Temporary Emergency Wildfire Suppression Act
Public Law 100-428 · S. 2641 · 100th Congress · began in the Senate
Signed by Ronald Reagan (R) on Sep 9, 1988 · Public Lands and Natural Resources
Sponsor: Sen. John Melcher (D-MT)
Cosponsors (6): Sen. Patrick Leahy, Sen. Alan Simpson,
Passage votes
- HouseVoice vote
- SenateVoice vote
Data notes
The final version of the law, as each chamber passed it. A chamber that passed it by voice vote or unanimous consent has no count. “Method not stated” means the record does not say how the chamber voted. Where the record has a member-by-member vote, the “Who voted for it” section shows who voted yea.
Summary
The Congressional Research Service’s plain-language summary of what the law does.
Temporary Emergency Wildfire Suppression Act - Authorizes the Secretary of Agriculture or the Secretary of the Interior to enter into reciprocal agreements with foreign fire organizations to provide wildfire protection for lands and other properties for which such Secretaries or organizations normally provide such protection. Requires that such agreements allow for termination of the agreement by any party thereto after reasonable notice. Authorizes the Secretary of Agriculture or the Secretary of the Interior, in the absence of such agreement, to furnish emergency wildfire protection resources to any foreign nation and to accept such assistance from any foreign fire organization when to do so is in our best interest.
Authorizes the reimbursement of Canada or Canadian fire organizations for U.S. wildfire protection pursuant to a specified memorandum and arrangement with Canada. Requires the Secretary of Agriculture or the Secretary of the Interior to determine that no U.S. fire organization is reasonably available to provide such protection before spending funds for foreign wildfire protection.
Committees
The committees the bill was sent to, and what each did with it.
Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry Committee · Senate · markup by, referred to, reported bySubcommittee: Conservation and Forestry Subcommittee
Data notes
A committee links to its page only where it exists in the current Congress; older and renamed committees are named without a link.
Timeline
From introduction to signing, newest first: the committees, the floor and the president. 12 actions.
- Sep 9, 1988Became lawBecame law · Became Public Law No: 100-428.
- Became lawBecame law · Signed by President.
- PresidentPresident · Presented to President.
- Sep 8, 1988FloorFloor · Passed House by Voice Vote.
- FloorFloor · Called up by House by Unanimous Consent.
- FloorFloor · Passed Senate with an amendment by Voice Vote.
- FloorFloor · Measure laid before Senate by unanimous consent.
- CommitteeCommittee · Reported by Senate Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry Committee
- CommitteeCommittee · Markup by Senate Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry Committee
- Aug 2, 1988CommitteeCommittee · Referred to Conservation and Forestry Subcommittee of the Senate Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry Committee
- Jul 13, 1988CommitteeCommittee · Referred to Senate Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry Committee
- IntroducedIntroduced · Introduced in the Senate
Data notes
Shows the introduction, each committee and subcommittee step the source dates (referral, hearings, markup, report, discharge), and the floor, conference, presidential and became-law steps. Calendar placements, messages between the chambers, amendments and committee report numbers are not shown for laws before the 108th Congress. Two entries the source lists twice are shown once.
Official record
The bill’s full text and every action, including introduction and committee steps, are on Congress.gov. Data through Oct 7, 2026.