Military aircraft surplus program for wildfire suppression extended through 2035
H.R. 956 — Aerial Firefighting Enhancement Act of 2025 · Filed by Dan Newhouse (R-WA) · 17 cosponsors · Introduced Feb 4, 2025 · Referred to committee
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What it does
This bill extends the Department of Defense's authority to sell surplus military aircraft and parts to wildfire-suppression agencies through 2035 (currently set to expire). It also expands the program to cover water-dropping operations alongside fire-retardant drops, and clarifies that transferred aircraft may only be used for wildfire suppression, not other purposes.
Why we flagged it
The bill's sole function is to extend and modestly expand an existing DoD aircraft-transfer program for wildfire suppression. It is a straightforward reauthorization with minor operational clarifications.
What the text implies
- Restricting transferred aircraft to wildfire suppression only (subsection b) prevents state/local agencies from repurposing military equipment for other emergency operations (e.g., disaster relief, search-and-rescue), which may limit operational flexibility in multi-hazard scenarios.
- The 10-year reauthorization window (2025–2035) creates a predictable funding/planning horizon for state wildfire agencies but may require another legislative renewal in 2035, introducing potential service gaps if Congress does not act.
Who stands to gain
State and local wildfire-suppression agencies; Wildfire-suppression contractors operating transferred aircraft