[Congressional Bills 106th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 4128 Introduced in House (IH)]







106th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 4128

  To authorize appropriations to address the needs of State and local 
             emergency responders, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             March 29, 2000

Mr. Smith of Michigan (for himself, Ms. Eddie Bernice Johnson of Texas, 
 Mr. Weldon of Pennsylvania, Mr. Bishop, Mr. Boehlert, Mr. Ehlers, Mr. 
 Sherwood, Mr. Larson, and Mr. Barcia) introduced the following bill; 
       which was referred to the Committee on Transportation and 
   Infrastructure, and in addition to the Committees on Agriculture, 
 Commerce, Banking and Financial Services, and Resources, for a period 
    to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for 
consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the 
                          committee concerned

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
  To authorize appropriations to address the needs of State and local 
             emergency responders, and for other purposes.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Help Emergency Responders Operate 
Act''.

SEC. 2. VOLUNTEER FIRE ASSISTANCE PROGRAM.

    There are authorized to be appropriated to the Secretary of 
Agriculture for carrying out section 10(b)(1) through (3) of the 
Cooperative Forestry Assistance Act of 1978 (16 U.S.C. 2106(b)(1) 
through (3)), $10,000,000 for each of the fiscal years 2001 and 2002.

SEC. 3. LOAN GUARANTEES FOR LOW-INTEREST LOANS FOR VOLUNTEER FIRE AND 
              RESCUE 
              SERVICES.

    Subtitle A of title VI of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief 
and Emergency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5196 et seq.) is amended by 
adding at the end the following new section:

``SEC. 616. LOAN GUARANTEES FOR LOW-INTEREST LOANS FOR VOLUNTEER FIRE 
              AND RESCUE 
              SERVICES.

    ``(a) In General.--The Director may, using amounts in the account 
established under subsection (i)(1), guarantee loans to volunteer fire 
and rescue agencies for the purposes described in subsection (b) for 
the entire principal and interest on the loan.
    ``(b) Use of Amounts.--The proceeds of a loan guaranteed under this 
section to a volunteer fire and rescue agency may be used only--
            ``(1) to purchase equipment necessary for proper 
        performance of the duties of the agency, including fire 
        fighting apparatus and equipment, ambulances and rescue 
        vehicles, protective equipment and clothing, and training 
        equipment;
            ``(2) to repair, rehabilitate, or otherwise improve 
        existing facilities of the agency;
            ``(3) to carry out public education programs regarding fire 
        prevention, life safety, and arson;
            ``(4) for enforcement of fire codes;
            ``(5) for carrying out and improving training programs 
        regarding arson investigation, hazardous materials, and anti-
        terrorism; or
            ``(6) to develop or enhance safety programs for 
        firefighters and rescue personnel.
    ``(c) Loan Terms.--A loan guaranteed under this section shall--
            ``(1) be made for a term not to exceed 20 years;
            ``(2) involve a rate of interest established by the 
        Director that does not exceed the rate that is 2 percentage 
        points below the then prevailing interest rate for loans of a 
        similar nature, as determined by the Director;
            ``(3) involve a principal obligation not exceeding 
        $200,000;
            ``(4) be subject to such requirements regarding security 
        for repayment as the Director considers appropriate;
            ``(5) contain terms providing for the complete amortization 
        of the loan principal that require periodic payments by the 
        borrower not in excess of the capacity of the borrower to make 
        such payments, as the Director considers appropriate; and
            ``(6) contain such other terms with respect to insurance, 
        repairs, default reserves, delinquency charges, anticipation of 
        maturity, additional and secondary liens, and other matters as 
        the Director considers appropriate.
    ``(d) Guarantee Fee.--At the time of issuance of a loan guaranteed 
under this section, the Director may collect from the lender of the 
loan a fee of 1 percent of the principal obligation of the loan.
    ``(e) Prohibition Against Assumption.--Notwithstanding the transfer 
of any property acquired with the proceeds of a loan under this 
section, the borrower under the loan may not be relieved of liability 
with respect to the loan.
    ``(f) Selection of Borrowers.--The Director shall establish and use 
criteria for selection of applicants to receive loan guarantees under 
this section, which shall--
            ``(1) provide for the Director to make loan guarantees for 
        as many qualified applicants as is practicable, taking into 
        consideration the aggregate limitations on the amount of 
        guarantees under this section and the appropriate size of a 
        loan necessary to allow an applicant to effectively carry out 
        the activities for which the loan guaranteed under this section 
        was made; and
            ``(2) in the case of a loan to be used for the purposes 
        under paragraph (1) or (2) of subsection (b), take into 
        consideration the extent to which--
                    ``(A) the equipment, apparatus, or facilities to be 
                replaced, repaired, or modified are outdated or unsafe; 
                or
                    ``(B) the demand for the services of the volunteer 
                fire and rescue agency that is the borrower has 
                increased during the 2-year period preceding the date 
                of the application for the guarantee.
    ``(g) Payment of Guarantees.--The Director may take such actions as 
may be necessary to provide for payment of guarantees under this 
section and protection of the interests of the United States under such 
guarantees.
    ``(h) Definitions.--For purposes of this section:
            ``(1) Facility.--The term `facility' means a building that 
        houses equipment or personnel used directly to provide fire and 
        rescue services, not including administrative support services.
            ``(2) Volunteer fire and rescue agency.--The term 
        `volunteer fire and rescue agency' includes volunteer fire 
        companies, ambulance services, hazardous materials units, and 
        rescue squads.
    ``(i) Funding and Account.--
            ``(1) Volunteer fire and rescue services loan account.--
        There is established in the Treasury of the United States an 
        account for the purpose of providing loan guarantees under this 
        section. The account shall be credited with any amounts 
        appropriated to the account, any guarantee fees collected under 
        subsection (d), and any other collections of the Director 
        pursuant to this section. Amounts in the account shall be 
        available, to the extent provided in appropriation Acts, for 
        fulfilling obligations under loan guarantees made under this 
        section and for carrying out all operations relating to making 
        and payment of such guarantees, which shall include any 
        administrative expenses relating to making such guarantees.
            ``(2) Authorization of appropriations.--There is authorized 
        to be appropriated to the account under paragraph (1) 
        $35,000,000 for each of the fiscal years 2001 and 2002 to cover 
        the costs (as such term is defined in section 502 of the 
        Congressional Budget Act of 1974) of loan guarantees provided 
        under this section.''.

SEC. 4. COUNTERTERRORISM TRAINING.

    Subtitle A of title VI of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief 
and Emergency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5196 et seq.), as amended by 
section 3 of this Act, is further amended by adding at the end the 
following new section:

``SEC. 617. COUNTERTERRORISM TRAINING.

    ``There are authorized to be appropriated to the Director 
$20,000,000 for each of the fiscal years 2001 and 2002 to make grants 
directly to local fire and rescue services, including volunteer fire 
companies, ambulance services, hazardous materials units, and rescue 
squads, for equipment, including interoperability radio equipment.''.

SEC. 5. BURN GRANT PROGRAMS.

    (a) Establishment of Office.--The Director of the Federal Emergency 
Management Agency shall establish an office in the Agency to establish 
specific criteria of grant recipients and to administer grants under 
this section.
    (b) Burn Prevention.--The Director may make grants, on a 
competitive basis, to safety organizations that have experience in 
conducting burn safety programs for the purpose of assisting those 
organizations in conducting burn prevention programs or augmenting 
existing burn prevention programs.
    (c) Acute Burn Care.--The Director may make grants, on a 
competitive basis, to hospitals that serve as regional burn centers to 
conduct acute burn care research.
    (d) After-Burn Treatment and Counseling.--The Director may make 
grants, on a competitive basis, to governmental and nongovernmental 
entities to provide after-burn treatment and counseling to individuals 
that are burn victims.
    (e) Authorization of Appropriations.--There are authorized to be 
appropriated to the Director for carrying out this section $10,000,000 
for each of the fiscal years 2001 and 2002.

SEC. 6. FIRE AND EMERGENCY MEDICAL GRANTS PROGRAM.

    (a) Establishment.--The Director of the Federal Emergency 
Management Agency shall establish a program to award grants to 
volunteer, paid, and combined departments that provide fire and 
emergency medical services.
    (b) Authorized Uses.--Grants awarded under this section may be 
used--
            (1) to acquire personal protective equipment required for 
        firefighting personnel by the Occupational Safety and Health 
        Administration, and other personal protective equipment for 
        firefighting personnel;
            (2) to acquire additional firefighting equipment, including 
        equipment for communication and monitoring;
            (3) to establish wellness and fitness programs for 
        firefighting personnel to reduce the number of injuries and 
        deaths related to health and conditioning problems;
            (4) to promote professional development of fire code 
        enforcement personnel;
            (5) to integrate computer technology to improve records 
        management and training capabilities;
            (6) to train firefighting personnel in firefighting, 
        emergency response, and arson prevention and detection;
            (7) to enforce fire codes;
            (8) to fund fire prevention programs and public education 
        programs about arson prevention and detection, and juvenile 
        fire setter intervention; and
            (9) to modify fire stations, fire training facilities, and 
        other facilities to protect the health and safety of 
        firefighting personnel.
    (c) Contents of Applications.--Applications for grants under this 
section shall include--
            (1) a demonstration of financial need;
            (2) evidence of a commitment for at least an equal amount 
        as the amount of the grant sought, to be provided by non-
        Federal sources;
            (3) a cost benefit analysis linking the funds to 
        improvements in public safety; and
            (4) a commitment to provide information to the National 
        Fire Incident Reporting System for the period for which the 
        grant is received.
    (d) Audits.--Grant recipients under this section shall be subject 
to audits to ensure that the funds are spent for their intended 
purposes.
    (e) Authorization of Appropriations.--There are authorized to be 
appropriated to the Director for carrying out this section $80,000,000 
for each of the fiscal years 2001 and 2002.

SEC. 7. ALLOCATION OF ELECTROMAGNETIC SPECTRUM.

    Section 337 of the Communications Act of 1934 (47 U.S.C. 337) is 
amended--
            (1) by redesignating subsection (f) as subsection (g); and
            (2) by adding after subsection (e) the following new 
        subsection:
    ``(f) Allocation for Interoperability Use by Public Safety 
Entities.--In addition to the allocations and assignments otherwise 
made pursuant to this section, within 30 days after the date of the 
enactment of the Help Emergency Responders Operate Act, the Commission 
shall allocate the electromagnetic spectrum between 139 megahertz and 
140.5 megahertz, inclusive, and between 141.5 megahertz and 143 
megahertz, inclusive, to interoperability use by public safety 
services.''.

SEC. 8. SATELLITE SYSTEM.

    (a) Authorization of Appropriations.--There are authorized to be 
appropriated to the Secretary of the Interior for fiscal year 2001 for 
the United States Geological Survey for the Hazard Support System, 
$15,000,000 for system improvements, and $4,000,000 for operation and 
maintenance.
    (b) Study.--Not later than 9 months after the date of the enactment 
of this Act, the Secretary of the Interior shall transmit to the 
Congress a report on the results of a study, carried out in 
consultation with the National Interagency Fire Center and State fire 
services, of the best methods of disseminating data from the Hazard 
Support System to State and local fire mitigation entities for real-
time fire detection.

SEC. 9. ELIGIBILITY OF FIRE FIGHTING FACILITIES AND EQUIPMENT UNDER 
              COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT BLOCK GRANT PROGRAM.

    (a) Eligible Activities.--Section 105(a) of the Housing and 
Community Development Act of 1974 (42 U.S.C. 5305(a)) is amended--
            (1) in paragraph (23), by striking the period at the end 
        and inserting a semicolon; and
            (2) by inserting after paragraph (23) the following new 
        paragraph:
            ``(24) provision of assistance to local fire fighting, 
        emergency medical, or rescue services for--
                    ``(A) acquisition, repair, or rehabilitation of 
                equipment (including any accessory, communications, or 
                protective equipment) or vehicles for fire fighting, 
                emergency medical, or rescue services,
                    ``(B) construction, acquisition, rehabilitation, or 
                improvement of facilities for local fire fighting, 
                emergency medical, or rescue services, or
                    ``(C) training or planning involved in providing 
                fire fighting, emergency medical, or rescue services; 
                and''.
    (b) Use for Low- and Moderate-Income Areas.--Section 105(c) of the 
Housing and Community Development Act of 1974 (42 U.S.C. 5305(c)) is 
amended by adding at the end the following new paragraph:
    ``(5) An assisted activity described in subsection (a)(24) shall be 
considered to benefit persons of low and moderate income if the service 
provides such services to all persons in the geographical area served, 
including any low and moderate income persons.''.
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