[Congressional Bills 108th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 1152 Enrolled Bill (ENR)]
S.1152
One Hundred Eighth Congress
of the
United States of America
AT THE FIRST SESSION
Begun and held at the City of Washington on Tuesday,
the seventh day of January, two thousand and three
An Act
To reauthorize the United States Fire Administration, and for other
purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
TITLE I--UNITED STATES FIRE ADMINISTRATION REAUTHORIZATION
SEC. 101. SHORT TITLE.
This title may be cited as the ``United States Fire Administration
Reauthorization Act of 2003''.
SEC. 102. RE-ESTABLISHMENT OF POSITION OF UNITED STATES FIRE
ADMINISTRATOR.
Section 1513 of the Homeland Security Act of 2002 (6 U.S.C. 553)
does not apply to the position or office of Administrator of the United
States Fire Administration, who shall continue to be appointed and
compensated as provided by section 5(b) of the Federal Fire Prevention
and Control Act of 1974 (15 U.S.C. 2204(b)).
SEC. 103. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.
Section 17(g)(1) of the Federal Fire Prevention and Control Act of
1974 (15 U.S.C. 2216(g)) is amended by striking subparagraphs (A)
through (K) and inserting the following:
``(A) $63,000,000 for fiscal year 2005, of which $2,266,000
shall be used to carry out section 8(f);
``(B) $64,850,000 for fiscal year 2006, of which $2,334,000
shall be used to carry out section 8(f);
``(C) $66,796,000 for fiscal year 2007, of which $2,404,000
shall be used to carry out section 8(f); and
``(D) $68,800,000 for fiscal year 2008, of which $2,476,000
shall be used to carry out section 8(f).''.
TITLE II--FIREFIGHTING RESEARCH AND COORDINATION
SEC. 201. SHORT TITLE.
This title may be cited as the ``Firefighting Research and
Coordination Act''.
SEC. 202. NEW FIREFIGHTING TECHNOLOGY.
Section 8 of the Federal Fire Prevention and Control Act of 1974
(15 U.S.C. 2207) is amended--
(1) by redesignating subsection (e) as subsection (g); and
(2) by inserting after subsection (d) the following:
``(e) Assistance to Other Federal Agencies.--At the request of
other Federal agencies, including the Department of Agriculture and the
Department of the Interior, the Administrator may provide assistance in
fire prevention and control technologies, including methods of
containing insect-infested forest fires and limiting dispersal of
resultant fire particle smoke, and methods of measuring and tracking
the dispersal of fine particle smoke resulting from fires of insect-
infested fuel.
``(f) Technology Evaluation and Standards Development.--
``(1) In general.--In addition to, or as part of, the program
conducted under subsection (a), the Administrator, in consultation
with the National Institute of Standards and Technology, the Inter-
Agency Board for Equipment Standardization and Inter-Operability,
the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, the
Directorate of Science and Technology of the Department of Homeland
Security, national voluntary consensus standards development
organizations, interested Federal, State, and local agencies, and
other interested parties, shall--
``(A) develop new, and utilize existing, measurement
techniques and testing methodologies for evaluating new
firefighting technologies, including--
``(i) personal protection equipment;
``(ii) devices for advance warning of extreme hazard;
``(iii) equipment for enhanced vision;
``(iv) devices to locate victims, firefighters, and
other rescue personnel in above-ground and below-ground
structures;
``(v) equipment and methods to provide information for
incident command, including the monitoring and reporting of
individual personnel welfare;
``(vi) equipment and methods for training, especially
for virtual reality training; and
``(vii) robotics and other remote-controlled devices;
``(B) evaluate the compatibility of new equipment and
technology with existing firefighting technology; and
``(C) support the development of new voluntary consensus
standards through national voluntary consensus standards
organizations for new firefighting technologies based on
techniques and methodologies described in subparagraph (A).
``(2) Standards for new equipment.--(A) The Administrator
shall, by regulation, require that new equipment or systems
purchased through the assistance program established by the first
section 33 meet or exceed applicable voluntary consensus standards
for such equipment or systems for which applicable voluntary
consensus standards have been established. The Administrator may
waive the requirement under this subparagraph with respect to
specific standards.
``(B) If an applicant for a grant under the first section 33
proposes to purchase, with assistance provided under the grant, new
equipment or systems that do not meet or exceed applicable
voluntary consensus standards, the applicant shall include in the
application an explanation of why such equipment or systems will
serve the needs of the applicant better than equipment or systems
that do meet or exceed such standards.
``(C) In making a determination whether or not to waive the
requirement under subparagraph (A) with respect to a specific
standard, the Administrator shall, to the greatest extent
practicable--
``(i) consult with grant applicants and other members of
the fire services regarding the impact on fire departments of
the requirement to meet or exceed the specific standard;
``(ii) take into consideration the explanation provided by
the applicant under subparagraph (B); and
``(iii) seek to minimize the impact of the requirement to
meet or exceed the specific standard on the applicant,
particularly if meeting the standard would impose additional
costs.
``(D) Applicants that apply for a grant under the terms of
subparagraph (B) may include a second grant request in the
application to be considered by the Administrator in the event that
the Administrator does not approve the primary grant request on the
grounds of the equipment not meeting applicable voluntary consensus
standards.''.
SEC. 203. COORDINATION OF RESPONSE TO NATIONAL EMERGENCY.
(a) In General.--Section 10 of the Federal Fire Prevention and
Control Act of 1974 (15 U.S.C. 2209) is amended--
(1) by redesignating subsection (b) as subsection (c); and
(2) by inserting after subsection (a) the following:
``(b) Mutual Aid Systems.--
``(1) In general.--The Administrator shall provide technical
assistance and training to State and local fire service officials
to establish nationwide and State mutual aid systems for dealing
with national emergencies that--
``(A) include threat assessment and equipment deployment
strategies;
``(B) include means of collecting asset and resource
information to provide accurate and timely data for regional
deployment; and
``(C) are consistent with the Federal Response Plan.
``(2) Model mutual aid plans.--The Administrator shall develop
and make available to State and local fire service officials model
mutual aid plans for both intrastate and interstate assistance.''.
(b) Report on Strategic Needs.--Within 90 days after the date of
enactment of this Act, the Administrator of the United States Fire
Administration shall report to the Senate Committee on Commerce,
Science, and Transportation and the House of Representatives Committee
on Science on the need for a strategy concerning deployment of
volunteers and emergency response personnel (as defined in section 6 of
the Firefighters' Safety Study Act (15 U.S.C. 2223e)), including a
national credentialing system, in the event of a national emergency.
(c) Report on Federal Response Plan.--Within 180 days after the
date of enactment of this Act, the Department of Homeland Security
shall transmit a report to the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science,
and Transportation, the Senate Committee on Governmental Affairs, and
the House of Representatives Committee on Science describing plans for
revisions to the Federal Response Plan and its integration into the
National Response Plan, including how the revised plan will address
response to terrorist attacks, particularly in urban areas, including
fire detection and suppression and related emergency services.
SEC. 204. TRAINING.
(a) In General.--Section 7(d)(1) of the Federal Fire Prevention and
Control Act of 1974 (15 U.S.C. 2206(d)(1)) is amended--
(1) by striking ``and'' after the semicolon in subparagraph
(E);
(2) by redesignating subparagraph (F) as subparagraph (N); and
(3) by inserting after subparagraph (E) the following:
``(F) strategies for building collapse rescue;
``(G) the use of technology in response to fires, including
terrorist incidents and other national emergencies;
``(H) response, tactics, and strategies for dealing with
terrorist-caused national catastrophes;
``(I) use of and familiarity with the Federal Response
Plan;
``(J) leadership and strategic skills, including integrated
management systems operations and integrated response;
``(K) applying new technology and developing strategies and
tactics for fighting forest fires;
``(L) integrating the activities of terrorism response
agencies into national terrorism incident response systems;
``(M) response tactics and strategies for fighting fires at
United States ports, including fires on the water and aboard
vessels; and''.
(b) Consultation on Fire Academy Classes.--The Superintendent of
the National Fire Academy may consult with other Federal, State, and
local agency officials in developing curricula for classes offered by
the Academy.
(c) Coordination With Other Programs To Avoid Duplication.--The
Administrator of the United States Fire Administration shall coordinate
training provided under section 7(d)(1) of the Federal Fire Prevention
and Control Act of 1974 (15 U.S.C. 2206(d)(1)) with the Attorney
General, the Secretary of Health and Human Services, and the heads of
other Federal agencies--
(1) to ensure that such training does not duplicate existing
courses available to fire service personnel; and
(2) to establish a mechanism for eliminating duplicative
training programs.
(d) Courses and Training Assistance.--Section 7(l) of the Federal
Fire Prevention and Control Act of 1974 (15 U.S.C. 2206(l)) is amended
by adding at the end the following: ``The Superintendent shall offer,
at the Academy and at other sites, courses and training assistance as
necessary to accommodate all geographic regions and needs of career and
volunteer firefighters.''.
SEC. 205. FIREFIGHTER ASSISTANCE GRANTS PROGRAM.
(a) Administration.--The first section 33 of the Federal Fire
Prevention and Control Act of 1974 (15 U.S.C. 2229) is amended--
(1) by striking subsection (b)(2) and inserting the following:
``(2) Administrative assistance.--The Director shall establish
specific criteria for the selection of recipients of assistance
under this section and shall provide grant-writing assistance to
applicants.''; and
(2) by striking ``operate the office established under
subsection (b)(2) and'' in subsection (e)(2).
(b) Maritime Firefighting.--Subsection (b)(3)(B) of the first
section 33 of the Federal Fire Prevention and Control Act of 1974 (15
U.S.C. 2229(b)(3)(B)) is amended by inserting ``maritime
firefighting,'' after ``arson prevention and detection,''.
(c) Firefighting in Remote Areas.--The first section 33 of the
Federal Fire Prevention and Control Act of 1974 (15 U.S.C. 2229) is
amended--
(1) by inserting ``equipment for fighting fires with foam in
remote areas without access to water, and'' after ``including'' in
subsection (b)(3)(H); and
(2) by inserting ``Of the amounts authorized in this paragraph,
$3,000,000 shall be made available each year through fiscal year
2008 for foam firefighting equipment.'' at the end of subsection
(e)(1).
SEC. 206. NATIONAL FALLEN FIREFIGHTERS FOUNDATION.
(a) Members.--Section 151303(b) of title 36, United States Code, is
amended--
(1) by striking ``9'' in paragraph (2) and inserting ``12'';
(2) by striking ``six'' in subparagraph (D) of paragraph (2)
and inserting ``nine''; and
(3) by striking ``3 members'' in paragraph (3) and inserting
``4 members''.
(b) Compensation.--Section 151304(b)(3) of title 36, United States
Code, is amended by inserting ``15 percent above'' after ``more than''.
(c) Period of Authorized Assistance.--Section 151307 of title 36,
United States Code, is amended in subsection (a)(1), by striking
``During the 10-year period beginning on the date of the enactment of
the Fire Administration Authorization Act of 2000, the'' and inserting
``The''.
Speaker of the House of Representatives.
Vice President of the United States and
President of the Senate.