ACERO Act

Summary · Congressional Research Service (nonpartisan)

This bill provides statutory authority for the Advanced Capabilities for Emergency Response Operations (ACERO) project. The ACERO project conducts research and development activities regarding aerial response to wildfires using uncrewed aircraft systems (UAS) and other advanced aviation technologies. It is administered by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). The bill directs the ACERO project to address airspace management and deconfliction during wildfire response efforts, including through real-time information sharing among response teams and the development of a platform to provide situational awareness of aerial assets. The bill also directs the ACERO project to establish a multiagency concept of operations to facilitate the coordination of aerial wildfire response among federal, state, and local government agencies. NASA must consult with other federal agencies and departments to avoid duplication of these efforts. NASA generally may not procure UAS manufactured or assembled by specified foreign entities, including entities domiciled in or controlled by China, for use by the ACERO project.