President Trump Release More Details of Fiscal Year (FY) 2026 U.S. Budget
On May 31, President Trump released more details of the Fiscal Year (FY) 2026 budget for the United States government. This budget represents the President’s proposal for the fiscal year that starts on October 1. Congress must now begin work on the FY 2026 appropriations bills.
Summary of the detailed proposal:
U.S. Department of Homeland Security
For fire service programs, the Trump Administration proposes $324 million each for the Assistance to Firefighters Grant (AFG) and Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) programs. This is the same amount as was appropriated for FY 2024 and FY 2025. The State Homeland Security Grant program (SHSGP) would be cut from $468 million to $351 million. The Urban Areas Security Initiative (UASI) also would be cut from $553.5 million to $415.5 million.
The U.S. Fire Administration would receive $64.166 million. This amount includes funding for the deployment of the National Emergency Response Information System (NERIS).
Wildland Firefighting
The Trump Administration proposes creating a new $3.7 billion U.S. Wildland Fire Service (USWFS) at the U.S. Department of Interior (DOI). It would consolidate all federal wildland fire response agencies into this new agency. Command and appropriations from all existing wildland fire bureaus and agencies would be consolidated in the USWFS to streamline federal suppression response, risk mitigation efforts, and coordination with non-federal partners to combat the wildfire crisis. The new USWFS also would employ all federal wildland firefighters responsible for lands administered by Interior and U.S. Forest Service, wildfire risk mitigation planners, and other wildland fire management personnel; procure and maintain Federal wildland fire resources; and manage Federal wildland fire response policies.
The President’s budget request also would include $2.85 billion in reserve for a Wildfire Operations Reserve Fund. Wildland fire programs at the U.S. Department of Agriculture, including the State Fire Assistance program and the Volunteer Fire Assistance program would be eliminated and potentially transferred to the USWFS.
The President’s FY 2026 budget also would include permanent pay increases for federal and tribal wildland firefighters. The budget proposal would fully fund the new special salary rates for Federal wildland firefighters at all levels, including temporary and seasonal employees, and the new incident response premium pay for all responders, as enacted in Public Law 119–4. The Budget also includes funding for tribal nations to provide similar pay increases to their wildland firefighters.
Department of Health and Human Services
Overall, President Trump’s budget requests $94.7 billion for FY 2026. The budget proposal would consolidate agencies like the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration and the National Institutes for Occupational Safety and Health into a new $19 billion Administration for a Healthy America.
The budget proposes that the National Firefighter Registry for Cancer receives $6 million, which would be an increase of $500,000. The National Personal Protective Technology Laboratory would be eliminated. The World Trade Center Health program would remain funded. The State Opioid Response grants and other behavioral health programs that previously funded substance use emergency response (some of which benefited EMS) are now consolidated under a single Behavioral Health Innovation Block Grant. It is not yet clear how the President’s Budget Request would affect the rural health grants funded by the SIREN grant program.
Also, the Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response and the Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health (ARPA-H) would be consolidated into a new $3.7 billion Assistant Secretary for a Healthy Future.
Department of Transportation
The President’s FY 2026 Budget Request would include $121.4 million at the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration for Hazardous Materials Safety and Emergency Preparedness Grants. This amount includes $66.9 million for hazmat safety operations and $48.8 million for hazmat training grants to first responders and local governments. The budget proposal also includes $2.5 million for the Pipeline Emergency Response Grants and $2.0 million for the Information Grants to Communities.
The IAFC will continue to advocate for Congress to protect and increase funding for programs that support local fire and EMS departments. As the Trump Administration looks to shift the focus of emergency response from all-hazards risk and place more responsibility for emergency response on the states, federal programs that support local fire and EMS departments must be fully funded. IAFC members can keep informed about what is happening in Washington.
One month extension of 4.9 GHZ license data collection
On Monday, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) announced that the deadline for incumbent licensees in the 4.9 GHz (4940–4990 MHz) band to provide granular licensing data will be extended 30 days to July 9, 2025.
View FCC's Notice (PDF)
If you are an incumbent license holder in the 4.9 GHz band, and you have an active license under the radio service code PA, you must update your granular data in the FCC’s Universal Licensing System (ULS) by July 9. The IAFC wants to ensure that anyone already utilizing this spectrum (e.g. incumbents) is recognized and protected.
As a reminder, the IAFC has the tools to facilitate the FCC’s request. The IAFC Frequency Coordination Office-(PSCA) is available to process your license updates.
Re-Introduction of EMS Counts Act (H.R. 3791)
On Thursday, Representatives Glen “GT” Thompson (R-PA) and John Mannion (D-NY) reintroduced the EMS Counts Act (H.R. 3791). The bill seeks to correct an error that has led to fire-based EMS providers not being counted in federal workforce data on the nation’s EMS providers. The IAFC supports this legislation and Chief Josh Waldo, the IAFC’s President and Board Chair, gave the following statement on the bill’s introduction,
“The EMS Counts Act is a long overdue step to ensure emergency medical services (EMS) providers are accurately represented in federal workforce data. Despite the fire service being the nation's largest provider of EMS care, firefighters in dual role fire-based agencies and rural systems have been undercounted, leading to gaps in funding, support, and national policy recognition.”
The IAFC continues to support the bill and urges the House of Representatives to quickly pass this important legislation.
Please Ask Your Senators to Add the High-Rise Fire Sprinkler Incentive Act (S. 504) to the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (H.R. 1)
The Senate currently is considering the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (H.R. 1), which is the House bill to extend President Trump’s tax cuts and increase funding for defense and homeland security. This tax bill presents the best opportunity to pass the High-Rise Fire Sprinkler Incentive Act (S. 504). S. 504 encourages building owners to install modern fire sprinkler systems in their existing buildings by decreasing the cost recovery of depreciation from 39 years to 15 years.
You can use the IAFC’s Legislative Action Center to ask your Senators to include this lifesaving legislation in the Senate’s companion bill to H.R. 1.