Utah joins federal wildfire research network, expanding Southwest prevention capacity.
H.R. 1045 — Utah Wildfire Research Institute Act of 2025 · Filed by Mike Kennedy (R-UT) · 3 cosponsors · Introduced Feb 6, 2025 · Passed chamber
Your members of Congress
Enter a ZIP to see where your representative and both senators stood on this bill.
Looked up on this device — your ZIP is never stored on our servers.
What it does
This bill amends the Southwest Forest Health and Wildfire Prevention Act of 2004 to add Utah as an eligible state for establishing a research institute under that program. Currently, the Act authorizes institutes in Arizona, New Mexico, and Colorado; this bill adds Utah to that list, allowing the state to participate in the federal wildfire research and prevention framework.
Why we flagged it
The bill's sole function is to extend an existing federal wildfire research program to an additional state. It is a routine geographic amendment with no hidden mechanisms or private beneficiaries.
What the text implies
- Establishes Utah as a hub for Southwest regional wildfire research, potentially positioning the state as a center for climate-adaptation science in the intermountain West.
- May increase federal funding flows to Utah universities and research institutions participating in the Institute, though the bill itself does not appropriate funds — that occurs under the existing 2004 Act's authorization.
The full analysis lists 3 implications of this text.
Who stands to gain
Utah universities and research institutions (as potential hosts of the Institute); Utah state forestry and natural resource agencies