Federal law has allowed the Department of Defense (DoD) to sell surplus military aircraft and parts to civilian agencies for wildfire suppression, but that authority had an expiration date. The Aerial Firefighting Enhancement Act reauthorizes this program and extends the window through October 1, 2035, giving federal, state, and local fire agencies a decade to acquire military-grade aircraft for fighting wildfires. The bill also expands what these aircraft can carry out — adding water drops alongside fire retardant delivery — giving firefighting agencies more operational flexibility. As wildfire seasons have grown longer and more intense, access to military surplus aircraft can supplement civilian firefighting fleets at lower cost than new procurement.
Congressional Summary
Aerial Firefighting Enhancement Act of 2025This act reauthorizes the Department of Defense to sell its excess aircraft and aircraft parts that are acceptable for commercial sale for wildfire suppression purposes. Such authority begins June 12, 2025, and ends October 1, 2035.The act also provides that such aircraft may be used to deliver water by air in order to suppress wildfire (the previous authority only provided for the delivery of fire retardant).The act removes the previous limitation on providing international wildfire suppression assistance with such purchased aircraft.
Legislative Subjects
Details
- Congress
- 119th
- Chamber
- Senate
- Status
- summarized
- Action
- Public Law
- Action Date
- 2025-06-12
- Date Added
- 2026-06-25
- Source
- Congress.gov →
Like reading a bill in plain English?
We're building an app that does this for every bill in Congress and lets you tell your reps how you want them to vote. We're a small team getting ready to launch, and we're trying to show investors that real people want this. Be one of them. Help us get it built. Leave your email and we'll tell you the moment the app is ready.