FIRE IMPROVEMENT AND REFORMING EXCEPTIONAL EVENTS ACT

On 2026-04-21, Representative Gary J. Palmer (R-AL-6) delivered a floor speech titled "FIRE IMPROVEMENT AND REFORMING EXCEPTIONAL EVENTS ACT" in the House. The speech addressed healthcare and also covered the environment, trade policy. It referenced legislation including HR6387, HRES1174.

FIRE IMPROVEMENT AND REFORMING EXCEPTIONAL EVENTS ACT

Congressional Record, Volume 172 Issue 70 (Tuesday, April 21, 2026) [Congressional Record Volume 172, Number 70 (Tuesday, April 21, 2026)] [House] [Pages H3013-H3019] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [ www.gpo.gov ] FIRE IMPROVEMENT AND REFORMING EXCEPTIONAL EVENTS ACT Mr. PALMER. Mr. Speaker, pursuant to House Resolution 1174, I call up the bill (H.R. 6387) to amend the Clean Air Act to require revisions to regulations governing the review and handling of air quality monitoring data influenced by exceptional events or actions to mitigate wildfire risk, and ask for its immediate consideration in the House. The Clerk read the title of the bill. The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to House Resolution 1174, the bill is considered read. The text of the bill is as follows: H.R. 6387 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. This Act may be cited as the ``Fire Improvement and Reforming Exceptional Events Act'' or the ``FIRE Act''. SEC. 2. AIR QUALITY MONITORING DATA INFLUENCED BY EXCEPTIONAL EVENTS OR ACTIONS TO MITIGATE WILDFIRE RISK. Section 319(b) of the Clean Air Act (42 U.S.C. 7619(b)) is amended-- (1) in the subsection heading, by inserting ``Or Actions To Mitigate Wildfire Risk'' after ``Events''; (2) in paragraph (1)-- (A) in the paragraph heading, by striking ``Definition of exceptional event'' and inserting ``Definitions''; (B) in subparagraph (A), by redesignating clauses (i) through (iv), as subclauses (I) through (IV), respectively; (C) by striking ``(A)'' and all that follows through ``an event that--'' and inserting the following: ``(A) Exceptional event.-- ``(i) In general.--The term `exceptional event' means an event that--''; (D) by amending subclause (III) of subparagraph (A)(i), as redesignated, to read as follows: ``(III) is an event that is-- ``(aa) a natural event; ``(bb) caused by a human activity that is intended to mirror the occurrence or reoccurrence of a natural event; or ``(cc) caused by a human activity that is unlikely to recur; and''; (E) by striking subparagraph (B) and inserting the following: ``(ii) Exclusions.--In this subsection, the term `exceptional event' does not include-- ``(I) ordinarily occurring stagnation of air masses; ``(II) meteorological inversions; or ``(III) air pollution relating to source noncompliance.''; and (F) by adding at the end the following: ``(B) Action to mitigate wildfire risk.--The term `action to mitigate wildfire risk' means a prescribed fire or similar measure, undertaken in accordance with State approved practices, to reduce the risk and severity of wildfires.''; (3) in paragraph (2)-- (A) in subparagraph (A)-- (i) by striking ``March 1, 2006'' and inserting ``18 months after the date of enactment of the FIRE Act''; (ii) by inserting ``revisions to'' before ``regulations''; and (iii) by adding ``or actions to mitigate wildfire risk'' before the period at the end; (B) in subparagraph (B)-- (i) by inserting ``including proposed revisions to regulations,'' after ``subparagraph (A),''; (ii) by inserting ``or action to mitigate wildfire risk'' after ``an exceptional event''; and (iii) by striking ``paragraph (3)'' and inserting ``this section''; and (C) by adding at the end the following: ``(C) Regional analysis.--When more than one State notifies the Administrator of its intent to submit a petition pursuant to this section for an exceptional event or an action to mitigate wildfire risk for the same air quality event, or, if the Administrator determines such a multistate air quality event has occurred, the Administrator shall conduct regional modeling and analysis sufficient to satisfy the demonstration required for an exceptional event or an action to mitigate wildfire risk petition for such air quality event. ``(D) Transparency.--Not later than 12 months after the date of enactment of the FIRE Act, the Administrator shall establish, and thereafter update monthly, a public website describing the status of all petitions submitted pursuant to this section for exceptional events and actions to mitigate wildfire risk.''; (4) in paragraph (3)(A)-- (A) by redesignating clauses (ii) through (v) as clauses (iii) through (vi), respectively; and (B) by inserting after clause (i) the following: ``(ii) the principle that actions to mitigate wildfire risk can play an important role in reducing the magnitude and frequency of wildfires;''; (5) in paragraph (3)(B)-- (A) in clause (i), by inserting ``or action to mitigate wildfire risk'' before ``must be''; (B) by amending clause (ii) to read as follows: ``(ii) a clear causal relationship must exist, or be reasonably expected to exist, between the measured exceedances of a national ambient air quality standard and the exceptional event or action to mitigate wildfire risk to demonstrate that the exceptional event or action to mitigate wildfire risk caused a specific air pollution concentration at a particular air quality monitoring location;''; and (C) by amending clause (iv) to read as follows: ``(iv) there are criteria and procedures for the Governor of a State to petition the Administrator to exclude air quality monitoring data that is directly due to exceptional events or actions to mitigate wildfire risk from use in determinations by the Administrator with respect to-- ``(I) area or source exceedances or violations of the national ambient air quality standards; ``(II) the designation, redesignation, classification, or reclassification of an area; ``(III) the demonstration by a State of attainment of a national ambient air quality standard; ``(IV) attainment determinations; ``(V) attainment date extensions; ``(VI) finding a State implementation plan to be inadequate; or ``(VII) preconstruction demonstrations under section 165(a)(3).''; and (6) by striking paragraph (4). The SPEAKER pro tempore. The bill shall be debatable for 1 hour equally divided and controlled by the chair and ranking minority member of the Committee on Energy and Commerce or their respective designees. The gentleman from Alabama (Mr. Palmer) and the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Pallone) each will control 30 minutes. The SPEAKER pro tempore. The chair recognizes the gentleman from Alabama (Mr. Palmer). General Leave Mr. PALMER. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks on the legislation and to insert extraneous material on H.R. 6387. The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the gentleman from Alabama? There was no objection. Mr. PALMER. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 6387, the FIRE Act, a bipartisan bill introduced by Congressman Gabe Evans of Colorado and co-led by Congressman Adam Gray of California. The FIRE Act ensures that States are not penalized for wildfire mitigation practices like prescribed or controlled burns and brush clearing. States currently limit these practices for fear of falling out of containment of national air quality standards. Unlike wildfires, prescribed burns do not automatically qualify as exceptional events under the current provisions of the Clean Air Act. This is because prescribed burns are human caused, likely to recur, and preventable. As a result, prescribed burns are often counted against States for the purpose of national air quality standards. In 2016, the EPA amended the exceptional events rule in an effort to include prescribed burns, but the attempt failed. Only one prescribed fire qualified for the exceptional events exception in the last decade. Congress must amend the Clean Air Act to allow wildfire mitigation to be included as an exceptional events exception. {time} 1320 Time has taught us that agency action is not enough to address the current statutory obstacles. The FIRE Act directly amends the Clean Air Act so that prescribed burns are treated as exceptional events and States are not penalized for wildfire mitigation measures. It provides clarity and predictability for air quality planning and encourages proactive wildfire measures. [[Page H3014]] There is nearly unanimous agreement that increasing the use of prescribed fire and other wildfire mitigation practices is necessary to reduce the growing wildfire threats across the country. With what is projected to be a severe wildfire season around the corner, Congress must modernize the Clean Air Act to ensure that wildfire mitigation practices are eligible for the exceptional events rule. The FIRE Act allows States to perform prescribed burns and wildfire mitigation activities without severe economic consequences, protecting their communities from the devastating impact of wildfires. Mr. Speaker, I urge all of my colleagues to join me in supporting this bill, and I reserve the balance of my time. Mr. PALLONE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise in opposition to H.R. 6387, the FIRE Act. The FIRE Act is yet another dishonest attempt, in my opinion, by Republicans to weaken the Clean Air Act, which will make Americans sicker while healthcare costs skyrocket. Republicans are peddling this dangerous bill as an attempt to promote prescribed burns and combat wildfires. As has been true for the other dirty bills that we considered over the last week or so, this bill fails to address the stated goal and instead provides overly broad exemptions to the Clean Air Act that will harm American families and children. The FIRE Act does little to make it easier for States to use prescribed burns as a tool for wildfire management. Instead, it expands the definition of exceptional events that States can claim when demonstrating compliance with air quality standards, to include regularly occurring weather like drought and heat. To put it simply, the FIRE Act would give corporate polluters a free pass on the Clean Air Act and use

Referenced legislation: HRES1174, HRES1174, HR6387