A House committee will vote this week on a bipartisan bill that seeks to boost the use of drones in fighting wildfires.
The Science, Space and Technology Committee on Wednesday will mark up the “Advanced Capabilities for Emergency Response Operations (ACERO) Act,” H.R. 390.
It would authorize NASA to conduct research under its existing ACERO wildfire program to develop “advanced aircraft technologies and airspace management efforts to assist in the management, deconfliction, and coordination of aerial assets during wildfire response efforts,” according to bill text. The bill would authorize $15 million for fiscal 2026.
The legislation is sponsored by Rep. Vince Fong (R-Calif.) and co-sponsored by Rep. Jennifer McClellan (D-Va.). A previous version of the bill, sponsored by then-Rep. Mike Garcia (R-Calif.), passed the House in 2024. Garcia lost his bid for reelection.
