HR 956: Aerial Firefighting Enhancement Act of 2025

HR 956 in plain English: This bill reauthorizes the Department of Defense to sell excess military aircraft and parts for wildfire suppression use from October 1, 2025 through October 1, 2035. It expands allowed uses to include water drops in addition to fire retardant, and removes restrictions on using these aircraft for international wildfire suppression efforts.

Stated purpose

To reauthorize the Department of Defense to sell its excess military aircraft and parts for wildfire suppression, extend that authority through 2035, allow those aircraft to drop water (not just fire retardant), and permit their use in international wildfire suppression efforts.

Key points

• Reauthorizes DoD to sell excess military aircraft and parts for wildfire suppression from 2025 to 2035
• Expands permitted use to include delivering water by air, not just fire retardant
• Removes previous ban on using purchased aircraft for international wildfire suppression assistance

Arguments supporters make

• More surplus military aircraft being put to work fighting wildfires means a bigger aerial fleet to protect homes, forests, and lives.
• Allowing water drops in addition to fire retardant gives pilots and coordinators more flexibility to respond to fires with whatever method works best.
• Removing the ban on international assistance lets the U.S. help allies facing wildfires, which could lead to reciprocal cooperation when the U.S. needs help.

Arguments opponents make

• Critics may question whether relying on aging surplus military aircraft is a cost-effective or safe long-term strategy compared to investing in purpose-built firefighting planes.
• Removing limits on international use of these aircraft could divert resources away from domestic wildfire response at a time when U.S. communities face growing fire risk.
• A 10-year reauthorization may lock in an approach without requiring Congress to reassess whether the program is actually improving firefighting outcomes.

Tradeoffs

Expanding the program increases the tools available for wildfire suppression but may raise questions about whether limited federal resources and aircraft capacity should be prioritized for domestic versus international needs, and whether surplus military planes are the best long-term investment compared to other firefighting approaches.

Current status in Congress: In committee.