Senate Passes Padilla-Cosponsored Legislation to Improve Aerial Firefighting Efforts
WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Senator Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), co-chair of the bipartisan Senate Wildfire Caucus, announced that the Senate passed bipartisan legislation he is cosponsoring to strengthen the aerial wildfire suppression fleet and better combat the year-round threat of catastrophic wildfires. The Aerial Firefighting Enhancement Act of 2025 reauthorizes the Secretary of Defense’s authority to sell excess Department of Defense aircraft and aircraft parts to persons or entities that contract with the government to help deliver fire retardant or water used to suppress wildfires.
Senators Tim Sheehy (R-Mont.) and Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) are leading the bill, and Padilla and Senators Mike Crapo (R-Idaho), Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.), Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.), Markwayne Mullin (R-Okla.), James Risch (R-Idaho), and Raphael Warnock (D-Ga.) are cosponsoring the legislation. The Aerial Firefighting Enhancement Act now awaits House passage.
“As catastrophic wildfires devastate communities across the country, we need to be smarter and more resourceful in our approach to wildfire suppression,” said Senator Padilla. “Californians saw firsthand the power of our aerial wildfire suppression fleet in putting out the Los Angeles fires as quickly as possible. Shoring up aerial firefighting fleets by allowing the Department of Defense to sell excess aircraft parts is a lifesaving, commonsense priority — and I’m glad to see the Senate come together to unanimously pass this bipartisan legislation.”
“It’s only April, and this year has already seen the most dangerous and expensive wildfire season in history. It’s clear our government must do more to give wildland firefighters the tools they need to protect communities and save lives. The Aerial Firefighting Enhancement Act supports that mission by eliminating bureaucratic obstacles to provide our aerial wildfire suppression fleet the resources necessary to fight wildfires quickly and aggressively. I’m grateful to my colleagues for their support of this bipartisan legislation, and I will continue to use the full power of my office to support the brave first responders on the front lines fighting wildfires across the country,” said Senator Sheehy.
“I’m pleased that my Aerial Firefighting Enhancement Act is one step close to becoming law,” said Senator Heinrich. “The Aerial Firefighting Enhancement Act is urgently needed to expand the operations of Very Large Air Tankers that have proven absolutely essential to firefighters battling large wildfires in New Mexico and across the West. I will never stop fighting to deliver the resources that our communities need to effectively respond to wildfires.”
“In Arizona and across the West, wildfires are more frequent, more intense, and no longer confined to a single season. Our response capabilities need to reflect that new reality,” said Senator Kelly. “Strengthening our aerial firefighting fleet by making more aircraft and parts available is a smart, proven way to help firefighters respond faster and keep communities safe. I’m proud to support this effort to ensure the tools are in place to meet the growing threat, and I’ll keep working to get it done.”
The Aerial Firefighting Enhancement Act amends the Wildfire Suppression Aircraft Transfer Act of 1996 to reauthorize the sale of excess aircraft and parts by the Department of Defense for wildfire suppression as long as the aircraft and parts are used only for wildfire suppression. These aircraft and parts are already acceptable for commercial sale. The initial authority for these sales expired in 2005 and was reauthorized from 2012 to 2017 before lapsing again.
The bill would help the United States better suppress wildfires by facilitating the acquisition of military excess aircraft, sold at fair market value, for the aerial wildfire suppression fleet. Additionally, the sale of parts would help the United States maintain its existing aerial firefighting aircraft fleet.
In the aftermath of the devastating Southern California fires, Senator Padilla has introduced more than 10 bills to help prevent and respond to future disasters. In February, Padilla introduced bipartisan legislation to create a national Wildfire Intelligence Center to streamline federal response and create a whole-of-government approach to combat wildfires. He also announced a package of three bipartisan bills to bolster fire resilience and proactive mitigation efforts, including the Wildfire Emergency Act, the Fire-Safe Electrical Corridors Act, and the Disaster Mitigation and Tax Parity Act. In January, Padilla introduced another suite of bipartisan bills to strengthen wildfire recovery and resilience, including the Wildland Firefighter Paycheck Protection Act, the Fire Suppression and Response Funding Assurance Act, and the Disaster Housing Reform for American Families Act. Additionally, last week, he introduced the FEMA Independence Act, bipartisan legislation to restore the Federal Emergency Management Agency as an independent, cabinet-level agency and improve efficiency in federal emergency response efforts.
A one-pager on the bill is available here.
Full text of the bill is available here.
###