The Washington Update – June 5

The AFG, SAFER, and Fire Prevention & Safety Grant Application Periods Close on June 22

The application periods are open for the Assistance to Firefighters Grant; Staffing for Adequate Fire & Emergency Response; and Fire Prevention & Safety grants. The application periods close at 5 PM (Eastern) on June 22. Fire departments can apply for these grants through the FEMA GO platform.

The Notices of Funding Opportunity, application checklists, and other related documents have been released:

• AFG
• SAFER
• FP&S

House Appropriations Committee Approves FY 2027 Wildland Firefighting

On June 3, the House Appropriations Committee voted for and reported its Fiscal Year (FY) 2027 Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies Appropriations bill. This legislation funds federal wildland firefighting programs. The bill would:

• Recognize the consolidation of U.S. Department of Interior’s wildland firefighting functions in the new U.S. Wildland Fire Service (USWFS).
• The USWFS would receive $1.164 billion, of which $387.157 million would be for wildland fire suppression operations. The USWFS also would receive $380 million for the wildland fire operations reserve fund.
• The U.S. Forest Service’s State, Private, Tribal Forestry account would receive $283.5 million, including $80 million for the State Fire Assistance program and $23 million for the Volunteer Fire Assistance (both are proposed increases versus FY 2026 funding levels).
• The U.S. Forest Service Wildland Fire Management account would receive $2.6 billion, including $192 million for preparedness; $1 billion for suppression operations; and $1.425 billion for salaries and expenses to recruit and retain wildland firefighters.

The next step is for the full House to consider this legislation.

House Appropriations Committee Release FY 2027 DHS Funding Bill

On June 5, House Appropriations Committee’s Homeland Security Subcommittee considered its FY 2027 U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Appropriations bill. The next steps are for the full House Appropriations Committee to consider the bill.

Here are the funding levels in the bill as compared to past years’ appropriations and President Trump’s FY 2027 budget request (the funding levels for the National Urban Search & Rescue System have yet to be released.):

**In Millions**

The bill also contains the following provisions:

• It caps administrative fees for grants to 5%.
• The legislation would allow the FEMA to waive some of the requirements to the AFG and SAFER grants.
• For UASI, SHSGP, and the other homeland security grants, the statute lists the period of performance as not less than three years and not more than five years.
• The bill would prevent DHS funds from being used to pause FEMA-funded training or grants unless the DHS Secretary gives 10 business days’ notice to the House and Senate Appropriations Committees or there is an “event of extraordinary circumstances that imminently threaten human life or property.”