Wildfire Technology Demonstration, Evaluation, Modernization, and Optimization Act

• Authority: United States Congress
• Parent authority: Federal government
• Jurisdiction: United States
• Collections: U.S. federal laws
• Most recent activity: Defunct
• Most recent activity date: 2025-01-03

Risk subdomain coverage

Minimal coverage — Brief mention but no specific mitigations, recommendations or governance measures relating to the risk subdomain are described.

• Competitive dynamics

All other risk subdomains had no coverage in this document.

Risk Coverage Summary

This document has minimal coverage of AI risk domains, with only brief implicit references to competitive dynamics (6.4) through the technology testbed selection process. The document focuses on establishing a pilot program for wildfire technology testing rather than addressing AI-specific risks or harms.

Sector coverage

Good coverage — Comprehensive governance measures or mitigations with clear procedures relating to the sector are explicitly described.

• Scientific Research & Development Services
• Public Administration (excl. National Security)

Minimal coverage — Brief mention but no specific mitigations, recommendations or governance measures relating to the sector are described.

• Information
• Professional & Technical Services
• Educational Services

All other sectors had no coverage in this document.

Sectors Summary

This legislation primarily governs Public Administration (federal land management and emergency response agencies) and has secondary coverage of Scientific Research and Development Services through the testing and evaluation of emerging technologies. It also involves Professional and Technical Services entities that may develop wildfire technologies.

Legislative Status

Hard Law

Legislative Status Summary

This is a binding legislative act introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives with mandatory language requiring federal agencies to establish and implement a wildfire technology testbed pilot program with specific requirements and timelines.

Actors

Proposer

• Entity Types: AI_Governance_Actor
• Entities: Mrs. Kim of California; Mr. Crow; United States Congress; House Committee on Natural Resources; House Committee on Agriculture
• Summary: The bill was introduced by Representatives Kim of California and Crow in the House of Representatives and referred to the Committees on Natural Resources and Agriculture, indicating these are the proposing entities.

Target

• Entity Types: AI_Governance_Actor, AI_Developer, AI_Deployer
• Entities: Secretary of Agriculture; Secretary of the Interior; Federal land management agencies; National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration; United States Fire Administration; Federal Emergency Management Agency; National Aeronautics and Space Administration; Bureau of Indian Affairs; private entities; nonprofit organizations; institutions of higher education
• Summary: The bill targets federal agencies (covered agencies) that must establish and participate in the testbed program, as well as private entities, nonprofits, and educational institutions (covered entities) that can apply to participate in testing wildfire technologies.

Enforcer

• Entity Types: AI_Governance_Actor
• Entities: Secretary of Agriculture; Secretary of the Interior; House Committee on Agriculture; House Committee on Natural Resources; House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology
• Summary: The Secretaries of Agriculture and Interior are responsible for implementing and overseeing the program, while Congressional committees enforce compliance through mandatory annual reporting requirements.

Monitor

• Entity Types: AI_Governance_Actor
• Entities: Secretary of Agriculture; Secretary of the Interior; House Committee on Agriculture; House Committee on Natural Resources; House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology
• Summary: The Secretaries are required to monitor the program and submit annual reports to Congressional committees, which provide oversight through review of program activities, participating entities, technologies tested, and recommendations.

AI Lifecycle Stages

Lifecycle stages covered by the documents, as defined in the OECD Framework for the Classification of AI Systems

• Plan and Design
• Verify and Validate
• Deploy
• Operate and Monitor

AI Lifecycle Summary

The document covers multiple AI lifecycle stages with primary focus on Verify and Validate (through testing and demonstration), Deploy (through real-time field testing), and Operate and Monitor (through assessment and reporting). It also addresses Plan and Design through identification of technology priority areas.

Technical Scope

Terms relating to technical scope that are mentioned or implicitly referenced in the document

• Task-specific AI

Technical Scope Summary

The document explicitly mentions artificial intelligence as one of several emerging technologies prioritized for the testbed program. It does not define AI models, systems, or specific AI categories, but focuses on AI as an application technology for wildfire mitigation alongside other technologies like quantum sensing and augmented reality.