Department-Wide Programs

Department-Wide Programs wildland fire management (including transfers of funds) For necessary expenses for fire preparedness, fire suppression operations, fire science and research, emergency rehabilitation, fuels management activities, and rural fire assistance by the Department of the Interior, $1,113,471,000, to remain available until expended, of which not to exceed $10,000,000 shall be for the renovation or construction of fire facilities: Provided, That such funds are also available for repayment of advances to other appropriation accounts from which funds were previously transferred for such purposes: Provided further, That of the funds provided $214,450,000 is for fuels management activities: Provided further, That of the funds provided $10,000,000 is for burned area rehabilitation: Provided further, That persons hired pursuant to 43 U.S.C. 1469 may be furnished subsistence and lodging without cost from funds available from this appropriation: Provided further, That notwithstanding 42 U.S.C. 1856d, sums received by a bureau or office of the Department of the Interior for fire protection rendered pursuant to 42 U.S.C. 1856 et seq., protection of United States property, may be credited to the appropriation from which funds were expended to provide that protection, and are available without 138 STAT. 240 fiscal year limitation: Provided further, Contracts.Grants.That using the amounts designated under this title of this Act, the Secretary of the Interior may enter into procurement contracts, grants, or cooperative agreements, for fuels management activities, and for training and monitoring associated with such fuels management activities on Federal land, or on adjacent non-Federal land for activities that benefit resources on Federal land: Provided further, That the costs of implementing any cooperative agreement between the Federal Government and any non-Federal entity may be shared, as mutually agreed on by the affected parties: Provided further, That notwithstanding requirements of the Competition in Contracting Act, the Secretary, for purposes of fuels management activities, may obtain maximum practicable competition among: (1) local private, nonprofit, or cooperative entities; (2) Youth Conservation Corps crews, Public Lands Corps (Public Law 109–154), or related partnerships with State, local, or nonprofit youth groups; (3) small or micro-businesses; or (4) other entities that will hire or train locally a significant percentage, defined as 50 percent or more, of the project workforce to complete such contracts:Guidance. Provided further, That in implementing this section, the Secretary shall develop written guidance to field units to ensure accountability and consistent application of the authorities provided herein:Reimbursement. Provided further, That funds appropriated under this heading may be used to reimburse the United States Fish and Wildlife Service and the National Marine Fisheries Service for the costs of carrying out their responsibilities under the Endangered Species Act of 1973 (16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.) to consult and conference, as required by section 7 of such Act, in connection with wildland fire management activities: Provided further, That the SecretaryContracts.Real property.State and local governments. of the Interior may use wildland fire appropriations to enter into leases of real property with local governments, at or below fair market value, to construct capitalized improvements for fire facilities on such leased properties, including but not limited to fire guard stations, retardant stations, and other initial attack and fire support facilities, and to make advance payments for any such lease or for construction activity associated with the lease: Provided further, That the Secretary of the Interior and the Secretary of Agriculture may authorize the transfer of funds appropriated for wildland fire management, in an aggregate amount not to exceed $50,000,000 between the Departments when such transfers would facilitate and expedite wildland fire management programs and projects: Provided further, That funds provided for wildfire suppression shall be available for support of Federal emergency response actions: Provided further, That funds appropriated under this heading shall be available for assistance to or through the Department of State in connection with forest and rangeland research, technical information, and assistance in foreign countries, and, with the concurrence of the Secretary of State, shall be available to support forestry, wildland fire management, and related natural resource activities outside the United States and its territories and possessions, including technical assistance, education and training, and cooperation with United States and international organizations: Provided further, That funds made available under this heading in this Act and unobligated balances made available under this heading in prior Acts, other than amounts designated by the Congress as being for an emergency requirement pursuant to a concurrent resolution on the budget or the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act of 138 STAT. 241 1985, shall be available, in addition to any other funds made available for such purpose, to continue uninterrupted the Federal wildland firefighter base salary increases provided under section 40803(d)(4)(B) of Public Law 117–58: Provided further, That of the funds provided under this heading, $383,657,000 shall be available for wildfire suppression operations, and is provided to meet the terms of section 251(b)(2)(F)(ii)(I) of the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985. wildfire suppression operations reserve fund (including transfers of funds) In addition to the amounts provided under the heading “Department of the Interior—Department-Wide Programs—Wildland Fire Management” for wildfire suppression operations, $350,000,000, to remain available until transferred, is additional new budget authority as specified for purposes of section 251(b)(2)(F) of the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985: Provided, That such amounts may be transferred to and merged with amounts made available under the headings “Department of Agriculture—Forest Service—Wildland Fire Management” and “Department of the Interior—Department-Wide Programs—Wildland Fire Management” for wildfire suppression operations in the fiscal year in which such amounts are transferred:Notification.Deadline. Provided further, That amounts may be transferred to the “Wildland Fire Management” accounts in the Department of Agriculture or the Department of the Interior only upon the notification of the House and Senate Committees on Appropriations that all wildfire suppression operations funds appropriated under that heading in this and prior appropriations Acts to the agency to which the funds will be transferred will be obligated within 30 days: Provided further, That the transfer authority provided under this heading is in addition to any other transfer authority provided by law: Provided further, That, in determiningDetermination.Deadline. whether all wildfire suppression operations funds appropriated under the heading “Wildland Fire Management” in this and prior appropriations Acts to either the Department of Agriculture or the Department of the Interior will be obligated within 30 days pursuant to the preceding proviso, any funds transferred or permitted to be transferred pursuant to any other transfer authority provided by law shall be excluded. central hazardous materials fund For necessary expenses of the Department of the Interior and any of its component offices and bureaus for the response action, including associated activities, performed pursuant to the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (42 U.S.C. 9601 et seq.), $9,661,000, to remain available until expended. energy community revitalization program (including transfers of funds) For necessary expenses of the Department of the Interior to inventory, assess, decommission, reclaim, respond to hazardous substance releases, remediate lands pursuant to section 40704 of Public 138 STAT. 242 Law 117–58 (30 U.S.C. 1245), and carry out the purposes of section 349 of the Energy Policy Act of 2005 (42 U.S.C. 15907), as amended, $4,800,000, to remain available until expended: Provided, That such amount shall be in addition to amounts otherwise available for such purposes: Provided further, That amounts appropriated under this heading are available for program management and oversight of these activities:Grants. Provided further, That the Secretary may transfer the funds provided under this heading in this Act to any other account in the Department to carry out such purposes, and may expend such funds directly, or through grants: Provided further, That these amounts are not available to fulfill Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (42 U.S.C. 9601 et seq.) obligations agreed to in settlement or imposed by a court, whether for payment of funds or for work to be performed. natural resource damage assessment and restoration natural resource damage assessment fund To conduct natural resource damage assessment, restoration activities, and onshore oil spill preparedness by the Department of the Interior necessary to carry out the provisions of the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (42 U.S.C. 9601 et seq.), the Federal Water Pollution Control Act (33 U.S.C. 1251 et seq.), the Oil Pollution Act of 1990 (33 U.S.C. 2701 et seq.), and 54 U.S.C. 100721 et seq., $7,715,000, to remain available until expended. working capital fund For the operation and maintenance of a departmental financial and business management system, data management, information technology improvements of general benefit to the Department, cybersecurity, and the consolidation of facilities and operations throughout the Department, $107,710,000, to remain available until expended: Provided, That Advance approval.none of the funds appropriated in this Act or any other Act may be used to establish reserves in the Working Capital Fund account other than for accrued annual leave and depreciation of equipment without prior approval of the Committees on Appropriations of the House of Representatives and the Senate: Provided further, That the Secretary of the Interior may assess reasonable charges to State, local, and tribal government employees for training services provided by the National Indian Program Training Center, other than training related to Public Law 93–638: Provided further, That theContracts.State and local governments.Tribal governments. Secretary may lease or otherwise provide space and related facilities, equipment, or professional services of the National Indian Program Training Center to State, local and tribal government employees or persons or organizations engaged in cultural, educational, or recreational activities (as defined in section 3306(a) of title 40, United States Code) at the prevailing rate for similar space, facilities, equipment, or services in the vicinity of the National Indian Program Training Center: Provided further, That all funds received pursuant to the two preceding provisos shall be credited to this account, shall be available until expended, and shall be used by the Secretary for necessary expenses of the National Indian Program Training Center: Provided further, That theGrants.Contracts. Secretary may enter into grants 138 STAT. 243 and cooperative agreements to support the Office of Natural Resource Revenue’s collection and disbursement of royalties, fees, and other mineral revenue proceeds, as authorized by law. administrative provision There is hereby authorized for acquisition from available resources within the Working Capital Fund, aircraft which may be obtained by donation, purchase, or through available excess surplus property: Provided, That existing aircraft being replaced may be sold, with proceeds derived or trade-in value used to offset the purchase price for the replacement aircraft. office of natural resources revenue For necessary expenses for management of the collection and disbursement of royalties, fees, and other mineral revenue proceeds, and for grants and cooperative agreements, as authorized by law, $167,937,000, to remain available until September 30, 2025; of which $69,751,000 shall remain available until expended for the purpose of mineral revenue management activities: Provided, That notwithstanding any other provision of law, $15,000 shall be available for refunds of overpayments in connection with certain Indian leases in which the Secretary of the Interior concurred with the claimed refund due, to pay amounts owed to Indian allottees or tribes, or to correct prior unrecoverable erroneous payments.