ACERO Act

The ACERO Act would establish statutory authority for NASA's Advanced Capabilities for Emergency Response Operations project, which researches and develops aerial response technologies for wildfires using uncrewed aircraft systems and other advanced aviation technologies. The project would focus on solving coordination challenges during wildfire response by addressing airspace management, preventing aircraft conflicts, and enabling real-time information sharing among response teams. It would also develop a platform to provide situational awareness of aerial assets involved in firefighting operations.

The bill directs NASA to work with other federal agencies and departments to establish a coordinated approach to aerial wildfire response that includes federal, state, and local government agencies. This coordination effort aims to prevent duplication of work across agencies and improve the overall effectiveness of aerial response during wildfires. Additionally, the bill includes a restriction preventing NASA from procuring uncrewed aircraft systems manufactured or assembled by specified foreign entities, including those controlled by China, for use in the ACERO project.