[Congressional Bills 117th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 4944 Introduced in Senate (IS)]
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117th CONGRESS
2d Session
S. 4944
To provide for the operation and establishment of, and procurement of
supplies for, firewood banks, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
September 22, 2022
Mr. Burr (for himself, Mr. Manchin, and Mr. Tillis) introduced the
following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on
Energy and Natural Resources
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To provide for the operation and establishment of, and procurement of
supplies for, firewood banks, and for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Firewood Banks Act of 2022''.
SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS.
In this Act:
(1) Cooperating party.--The term ``cooperating party''
means a State, local, or Tribal government, a nonprofit
organization, or a cooperative.
(2) Federal land.--The term ``Federal Land'' means--
(A) public lands (as defined in section 103 of the
Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976 (43
U.S.C. 1702));
(B) trust land (as defined in section 3765 of title
38, United States Code); and
(C) National Forest System land.
(3) Firewood bank.--The term ``firewood bank'' means a
site--
(A) at which firewood is collected, processed, or
stored; and
(B) that is used by a cooperating party to
distribute firewood to low-income or disabled
individuals for personal, residential use.
(4) Secretaries.--The term ``Secretaries'' means--
(A) the Secretary of Energy;
(B) the Secretary of the Interior; and
(C) the Secretary of Agriculture, acting through
the Chief of the Forest Service.
(5) Secretary concerned.--The term ``Secretary concerned''
means--
(A) the Secretary of the Interior, in the case of
Federal land administered by the Secretary of the
Interior; and
(B) the Secretary of Agriculture, in the case of
Federal land administered by the Secretary of
Agriculture, acting through the Chief of the Forest
Service.
SEC. 3. GRANTS.
Using funds made available under section 40803(c)(17)(B) of the
Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (16 U.S.C. 6592(c)(17)(B)), the
Secretary of Agriculture, acting through the Chief of the Forest
Service, shall provide financial assistance to a cooperating party for
the operation of firewood banks, including for the procurement of--
(1) personal protective equipment;
(2) liability insurance policies;
(3) processing equipment; and
(4) supplies and materials procured on a regular basis.
SEC. 4. FIREWOOD BANKS PILOT PROGRAM.
(a) In General.--The Secretary of Energy, in collaboration with the
Secretary of the Interior and the Secretary of Agriculture, acting
through the Chief of the Forest Service, shall establish and carry out
a pilot program (referred to in this section as the ``pilot program'')
to provide heat energy for residences of low-income and disabled
individuals with wood-burning stoves.
(b) Firewood Banks on Federal Land.--
(1) In general.--Under the pilot program, the Secretary
concerned may authorize 1 or more firewood banks to be
established and operated on Federal land.
(2) Requirements.--A firewood bank described in paragraph
(1)--
(A) shall occupy an area of not less than \1/2\
acre and not more than 6 acres;
(B) shall be able to store not fewer than 20 cords
of firewood; and
(C) may have privately or publicly owned equipment
on site to process logs into firewood.
(3) Cooperating parties.--The Secretary concerned may
authorize or consult with cooperating parties--
(A) to maintain the Federal land on which a
firewood bank is established under this subsection; and
(B) to operate the firewood bank.
(4) Use of federal land.--The Secretary concerned, or a
cooperating party, as applicable, shall use the Federal land on
which a firewood bank is established under this subsection
exclusively as a firewood bank.
(5) Permits.--The Secretary concerned may require a
cooperating party to apply for and obtain a special use permit
to establish and operate a firewood bank on Federal land under
this subsection.
(6) Liability.--The Secretary concerned shall not--
(A) be liable for any action taken by the Secretary
concerned or a cooperating party in establishing or
operating a firewood bank on Federal land under this
subsection; or
(B) require a cooperating party to maintain a
general liability insurance policy to establish and
operate a firewood bank on Federal land under this
subsection.
(c) Securing Supplies of Firewood for Firewood Banks.--
(1) In general.--Under the pilot program, the Secretary
concerned shall--
(A) designate trees for cutting and removal on
Federal land by marking; and
(B) make those trees available to firewood banks,
consistent with this subsection.
(2) Designation.--The Secretary concerned shall designate
trees under paragraph (1)(A)--
(A) in an area located within 10 miles of each
firewood bank established under subsection (b); and
(B) in other areas that the Secretary concerned
determines to be appropriate.
(3) Requirement.--The Secretary concerned shall designate
trees under paragraph (1)(A) in a sufficient quantity to
provide not less than 100 cords of firewood continuously to
each firewood bank established under subsection (b).
(4) No fee required.--
(A) In general.--Any Federal employee or party
designated by a cooperating party may cut, remove, and
transport to a firewood bank a tree designated under
paragraph (1)(A) without the cooperating party
incurring any fee.
(B) Limitations.--
(i) Permits.--The Secretary concerned may
require a cooperating party to apply for and
obtain a permit for the cutting and removal of
a tree designated under paragraph (1)(A).
(ii) No significant damage to resources.--A
Federal employee or a cooperating party shall
not be permitted to significantly damage any
resource while cutting or removing a tree
designated under paragraph (1)(A).
(5) Closed entry.--The Secretary concerned may close to
entry an area with trees designated under paragraph (1)(A), or
make that entry subject to such conditions as the Secretary
concerned determines are necessary--
(A) for periods of not longer than 60 consecutive
calendar days; and
(B) for not longer than 150 calendar days during
any 1 calendar year.
(d) Duration.--The authority to carry out the pilot program
terminates on the date that is 10 years after the date of enactment of
this Act.
SEC. 5. REPORT.
(a) In General.--Not later than 5 years after the date of enactment
of this Act, and 5 years thereafter, the Secretaries shall prepare a
report describing the implementation of this Act.
(b) Submission.--On completion of each report described in
subsection (a), the Secretaries shall submit the report to--
(1) the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources of the
Senate; and
(2) the Committee on Natural Resources of the House of
Representatives.
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