S. 3845Senate117th Congress (2021-2023)In Committee

Empowering the U.S. Fire Administration Act

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Updated February 8, 2026 at 10:01 AM UTC

The Empowering the U.S. Fire Administration Act would give the United States Fire Administration authority to send investigators to the sites of major fires. It requires those investigations to be coordinated with federal, state and local agencies and to examine causes, building codes, fire dynamics, demographics and the costs of injuries and deaths. After each investigation the agency must issue a public report with recommendations for similar structures, response tactics, safety practices, cost‑benefit of fire‑safety measures and mitigation strategies. The Act also lets the Administrator investigate notable smaller fires and defines “major fire” by future regulations.

Key Provisions

Adds a new Section 38 that allows the Fire Administration Administrator to dispatch investigators—including safety specialists, engineers, and researchers—to major fire sites.
Mandates investigations be coordinated with appropriate federal, state, and local authorities and to assess cause, origin, codes, demographics, structural features, fire dynamics, and injury/death costs.
Requires a public report after each investigation, offering recommendations on similar at‑risk buildings, tactical response improvements, civilian safety practices, community cost‑benefit of fire‑safety features, and mitigation measures.
Provides discretionary authority to investigate fires with unusual or remarkable contexts that are less severe than major fires.
Specifies that the definition of “major fire” will be set by regulations issued by the Administrator.

Legislative Activity

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1 earlier action

SenateIntro Referral Latest Action

Read twice and referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs.

Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee

March 15, 2022

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SenateIntro Referral

Introduced in Senate

March 15, 2022

SenateIntro Referral

Read twice and referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs.

Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee

March 15, 2022

Floor Debate

1 member

What members said about S. 3845 on the floor

1 Democrat

Sen. Amy KlobucharD-MN · Apr 14, 2021

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent for the legislative activities report of the Committee on Rules and Administration during the 116th Congress be printed in the Congressional Record.

Bill Text

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Introduced in SenateIssued March 15, 2022

117th CONGRESS

2d Session

S. 3845

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

March 15, 2022

Mrs. Gillibrand (for herself and Mr. Schumer) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs

A BILL

To require the United States Fire Administration to conduct on-site investigations of major fires, and for other purposes.

Short title

This Act may be cited as the Empowering the U.S. Fire Administration Act.

Fire investigations

The Federal Fire Prevention and Control Act of 1974 (15 U.S.C. 2201 et seq.) is amended by adding at the end the following:

38.

Investigation authorities

(a)

In general

In the case of any major fire, the Administrator may send incident investigators, which may include safety specialists, fire protection engineers, codes and standards experts, researchers, and fire training specialists, to the site of the fire to conduct an investigation as described in subsection (b).

(b)

Investigation required

A fire investigation conducted under this section—

(1)

shall be conducted in coordination with appropriate Federal, State, and local authorities, including Federal agencies that are authorized to investigate a major fire or an incident of which the major fire is a part; and

(2)

shall examine the determined cause and origin of the fire and assess broader systematic matters to include use of codes and standards, demographics, structural characteristics, smoke and fire dynamics (movement) during the event, and costs of associated injuries and deaths.

(c)

Report

Upon concluding any fire investigation under this section, the Administrator shall issue a public report to local, State, and Federal authorities on the findings of such investigation, or collaborate with another investigating Federal agency on that agency’s report, including recommendations on—

(1)

any other buildings with similar characteristics that may bear similar fire risks;

(2)

improving tactical response to similar fires;

(3)

improving civilian safety practices;

(4)

assessing the costs and benefits to the community of adding fire safety features; and

(5)

how to mitigate the causes of such fire.

(d)

Discretionary authority

In addition to investigations conducted pursuant to subsection (a), the Administrator may send fire investigators to conduct investigations at the site of any fire with unusual or remarkable context that results in losses less severe than those occurring as a result of a major fire, in coordination with appropriate Federal, State, and local authorities, including Federal agencies that are authorized to investigate a major fire or an incident of which the major fire is a part.

(e)

Major fire defined

For purposes of this section, the term major fire shall have the meaning given such term under regulations to be issued by the Administrator.