[Congressional Bills 108th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 1152 Reported in Senate (RS)]






                                                       Calendar No. 250
108th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                S. 1152

                          [Report No. 108-126]

  To reauthorize the United States Fire Administration, and for other 
                               purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                              May 23, 2003

 Mr. McCain (for himself, Mr. Hollings, and Mr. Breaux) introduced the 
 following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on 
                 Commerce, Science, and Transportation

                            August 26, 2003

    Reported under authority of the order of the Senate of July 29 
   (legislative day, July 21), 2003, by Mr. McCain, with an amendment

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
  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,

<DELETED>SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.</DELETED>

<DELETED>    This Act may be cited as the ``United States Fire 
Administration Reauthorization Act of 2003''.</DELETED>

<DELETED>SEC. 2. RE-ESTABLISHMENT OF POSITION OF UNITED STATES FIRE 
              ADMINISTRATOR.</DELETED>

<DELETED>    Section 1513 of the Homeland Security Act of 2002 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)) after the functions vested by law in 
the Federal Emergency Management Agency have been transferred to the 
Directorate of Emergency Preparedness and Response in accordance with 
section 503 of the Homeland Security Act of 2002.</DELETED>

<DELETED>SEC. 3. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.</DELETED>

<DELETED>    Section 17(g)(1) of the Federal Fire Prevention and 
Control Act of 1974 (15 U.S.C. 2216(g)(1)) is amended to read as 
follows: ``(1) Except as otherwise specifically provided with respect 
to the payment of claims under section 11 of this Act, there are 
authorized to be appropriated to carry out the purposes of this Act--
</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    ``(A) $52,000,000 for fiscal year 2004;</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    ``(B) $53,560,000 for fiscal year 2005; 
        and</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    ``(C) $55,166,800 for fiscal year 
        2006.''.</DELETED>

       TITLE I--UNITED STATES FIRE ADMINISTRATION REAUTHORIZATION

SECTION 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 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)) after the functions vested by law in the 
Federal Emergency Management Agency have been transferred to the 
Directorate of Emergency Preparedness and Response in accordance with 
section 503 of the Homeland Security Act of 2002.

SEC. 103. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

    Section 17(g) of the Federal Fire Prevention and Control Act of 
1974 (15 U.S.C. 2216(g)) is amended--
            (1) by striking subparagraphs (A) through (K) of paragraph 
        (1) and inserting the following:
            ``(A) $63,200,000 for fiscal year 2004, of which $2,200,000 
        shall be used to carry out section 8(e);
            ``(B) $65,096,000 for fiscal year 2005, of which $2,266,000 
        shall be used to carry out section 8(e);
            ``(C) $67,049,000 for fiscal year 2006, of which $2,334,000 
        shall be used to carry out section 8(e);
            ``(D) $69,060,000 for fiscal year 2007, of which $2,404,000 
        shall be used to carry out section 8(e); and
            ``(E) $71,132,000 for fiscal year 2008, of which $2,476,000 
        shall be used to carry out section 8(e).''; and
            (2) by adding at the end the following:
    ``(3) Of the funds authorized by paragraph (1) for fiscal years 
2004 through 2006, $3,000,000 annually shall be made available for 
grants for fire fighting equipment necessary to fight fires using foam 
in remote areas without access to water.''

            TITLE II--FIREFIGHTING RESEARCH AND COORDINATION

SECTION 201. SHORT TITLE.

    This title may be cited as the ``Firefighting Research and 
Coordination Act''.

SEC. 202. NEW FIREFIGHTING TECHNOLOGY.

    In General.--Section 8 of the Federal Fire Prevention and Control 
Act of 1974 (15 U.S.C. 2207) is amended--
            (1) by striking ``and'' after the semicolon in paragraph 
        (9) of subsection (a);
            (2) by striking ``section.'' in paragraph (9) of subsection 
        (a) and inserting ``section;'';
            (3) by adding at the end of subsection (a) the following:
            ``(9) methods of containing insect infested forest fires 
        and limiting disbursal of resultant fine particle smoke; and
            ``(10) methods of measuring and tracking the disbursal of 
        fine particle smoke resulting from fires of insect infested 
        fuel.'';
            (4) by redesignating subsection (e) as subsection (f); and
            (5) by inserting after subsection (d) the following:
    ``(e) Development of New Technology.--
            ``(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) New equipment must meet standards.--For equipment for 
        which applicable voluntary consensus standards have been 
        established, the Administrator shall, by regulation, require 
        that equipment or systems purchased through the assistance 
        program established by section 33 meet or exceed 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, after consultation 
        with the Under Secretary for Emergency Preparedness and 
        Response, 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, in 
        consultation with the Under Secretary for Emergency 
        Preparedness and Response, 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) Update of Federal Response Plan.--Within 180 days after the 
date of enactment of this Act, the Under Secretary of Emergency 
Preparedness and Response shall--
            (1) revise the Federal Response Plan to incorporate plans 
        for responding to terrorist attacks, particularly in urban 
        areas, including fire detection and suppression and related 
        emergency services; and
            (2) transmit a report to the Senate Committee on Commerce, 
        Science, and Transportation and the House of Representatives 
        Committee on Science describing the action taken to comply with 
        paragraph (1).

SEC. 204. TRAINING.

    (a) In General.--Section 8(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 terrorism response agencies into 
                the national terrorism incident response system;
                    ``(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 8(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.




                                                       Calendar No. 250

108th CONGRESS

  1st Session

                                S. 1152

                          [Report No. 108-126]

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL

  To reauthorize the United States Fire Administration, and for other 
                               purposes.

_______________________________________________________________________

                            August 26, 2003

                       Reported with an amendment