H.R. 2358 would allow electric utilities to submit to the Forest Service and the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) long-term plans that would guide vegetation management and maintenance activities on or adjacent to rights-of-way containing electrical infrastructure on federal lands. Under the bill, the affected agencies would be required to review and respond to each plan within 90 days. The bill also could exempt electric utilities that have notified those agencies of vegetation that could come into contact with a transmission line from legal liability in the event of a subsequent wildfire.
Based on information provided by the affected agencies and assuming appropriation of the necessary amounts, CBO estimates that implementing the bill would cost $12 million over the 2016-2020 period. Because enacting H.R. 2358 would not affect direct spending or revenues, pay-as-you-go procedures do not apply.
H.R. 2358 contains no intergovernmental or private-sector mandates as defined in the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act and would not affect the budgets of state, local, or tribal governments.
