[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 152 (Tuesday, November 4, 1997)]
[Senate]
[Pages S11704-S11705]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 U.S. FIRE ADMINISTRATION AUTHORIZATION ACT FOR FISCAL YEARS 1998 AND 
                                  1999

  Mr. BENNETT. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate 
now proceed to the consideration of Calendar No. 237, S. 1231.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will report.
  The assistant legislative clerk read as follows:

       A bill (S. 1231) to authorize appropriations for fiscal 
     years 1998 and 1999 for the United States Fire 
     Administration, and for other purposes.

  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there objection to the immediate 
consideration of the bill?
  There being no objection, the Senate proceeded to consider the bill.
  Mr. HOLLINGS. Mr. President, I rise today in support of S. 1231 as 
reported by the Commerce Committee. This bill would reauthorize the 
programs of the U.S. Fire Administration [USFA].
  As I stated when we introduced this bill, it is a tragic statistic 
that the United States currently has one of the worst fire records of 
any country in the industrial world with more than 2 million fires 
reported in the United States every year. Even more tragic is the fact 
that these fires result in over 4,500 deaths, 30,000 civilian injuries, 
and billions property losses.
  The USFA has done a tremendous job since its creation in 1974, 
pursuant to the recommendation of the National Commission on Fire and 
Control, in reducing deaths and damage caused by fires. This bill 
before the Senate today will allow the USFA to continue assisting our 
Nation's 1.2 million member fire service in doing their job, 
efficiently and safely, with the best technology available.
  Mr. President, the fire service is one of the most hazardous 
professions in the country. Firefighters not only confront daily the 
dangers of fire; they also are required to respond to other natural 
disasters, such as earthquakes, floods, medical emergencies, and 
hazardous materials spills.
  Finally, we are all well aware of the recent rise in arson activities 
in this country. Arsonists are responsible for over 500,000 fires every 
year. Arson is the No. 1 cause of all fires, and is the second leading 
cause of fire deaths in residences.
  The USFA has initiated several measures to combat this weapon of 
hatred, including: community grants in high risk areas to hire part-
time law enforcement officers, and to pay for law enforcement overtime 
and other church arson prevention activities; National Fire Academy 
training courses; additional training and education for arson 
investigators with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms; arson 
prevention information for the general public; and juvenile arson 
prevention workshops. This bill allows these efforts to continue.
  Mr. President, we owe our support to this Nation's 1.2 million 
firefighters who risk their lives every day to save the lives and 
property of others. By passing this bill, the USFA can continue 
providing the education, data analysis, training, and technology needed 
to enable these brave individuals to do their job as efficiently and 
safely as possible. This bill ensures that both firefighters and the 
USFA get the financial resources they need to serve the public. I 
encourage my colleagues to support passage of S. 1231.
  Mr. BENNETT. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the bill be 
considered read a third time and passed, the motion to reconsider be 
laid upon the table, and that any statements relating to the bill 
appear at the appropriate place in the Record.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there objection? Without objection, it is 
so ordered.
  The bill (S. 1231) was read the third time and passed, as follows:

                                S. 1231

       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 Authorization Act for Fiscal Years 1998 and 
     1999''.

     SEC. 2. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

       Section 17(g)(1) of the Federal Fire Prevention and Control 
     Act of 1974 (15 U.S.C. 2216(g)(1)) is amended--
       (1) by striking ``and'' at the end of subparagraph (E);
       (2) by striking the period at the end of subparagraph (F) 
     and inserting a semicolon; and
       (3) by adding at the end the following:
       ``(G) $29,664,000 for the fiscal year ending September 30, 
     1998; and
       ``(H) $30,554,000 for the fiscal year ending September 30, 
     1999.''.

     SEC. 3. SUCCESSOR FIRE SAFETY STANDARDS.

       The Federal Fire Prevention and Control Act of 1974 (15 
     U.S.C. 2201 et seq.) is amended--
       (1) in section 29(a)(1), by inserting ``or any successor 
     standard to that standard'' after ``Association Standard 
     74'';
       (2) in section 29(a)(2), by inserting ``, or any successor 
     standard to that standard'' before ``, whichever is 
     appropriate,'';
       (3) in section 29(b)(2), by inserting ``, or any successor 
     standard to that standard'' after ``Association Standard 13 
     or 13-R'';
       (4) in section 31(c)(2)(B)(i), by inserting ``or any 
     successor standard to that standard'' after ``Life Safety 
     Code)''; and

[[Page S11705]]

       (5) in section 31(c)(2)(B)(ii), by inserting ``or any 
     successor standard to that standard'' after ``Association 
     Standard 101''.

     SEC. 4. TERMINATION OR PRIVATIZATION OF FUNCTIONS.

       (a) In General.--Not later than 60 days before the 
     termination or transfer to a private sector person or entity 
     of any significant function of the United States Fire 
     Administration, as described in subsection (b), the 
     Administrator of the United States Fire Administration shall 
     transmit to Congress a report providing notice of that 
     termination or transfer.
       (b) Covered Terminations and Transfers.--For purposes of 
     subsection (a), a termination or transfer to a person or 
     entity described in that subsection shall be considered to be 
     a termination or transfer of a significant function of the 
     United States Fire Administration if the termination or 
     transfer--
       (1) relates to a function of the Administration that 
     requires the expenditure of more than 5 percent of the total 
     amount of funds made available by appropriations to the 
     Administration; or
       (2) involves the termination of more than 5 percent of the 
     employees of the Administration.

     SEC. 5. NOTICE.

       (a) Major Reorganization Defined.--With respect to the 
     United States Fire Administration, the term ``major 
     reorganization'' means any reorganization of the 
     Administration that involves the reassignment of more than 25 
     percent of the employees of the Administration.
       (b) Notice of Reprogramming.--If any funds appropriated 
     pursuant to the amendments made by this Act are subject to a 
     reprogramming action that requires notice to be provided to 
     the Committees on Appropriations of the Senate and the House 
     of Representatives, notice of that action shall concurrently 
     be provided to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and 
     Transportation of the Senate and the Committee on Science of 
     the House of Representatives.
       (c) Notice of Reorganization.--Not later than 15 days 
     before any major reorganization of any program, project, or 
     activity of the United States Fire Administration, the 
     Administrator of the United States Fire Administration shall 
     provide notice to the Committees on Science and 
     Appropriations of the House of Representatives and the 
     Committees on Commerce, Science, and Transportation and 
     Appropriations of the Senate.

     SEC. 6. SENSE OF CONGRESS ON THE YEAR 2000 PROBLEM.

       With the year 2000 rapidly approaching, it is the sense of 
     Congress that the Administrator of the United States Fire 
     Administration should--
       (1) give high priority to correcting all 2-digit date-
     related problems in the computer systems of the United States 
     Fire Administration to ensure that those systems continue to 
     operate effectively in the year 2000 and in subsequent years;
       (2) as soon as practicable after the date of enactment of 
     this Act, assess the extent of the risk to the operations of 
     the United States Fire Administration posed by the problems 
     referred to in paragraph (1), and plan and budget for 
     achieving compliance for all of the mission-critical systems 
     of the system by the year 2000; and
       (3) develop contingency plans for those systems that the 
     United States Fire Administration is unable to correct by the 
     year 2000.

     SEC. 7. ENHANCEMENT OF SCIENCE AND MATHEMATICS PROGRAMS.

       (a) Definitions.--In this section:
       (1) Administrator.--The term ``Administrator'' means the 
     Administrator of the United States Fire Administration.
       (2) Educationally useful federal equipment.--The term 
     ``educationally useful Federal equipment'' means computers 
     and related peripheral tools and research equipment that is 
     appropriate for use in schools.
       (3) School.--The term ``school'' means a public or private 
     educational institution that serves any of the grades of 
     kindergarten through grade 12.
       (b) Sense of Congress.--
       (1) In general.--It is the sense of Congress that the 
     Administrator should, to the greatest extent practicable and 
     in a manner consistent with applicable Federal law (including 
     Executive Order No. 12999), donate educationally useful 
     Federal equipment to schools in order to enhance the science 
     and mathematics programs of those schools.
       (2) Reports.--
       (A) In general.--Not later than 1 year after the date of 
     enactment of this Act, and annually thereafter, the 
     Administrator shall prepare and submit to the President a 
     report that meets the requirements of this paragraph. The 
     President shall submit that report to Congress at the same 
     time as the President submits a budget request to Congress 
     under section 1105(a) of title 31, United States Code.
       (B) Contents of report.--The report prepared by the 
     Administrator under this paragraph shall describe any 
     donations of educationally useful Federal equipment to 
     schools made during the period covered by the report.

     SEC. 8. REPORT TO CONGRESS.

       (a) In General.--Not later than 180 days after the date of 
     enactment of this Act, the Administrator of the United States 
     Fire Administration (referred to in this section as the 
     ``Administrator'') shall prepare and submit to the Committee 
     on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate and 
     the Committee on Science of the House of Representatives a 
     report that meets the requirements of this section.
       (b) Contents of Report.--The report under this section 
     shall--
       (1) examine the risks to firefighters in suppressing fires 
     caused by burning tires;
       (2) address any risks that are uniquely attributable to 
     fires described in paragraph (1), including any risks 
     relating to--
       (A) exposure to toxic substances (as that term is defined 
     by the Administrator);
       (B) personal protection;
       (C) the duration of those fires; and
       (D) site hazards associated with those fires;
       (3) identify any special training that may be necessary for 
     firefighters to suppress those fires; and
       (4) assess how the training referred to in paragraph (3) 
     may be provided by the United States Fire Administration.

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