House Passes McClellan Co-Led Bipartisan Legislation to Help Fight Wildfires

Washington, D.C. – In case you missed it: The House unanimously passed H.R. 390, the Advanced Capabilities for Emergency Response Operations (ACERO) Act, co-led by Congresswoman Jennifer McClellan (VA-04). In January 2025, McClellan joined Congressman Vince Fong (R-CA-20) to reintroduce this bipartisan legislation authorizing NASA’s ACERO project to use drones to fight wildfires, including in low-visibility conditions when manned aircraft are unable to mobilize. The bill now heads to the Senate.

Currently, outdated and fragmented communication systems limit federal and state agencies’ ability to coordinate aerial wildfire responses. The ACERO Act leverages cutting-edge technologies from the NASA Armstrong Flight Research Center to improve the management of airspace and ensure the safe coordination of manned and unmanned aerial assets during wildfires. 

“Passage of the ACERO Act will equip our firefighters with every tool at their disposal to respond effectively to wildfires, saving ecosystems, property and lives,” said Congresswoman McClellan. “As the climate crisis exacerbates extreme weather events and causes more frequent wildfires, the ACERO Act will put our communities first and support NASA’s ongoing efforts to modernize our wildfire response. I urge my colleagues in the Senate to pass the ACERO Act as soon as possible.”

In the 118th Congress, McClellan joined former Congressman Mike Garcia (R-CA-27) to introduce the ACERO Act. The House passed the bill as part of the NASA Reauthorization Act of 2024 on September 23, 2024. The NASA Reauthorization Act failed to pass the Senate.   

You can read the full bill text here.