The Washington Update – January 9

Senate Appropriations Committee Releases FY 2026 DHS Appropriations bill

On December 19, the Republican members of the Senate Homeland Security Appropriations subcommittee released a draft of the Fiscal Year (FY) 2026 Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Appropriations bill. The bill text and accompanying report language were released without agreement from the Democratic committee members. It is unclear if this bill will be considered on the Senate Floor.

The bill proposes the following funding levels for fire service programs at DHS:

In Millions ($)

The bill also would allow the FEMA Administrator to waive requirements for the Assistance to Firefighters Grant (AFG) program (including the Fire Prevention and Safety grants) and the Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) program. The bill also states that training or grants appropriated under the “FEMA-Federal Assistance” section (which includes the U.S. Fire Administration (USFA)) cannot be canceled unless the Secretary of Homeland Security notifies the House and Senate Appropriations Committees 45 days in advance of the cancellation. In addition, the bill states that members of the FEMA Review Council cannot use the FY 2026 funds to eliminate or reorganize FEMA without an act of Congress directing such action. To address concerns about the Trump Administration’s short period of performance for DHS grants, the bill would clarify that grants like SHSGP, UASI, and even AFG and SAFER have a period of performance not less than three years and not more than five years.

Congress must pass the FY 2026 DHS appropriations bill before January 30.

House Passes Legislation to Fund Federal Wildland Fire Programs for FY 2026

On January 8, the House of Representatives passed the FY 2026 Commerce, Justice, Science, Energy and Water Development, and Interior and Environment Appropriations Act (H.R. 6938). This bill is a compromise developed by the House and Senate Appropriations Committees. The bill includes funding for federal wildland fire programs:

Department of Interior

The bill would appropriate $1.147 billion for the Department of the Interior’s (DOI) Wildland Fire Management account. The Joint Explanatory Statement (JES)3 specifies that $526 million of these funds would pay for the new pay table for federal wildland firefighters at DOI. In addition, $10 million of those funds would be allocated for the renovation and construction of fire facilities, including $4 million for the Fire Fighter Housing Improvement Initiative. Also, $214.45 million would fund fuels management activities, while $10 million would be dedicated to burned area rehabilitation. Of the overall amount, $383.657 million would be allocated for wildland fire suppression operations.

The bill also appropriates $370 million for the DOI’s Wildfire Suppression Operations Reserve Fund.

Department of Agriculture – U.S. Forest Service

The bill would appropriate $2.426 billion for the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Wildland Fire Management account. Of this amount, $1.011 billion would be available for wildland fire suppression operations. In addition, this section would fund the new pay table for federal wildland firefighters at the USDA.

The bill also would include $2.48 billion for the USDA’s Wildfire Suppression Operations Reserve Fund. It also includes $76 million for the State Fire Capacity (State Fire Assistance) program and $21 million for the Volunteer Fire Capacity (Volunteer Fire Assistance) program. The funding for the State and Volunteer Fire Capacity programs remains unchanged from FY 2025. The bill also includes $6 million for the Joint Fire Service Program, evenly divided between USDA and DOI. The bill also appropriates $176.85 million in the National Forest System account for hazardous fuels removal.

U.S. Wildland Fire Service

The Appropriations Committees direct the Secretary of Agriculture, in consultation with the Secretary of the Interior, to contract with an independent, non-partisan research organization with experience in federal land management policy to conduct a comprehensive study of federal wildland fire management consolidation. The study would have to examine:

• the impacts that a consolidation would have on reaching proposed timber targets;
• continued cohesion between wildland fire management and the hazardous fuels reduction program;
• continued use of the available red-card certified workforce;
• how a consolidated service would differ from the role the National lnteragency Fire Center (NIFC) already plays in coordinating fire response.

The Secretaries also must consult with the House and Senate Appropriations Committees prior to the study’s beginning to consider added aspects of the consolidation that must be considered. When the report is complete, the Secretary of Agriculture must submit the report along with a response including funding estimates, staffing plans, and a legislative proposal.

Miscellaneous

The bill also includes the wildland firefighters pay cap waiver. It also requires the DOI and USDA to confirm that there are effective alternatives to aerial flame retardant before hindering its use.

The Senate is expected to consider H.R. 6938 next week.

Federal FirstNet Authority Announces Investment in Network and Expansion of Cell Stations

In December 2025, the First Responder Network Authority (FirstNet Authority) announced plans to expand the FirstNet network further and strengthen wireless broadband coverage for first responders, including public safety agencies serving rural, remote, and hard-to-reach areas.

Through strategic investments and at the direction of the independent FirstNet Authority Board, the FirstNet Authority is directing the network contractor, AT&T, to deploy more than 135 new, purpose-built cell sites across the country. These sites will enhance coverage of the initial FirstNet nationwide buildout, completed in 2023, as well as the 1,000 sites launched in 2024 and 2025, further expanding Band 14, public safety’s dedicated lane of connectivity.

The IAFC remains a strong supporter of FirstNet and is leading the efforts to ensure that FirstNet helps first responders stay connected long into the future.

Direct To ECC Alarm Notifications

Recently, the IAFC joined with the Association of Public-Safety Communications Officials (APCO International) the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) and the National Sheriffs’ Association (NSA), to call attention to issues that are harming Emergency Communications Centers (ECCs). Direct to ECC (D2ECC) alarm systems, often marketed as “Do It Yourself” camera systems, claim they will send alerts directly to public safety without any intermediary review.

There is a growing concern by the public safety community that, with constantly changing technology, many providers of D2ECC services and applications fail to understand that any services they provide that introduce alarm notifications must be properly vetted before transmission to ECCs. Unverified D2ECC applications will place an undue burden on public safety telecommunicators, forcing them to triage every incoming event, regardless of its validity or urgency. It is critical that any services that introduce alarm notifications be properly vetted before transmission to ECCs.

Please see the IAFC, APCO, IACP, and NSA paper, which further describes the issue and the steps that can be taken to address the problem going forward.