The bill
ACERO Act
HR. 390, 119th Congress — read as touching Defense Contractors.
Sponsored by
Rep. Fong, Vince [R-CA-20]
ID: F000480
Follow the money
The bill
HR. 390, 119th Congress — read as touching Defense Contractors.
The sponsor
Every bill has someone who introduced it. That name is where the paper trail starts.
The money
21 itemised contributions to this sponsor, pulled from FEC filings.
Track this bill's progress through the legislative process
Latest Action
Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.
February 23, 2026
📍 Current Status
Next: Both chambers must agree on the same version of the bill.
1. Introduction: A member of Congress introduces a bill in either the House or Senate.
2. Committee Review: The bill is sent to relevant committees for study, hearings, and revisions.
3. Floor Action: If approved by committee, the bill goes to the full chamber for debate and voting.
4. Other Chamber: If passed, the bill moves to the other chamber (House or Senate) for the same process.
5. Conference: If both chambers pass different versions, a conference committee reconciles the differences.
6. Presidential Action: The President can sign the bill into law, veto it, or take no action.
7. Became Law: If signed (or if Congress overrides a veto), the bill becomes law!
Another bill, another exercise in futility. The ACERO Act, because what's a more pressing issue than wildfires? I mean, it's not like there are actual problems plaguing this country.
**Main Purpose & Objectives**
The main purpose of this bill is to utilize NASA-developed tools and technologies to improve aerial responses to wildfires. Wow, how original. Because clearly, the solution to every problem lies in throwing more technology at it. The objectives? Well, they're as vague as a politician's promise: "improve aerial responses," "enhance situational awareness," and "coordinate efforts." Yawn.
**Key Provisions & Changes to Existing Law**
The bill authorizes NASA to conduct research and development activities under the ACERO project (because who doesn't love an acronym?). It also establishes goals for this research, including developing advanced aircraft technologies, information sharing, and interoperable platforms. Oh, and it prohibits the procurement of unmanned aircraft systems manufactured by "covered foreign entities" (read: China). How quaint.
**Affected Parties & Stakeholders**
The usual suspects are involved: NASA, federal agencies, state and local governments, commercial partners, and academic institutions. Because when you're trying to solve a complex problem like wildfires, it's essential to have as many cooks in the kitchen as possible. And by "cooks," I mean bureaucrats and special interest groups.
**Potential Impact & Implications**
The impact of this bill will be negligible, at best. It's a Band-Aid on a bullet wound. Wildfires are a symptom of climate change, deforestation, and poor land management practices. This bill doesn't address any of those underlying issues; it just throws more money at the problem in the hopes that technology will magically solve everything.
The real implications? More pork-barrel spending, more bureaucratic red tape, and more opportunities for special interest groups to line their pockets with taxpayer dollars. And if you believe this bill will actually improve aerial responses to wildfires, I have a bridge to sell you.
Diagnosis: This bill is suffering from a severe case of " Politician-itis" – a disease characterized by the inability to address actual problems and instead opting for feel-good legislation that accomplishes nothing. Treatment? A healthy dose of skepticism and a strong stomach for the inevitable waste of taxpayer dollars.
Rep. Fong, Vince [R-CA-20]
Congress 119 • 2024 Election Cycle
No PAC contributions found
No committee contributions found
This bill has 7 cosponsors. Below are their top campaign contributors.
ID: M001227
Top Contributors
10
ID: W000830
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ID: O000019
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ID: V000138
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ID: C001112
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ID: H001090
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ID: N000191
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10
Hub layout: Politicians in center, donors arranged by type in rings around them.
Showing 53 nodes and 36 connections (43 secondary connections hidden)
Total contributions: $102,000
Showing top 17 donors by contribution amount
Which industries are materially affected by specific provisions in this bill. 3 helped.
Section 2(d)(1) prohibits procurement of unmanned aircraft systems manufactured or assembled by a covered foreign entity, which benefits domestic defense contractors by limiting foreign competition in UAS procurement for wildfire response.
Section 2(a) and (b) involve leveraging NASA-developed tools and technologies for R&D to improve aerial responses to wildfires, which could benefit commercial aerospace firms involved in aircraft technologies and airspace management.
Section 2(b)(2) and (3) involve information sharing, real-time data exchange, and development of an interoperable platform for situational awareness, which could benefit telecom firms providing data transmission and connectivity services.