Strengthening Mitigation Efforts

In 2015, Scott helped introduce the Wildfire Prevention Act which Allows states to apply for hazard mitigation assistance through the Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP) in cases where a Fire Management Assistance Grant (FMAG) is awarded, to give states and local communities access to resources to mitigate the effects of the fire and to help prevent the next fire once the fire is out, bringing wildfire disaster relief in line with other natural disasters like tornadoes and hurricanes. This bill was included in the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2018.

Since the start of 2019, almost 5,500 fires have burned over 128,300 acres across California, which has been a decrease from the 5,900 fires that burned almost 789,000 acres in 2018. In San Diego alone, about 1,030 acres have burned in 2019, which is a 10% decrease from the acreage that burned in San Diego in 2018 (2,205 acres). May 2014 was a tough wildfire season for San Diego, as more than a dozen wildfires broke out in San Diego County alone, burning 26,000 acres, taking one life, and costing home and business owners $29.8 million.

Wildfire Disaster Funding Act

In both 2014 and 2015, Scott supported the Wildfire Disaster Funding Act, and in 2013, he led a discharge petition to bring the bill to the floor for a vote (gained 196 signatures). The bill would change the way the Federal Government provides funding for fighting and preparing for wildfires. A portion of the bill was included in the 2015 Omnibus Appropriations Act which Scott supported and subsequently became law. In the face of some of the most devastating wildfires and other natural disasters in history, San Diegans know that we need to be prepared.

Created New Wildfire Prevention Fund

Since coming to Congress, Scott has advocated for fixing how the federal government pays for fighting and preventing wildfires. Last year, California endured one of its most devastating fire seasons in recent history. In 2018, Scott successfully fought to include new funding for fire prevention in 2018 Omnibus spending plan. The $2.1 billion per year disaster fund will allow the federal government to end its long practice of paying to fight wildfires with funds dedicated to wildfire prevention programs. Earlier this year, Congress provided an additional $577 million in a disaster aid bill to avoid further depleting wildfire prevention funds. 

Improving Access to Reliable Energy

In 2015, Scott offered and helped pass an amendment to the North American Energy Security and Infrastructure Act of 2015, which requires the Department of Energy to adopt alternative forms of energy to ensure we have sufficient energy storage in the event of a natural disaster. San Diego businesses are developing alternative forms of energy storage—like solar storage—that can help increase our resiliency in the event of disasters, like wildfires. Scott’s amendment ensured the Department of Energy and cities vulnerable to natural disasters, like San Diego, are best prepared to avoid the economic and social consequences of an energy crisis.