Federal Wildfire Contract Integrity and Transparency Act of 2025

This Act applies only to contracts for wildfire response, mitigation, or recovery that are funded in whole or in part by federal appropriations or that involve activities on federal lands. It does not apply to contracts solely between state or local governments and private entities that use no federal funds and do not affect interstate commerce. Section 2: Competitive Bidding Requirement. All covered contracts must be awarded through a competitive bidding process, except when the Secretary of Agriculture or the Secretary of the Interior certifies that an emergency requires immediate action to protect life or property. In such emergencies, the contract must be reported to the relevant Inspector General within 7 days. Section 3: Disclosure of Ownership. Any entity bidding on a covered contract must disclose any foreign ownership of 5% or more. The Secretary may reject a bid if the entity is owned or controlled by a foreign government that poses a national security risk, as determined by the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States. Section 4: Prohibition on Conflicts of Interest. No covered contract may be awarded to any entity that employs or has a financial relationship with any federal employee involved in the contracting decision. Violations render the contract voidable and subject the entity to civil penalties of up to $500,000. Section 5: Oversight and Enforcement. The Inspectors General of the Department of Agriculture and the Department of the Interior shall jointly issue regulations and investigate violations. Any person may file a complaint alleging a violation. The Attorney General may bring civil actions to enforce this Act. Section 6: Sunset and Review. This Act expires 5 years after enactment, unless reauthorized by Congress. A report on its effectiveness shall be submitted to Congress 6 months before sunset.