ACRES Act
Latest Action
Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 490.
Official Summary
Accurately Counting Risk Elimination Solutions Act or the ACRES Act This bill establishes requirements regarding reports about hazardous fuels reduction activities and standardized procedures for tracking data for hazardous fuels reduction. Hazardous fuels reduction activities means any vegetation management activities that reduce the risk of wildfire but excludes the award of contracts to conduct hazardous fuels reduction activities. First, the Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the Department of the Interior must include in the materials submitted in support of the President's budget each fiscal year a report on the number of acres of federal land on which such activities were carried out during the preceding year. Next, USDA and Interior must implement standardized procedures for tracking data related to such activities. The standardized procedures must include regular, standardized data reviews of the accuracy and timely input of data used to track hazardous fuels reduction activities;verification methods that validate whether such data accurately correlates to such activities;an analysis of the short- and long-term effectiveness of such activities on reducing the risk of wildfire; andfor hazardous fuels reduction activities that occur partially within the wildland-urban interface, methods to distinguish which acres are located within and which located outside the wildland-urban interface.Finally, the Government Accountability Office must (1) conduct a study on this bill's implementation, and (2) submit a report to Congress with the results of the study.
GovScope Watchdog™
AI Government Intelligence™The ACRES Act requires the Departments of Agriculture and the Interior to report annually on the number of acres of federal land where hazardous fuels reduction activities have been conducted. It mandates standardized procedures for tracking and verifying data related to these activities, including accuracy reviews, validation methods, and analysis of their effectiveness in reducing wildfire risk. The bill also requires distinguishing acres within the wildland-urban interface from those outside it. Additionally, the Government Accountability Office is tasked with studying the bill's implementation and reporting findings to Congress.
The ACRES Act aims to improve transparency and data accuracy regarding federal hazardous fuels reduction efforts to better assess their impact on wildfire risk.
- Annual reporting by USDA and Interior on acres treated with hazardous fuels reduction activities included in the President's budget materials.
- Implementation of standardized data tracking procedures, including accuracy reviews and validation of data correlating to hazardous fuels reduction.
- Analysis of both short- and long-term effectiveness of hazardous fuels reduction activities and differentiation of treated acres within the wildland-urban interface.
- GAO study and report on the implementation of the bill to inform Congress.
['U.S. Department of Agriculture', 'U.S. Department of the Interior', 'Government Accountability Office', 'Federal land management agencies', 'Communities at risk of wildfires', 'Policy makers and oversight bodies']
['Implementation challenges related to establishing and maintaining standardized data tracking and verification procedures.', 'Potential administrative costs associated with increased reporting and data validation requirements.', 'Ensuring timely and accurate data input across multiple federal agencies.', 'Oversight and enforcement mechanisms for compliance with reporting and data standards are not detailed.']
The bill has passed the House and was placed on the Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders as of July 2026. It addresses public lands and natural resources policy by focusing on improving data transparency and accountability for hazardous fuels reduction activities aimed at wildfire risk mitigation.
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['Improved data accuracy and transparency could enhance policy decisions and resource allocation for wildfire risk reduction.', 'Standardized data may facilitate better interagency coordination and public understanding of hazardous fuels reduction efforts.', 'GAO study may lead to future legislative or administrative changes based on findings about implementation effectiveness.']
The bill emphasizes transparency by requiring detailed annual reporting and standardized data tracking procedures. The inclusion of a GAO study and report to Congress provides an additional oversight mechanism to evaluate implementation. However, the bill does not specify enforcement mechanisms or penalties for non-compliance, which may affect the consistency and reliability of data reporting.
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