[Congressional Bills 110th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 2606 Introduced in Senate (IS)]







110th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                S. 2606

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


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

             February 7 (legislative day, February 6), 2008

    Mr. Dodd (for himself, Ms. Collins, Mr. Biden, and Mr. McCain) 
introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the 
        Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 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,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``United States Fire Administration 
Reauthorization Act of 2008''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

    Congress makes the following findings:
            (1) The number of lives lost each year because of fire has 
        dropped significantly over the last 25 years in the United 
        States. However, the United States still has one of the highest 
        fire death rates in the industrialized world. In 2005, the 
        National Fire Protection Association reported 3,675 civilian 
        fire deaths, 17,925 civilian fire injuries, and $10,672,000,000 
        in direct losses due to fire.
            (2) Every year, more than 100 firefighters die in the line 
        of duty. The United States Fire Administration should continue 
        its leadership to help local fire agencies dramatically reduce 
        these fatalities.
            (3) Members of the fire service community should continue 
        to work together to further the promotion of national voluntary 
        consensus standards that increase firefighter safety.
            (4) The United States Fire Administration provides crucial 
        support to the 30,300 fire departments of the United States 
        through training, emergency incident data collection, fire 
        awareness and education, and support of research and 
        development activities for fire prevention, control, and 
        suppression technologies.
            (5) The collection of data on fire and other emergency 
        incidents is a vital tool both for policy makers and emergency 
        responders to identify and develop responses to emerging 
        hazards. Improving the data collection capabilities of the 
        United States Fire Administration is essential for accurately 
        tracking and responding to the magnitude and nature of the fire 
        problems of the United States.
            (6) The research and development performed by the National 
        Institute of Standards and Technology, the United States Fire 
        Administration, other government agencies, and non-governmental 
        organizations on fire technologies, techniques, and tools 
        advance the capabilities of the fire service of the United 
        States to suppress and prevent fires.
            (7) The United States Fire Administration is one of the 
        strongest voices representing the fire service of the United 
        States within the Federal Government, and, as such, it should 
        have a prominent place within the Department of Homeland 
        Security.

SEC. 3. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS FOR UNITED STATES FIRE 
              ADMINISTRATION.

    Section 17(g)(1) of the Federal Fire Prevention and Control Act of 
1974 (15 U.S.C. 2216(g)(1)) is amended--
            (1) in subparagraph (C), by striking ``and'' after the 
        semicolon;
            (2) in subparagraph (D), by striking the period at the end 
        and inserting a semicolon; and
            (3) by adding after subparagraph (D) the following:
                    ``(E) $70,000,000 for fiscal year 2009, of which 
                $2,520,000 shall be used to carry out section 8;
                    ``(F) $72,100,000 for fiscal year 2010, of which 
                $2,595,600 shall be used to carry out section 8;
                    ``(G) $74,263,000 for fiscal year 2011, of which 
                $2,673,468 shall be used to carry out section 8; and
                    ``(H) $76,490,890 for fiscal year 2012, of which 
                $2,753,672 shall be used to carry out section 8.''.

SEC. 4. NATIONAL FIRE ACADEMY TRAINING PROGRAM MODIFICATIONS AND 
              REPORTS.

    (a) Amendments to Fire Academy Training.--Section 7(d)(1) of the 
Federal Fire Prevention and Control Act of 1974 (15 U.S.C. 2206(d)(1)) 
is amended--
            (1) in subparagraph (H), by striking ``terrorist-caused 
        national catastrophes'' and inserting ``all hazards, including 
        acts of terrorism'';
            (2) in subparagraph (K), by striking ``forest'' and 
        inserting ``wildland'';
            (3) in subparagraph (M), by striking ``response tactics 
        and'' and inserting ``response, tactics, and'';
            (4) by redesignating subparagraphs (I) through (N) as 
        subparagraphs (M) through (R), respectively; and
            (5) by inserting after subparagraph (H) the following:
                    ``(I) response, tactics, and strategies for 
                fighting large-scale fires or multiple fires in a 
                general area that cross jurisdictional boundaries;
                    ``(J) response, tactics, and strategies for 
                fighting fires occurring at the wildland-urban 
                interface;
                    ``(K) response, tactics, and strategies for 
                fighting fires involving hazardous materials;
                    ``(L) advanced emergency medical services 
                training;''.
    (b) Triennial Reports.--Section 7 of such Act (15 U.S.C. 2206) is 
amended by adding at the end the following:
    ``(m) Triennial Report.--In the first annual report filed pursuant 
to section 16 for which the deadline for filing is after the expiration 
of the 18-month period that begins on the date of the enactment of the 
United States Fire Administration Reauthorization Act of 2008, and in 
every third annual report thereafter, the Administrator shall include 
information about changes made to the National Fire Academy curriculum, 
including--
            ``(1) the basis for such changes, including a review of the 
        incorporation of lessons learned by emergency response 
        personnel after significant emergency events and emergency 
        preparedness exercises performed under the National Exercise 
        Program; and
            ``(2) the desired training outcome of all such changes.''.
    (c) Authorizing the Administrator To Enter Into Contracts To 
Provide On-Site Training Through Certain Accredited Organizations.--
Section 7(f) of such Act (15 U.S.C. 2206) is amended to read as 
follows:
    ``(f) Assistance.--
            ``(1) In general.--The Administrator may provide assistance 
        to State and local fire service training programs through 
        grants, contracts, or otherwise.
            ``(2) Authorization to enter into contracts to provide on-
        site training through certain accredited organizations.--
                    ``(A) In general.--Except as provided in 
                subparagraph (B), the Administrator may enter into a 
                contract with nationally recognized organizations that 
                have established on-site training programs that comply 
                with national voluntary consensus standards for fire 
                service personnel to facilitate the delivery of the 
                education and training programs outlined in subsection 
                (d)(1) directly to fire service personnel.
                    ``(B) Limitation.--The Administrator may not enter 
                into a contract with an organization described in 
                subparagraph (A) unless such organization--
                            ``(i) operates a fire service training 
                        program accredited by a nationally recognized 
                        accreditation organization experienced with 
                        accrediting such training; or
                            ``(ii) at the time the Administrator enters 
                        into the contract, provides training under such 
                        a program under a cooperative agreement with a 
                        Federal agency.
            ``(3) Restriction on use of funds.--The amounts expended by 
        the Administrator to carry out this subsection in any fiscal 
        year shall not exceed 8 per centum of the amount authorized to 
        be appropriated in such fiscal year pursuant to section 17 of 
        this Act.''.

SEC. 5. NATIONAL FIRE INCIDENT REPORTING SYSTEM UPGRADES.

    (a) Incident Reporting System Database.--Section 9 of the Federal 
Fire Prevention and Control Act of 1974 (15 U.S.C. 2208) is amended by 
adding at the end the following:
    ``(d) National Fire Incident Reporting System Update.--Of the 
amounts made available pursuant to subparagraphs (E), (F), and (G) of 
section 17(g)(1), the Administrator shall use not more than an 
aggregate amount of $5,000,000 during the 3-year period consisting of 
fiscal years 2009, 2010, and 2011 to carry out activities necessary to 
update the National Fire Incident Reporting system to an Internet-
based, real-time incident reporting database, including capital 
investment, contractor engagement, and user education.''.
    (b) Technical Correction.--Section 9(b)(2) of such Act (15 U.S.C. 
2208(b)(2)) is amended by striking ``assist State,'' and inserting 
``assist Federal, State,''.

SEC. 6. FIRE TECHNOLOGY ASSISTANCE AND RESEARCH DISSEMINATION.

    (a) Assistance to Fire Services for Fire Prevention and Control in 
Wildland-Urban Interface.--Section 8(d) of the Federal Fire Prevention 
and Control Act of 1974 (15 U.S.C. 2207(d)) is amended to read as 
follows:
    ``(d) Rural and Wildland-Urban Interface Assistance.--The 
Administrator may, in coordination with the Secretary of Agriculture, 
assist the fire services of the United States, directly or through 
contracts, grants, or other forms of assistance, to sponsor and 
encourage research into approaches, techniques, systems, equipment, and 
land-use policies to improve fire prevention and control in--
            ``(1) the rural and remote areas of the United States; and
            ``(2) the wildland-urban interface.''.
    (b) Technology Research Dissemination.--Section 8 of such Act (15 
U.S.C. 2207) is amended by adding at the end the following:
    ``(h) Research Dissemination.--Beginning 1 year after the date of 
the enactment of the United States Fire Administration Reauthorization 
Act of 2008, the Administrator, in collaboration with the relevant 
departments and agencies of the Federal Government, shall make 
available to the public information about all ongoing and planned fire-
related research funded by the Administration during fiscal year 2008 
and each fiscal year thereafter, as well as the results generated from 
such research, through a regularly updated Internet-based database.''.

SEC. 7. ENCOURAGING ADOPTION OF STANDARDS FOR FIREFIGHTER HEALTH AND 
              SAFETY.

    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:

``SEC. 37. ENCOURAGING ADOPTION OF STANDARDS FOR FIREFIGHTER HEALTH AND 
              SAFETY.

    ``The Administrator shall promote adoption by fire services of 
national voluntary consensus standards for firefighter health and 
safety, including such standards for firefighter operations, training, 
staffing, and fitness, by--
            ``(1) educating fire services about such standards;
            ``(2) encouraging the adoption at all levels of government 
        of such standards; and
            ``(3) making recommendations on other ways in which the 
        Federal government can promote the adoption of such standards 
        by fire services.''.

SEC. 8. STATE AND LOCAL FIRE SERVICE REPRESENTATION AT NATIONAL 
              OPERATIONS CENTER.

    The Federal Fire Prevention and Control Act of 1974 (15 U.S.C. 2201 
et seq.) is amended by inserting after section 22 the following:

``SEC. 23. STATE AND LOCAL FIRE SERVICE REPRESENTATION AT NATIONAL 
              OPERATIONS CENTER.

    ``(a) Establishment of Position.--The Secretary of Homeland 
Security shall, in consultation with the Administrator, establish a 
fire service position at the National Operations Center established 
under section 515 of the Homeland Security Act of 2002 (6 U.S.C. 321d) 
(also known as the `Homeland Security Operations Center') to represent 
the interests of State and local fire services.
    ``(b) Designation of Position.--The Secretary of Homeland Security 
shall designate, on a rotating basis, a State or local fire service 
official for the position described in subsection (a).
    ``(c) Management.--The Secretary of Homeland Security shall manage 
the position established pursuant to subsection (a) in accordance with 
such rules and regulations as govern other similar rotating positions 
at the National Operations Center.''.

SEC. 9. COORDINATION REGARDING FIRE SERVICE-BASED EMERGENCY MEDICAL 
              SERVICES.

    Section 21(e) of the Federal Fire Prevention and Control Act of 
1974 (15 U.S.C. 2218(e)) is amended to read as follows:
    ``(e) Coordination.--
            ``(1) In general.--To the extent practicable, the 
        Administrator shall use existing programs, data, information, 
        and facilities already available in other Federal Government 
        departments and agencies and, where appropriate, existing 
        research organizations, centers, and universities.
            ``(2) Coordination of fire prevention and control 
        programs.--The Administrator shall provide liaison at an 
        appropriate organizational level to assure coordination of the 
        activities of the Administrator with State and local government 
        agencies, departments, bureaus, or offices concerned with any 
        matter related to programs of fire prevention and control with 
        private and other Federal organizations and offices so 
        concerned.
            ``(3) Coordination of fire service-based emergency medical 
        services programs.--The Administrator shall provide liaison at 
        an appropriate organizational level to assure coordination of 
        the activities of the Administrator with State and local 
        government agencies, departments, bureaus, or offices concerned 
        with programs related to emergency medical services provided by 
        fire service-based systems with private and other Federal 
        organizations and offices so concerned.''.

SEC. 10. DEFINITIONS.

    Section 4 of the Federal Fire Prevention and Control Act of 1974 
(15 U.S.C. 2203) is amended--
            (1) in paragraph (3), by striking ``Administration'' and 
        inserting ``Administration, who is the Assistant Administrator 
        of the Federal Emergency Management Agency'';
            (2) in paragraph (7), by striking the ``and'' after the 
        semicolon;
            (3) in paragraph (8), by striking the period at the end and 
        inserting ``; and'';
            (4) by redesignating paragraphs (6), (7), and (8) as 
        paragraphs (7), (8), and (9), respectively;
            (5) by inserting after paragraph (5) the following:
            ``(6) `hazardous material' has the meaning given such term 
        in section 5102 of title 49, United States Code;''; and
            (6) by adding at the end the following:
            ``(10) `wildland-urban interface' has the meaning given 
        such term in section 101 of the Healthy Forests Restoration Act 
        of 2003 (16 U.S.C. 6511).''.
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