy of hazardous fuels reduction data within 90 days.
Requires the Comptroller General to conduct a study and report to Congress within two years on the effectiveness and limitations of the new reporting and tracking systems.
Directs the Comptroller General to conduct a study within two years on how well the reporting and tracking requirements are being implemented.
Defines key terms used in the act, such as 'hazardous fuels reduction activity', 'Federal lands', and 'wildland-urban interface'.
Defines key terms such as 'hazardous fuels reduction activity', 'Federal lands', and 'wildland-urban interface' for the purposes of the act.
States that no new funding is authorized for these activities; they must be funded through existing appropriations.
States that no new funding is authorized to carry out the act, meaning agencies must use existing appropriations.
Actions
Committee on Energy and Natural Resources Subcommittee on Public Lands, Forests, and Mining. Hearings held.
Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.
Mr. Westerman moved to suspend the rules and pass the bill.
Considered under suspension of the rules. (consideration: CR H244-246)
DEBATE - The House proceeded with forty minutes of debate on H.R. 204.
Passed/agreed to in House: On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill Agreed to by voice vote. (text: CR H244-245)
On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill Agreed to by voice vote. (text: CR H244-245)
Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
Introduced in House
Referred to the Committee on Natural Resources, and in addition to the Committee on Agriculture, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.