The National Prescribed Fire Act of 2025 aims to significantly expand the use of prescribed fire on lands managed by the Department of the Interior and the Forest Service, particularly in the National Forest System in the western and southeastern United States. It also seeks to acknowledge and support the long-standing practice of cultural burning by Indian Tribes and Indigenous practitioners, defining "prescribed fire" for specific resource management objectives.

The bill grants the Secretaries of the Interior and Agriculture flexibility to use up to 15 percent of hazardous fuels management funds for various prescribed fire activities, including contracts, grants to State, Tribal, and local entities, and public outreach. Projects are prioritized based on criteria such as large contiguous areas, cross-boundary efforts, proximity to the wildland-urban interface, protection of Tribal trust resources, and areas with high wildfire risk.

The Act mandates a 10 percent annual increase in the total acreage of Federal land treated with prescribed fire for nine consecutive fiscal years following enactment. Additionally, the Secretaries must develop regional operational strategies to address existing fire deficits and identify necessary staffing and funding resources.

A Collaborative Prescribed Fire Program is established to fund landscape-scale projects, which must be consistent with restoration strategies covering at least 50,000 acres over a 10-year period and developed through a collaborative process. These projects must align with ecosystem restoration goals, include plans for smoke mitigation, and demonstrate potential cost savings and local economic benefits.

Implementation is facilitated through authorization of long-term cooperative agreements and contracts (up to 10 years) with various eligible entities, including States, Tribes, and private organizations, for conducting prescribed fires on Federal land. The Act addresses human resources by providing hazard pay for Federal employees involved in prescribed fire, establishing dedicated multi-party task forces, and creating career pathways for seasonal firefighters, formerly incarcerated individuals, and veterans.

New prescribed fire training centers, including Indigenous-led ones, are to be established where none currently exist, and training requirements for supervisory roles will be adjusted to reduce certification time. The bill also enhances interoperability by establishing mechanisms for non-Federal practitioners to be included in resource ordering and reimbursement systems.

A significant provision extends liability protections to non-Federal entities engaged in prescribed fire under Federal supervision by treating them as Federal employees for the purposes of the Federal Tort Claims Act.

Regarding environmental review, the Environmental Protection Agency is directed to coordinate with air quality agencies to provide guidance for "exceptional event" demonstrations, allowing prescribed fire smoke to be excluded from air quality violations under specific conditions. The Secretaries must also develop landscape-scale prescribed fire plans, ensuring compliance with environmental laws and engaging in government-to-government consultation with Indian Tribes.

Finally, a national prescribed fire education program will be established to raise public awareness. The bill mandates annual reporting of prescribed fire accomplishments to a national database, offering financial assistance for States, and requires the Secretaries to submit annual implementation reports to Congress.