[Congressional Record Volume 147, Number 24 (Tuesday, February 27, 2001)]
[Senate]
[Pages S1631-S1632]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Mr. EDWARDS (for himself and Mr. Dodd):
  S. 399. A bill to provide for fire sprinkler systems, or other fire 
suppression or prevention technologies, in public and private college 
and university housing and dormitories, including fraternity and 
sorority housing and dormitories; to the Committee on Health, 
Education, Labor, and Pensions.
  Mr. EDWARDS. Mr. President, I rise today along with my colleague 
Senator Dodd to re-introduce the College Fire Prevention Act. This 
measure would provide federal matching grants for the installation of 
fire sprinkler systems in college and university dormitories and 
fraternity and sorority houses. I believe the time is now to address 
the sad situation of deadly fires that occur in our children's college 
living facilities.
  The tragic fire that occurred at Seton Hall University on Wednesday 
January 19th, 2000 will not be long forgotten. Sadly, three freshman, 
all 18 years old, died. Fifty-four students, two South Orange 
firefighters and two South Orange police officers were injured. The 
dormitory, Boland Hall, was a six-story, 350 room structure built in 
1952 that housed approximately 600 students. Astonishingly, the fire 
was contained to the third floor lounge of Boland Hall. This dormitory 
was equipped with smoke alarms but no sprinkler system.
  Unfortunately, the Boland Hall fire was not the first of its kind. 
And it reminded many people in North Carolina of their own tragic 
experience with dorm fires. In 1996, on Mother's Day and Graduation 
Day, a fire in the Phi Gamma Delta fraternity house at the University 
of North Carolina at Chapel Hill killed five college juniors and 
injured three others. The 3-story plus basement fraternity house was 70 
years old. The National Fire Protection Association identified several 
factors that contributed to the tragic fire, including the lack of fire 
sprinkler protection.
  Sadly, there have been countless other dorm fires. On December 9, 
1997, a student died in a dormitory fire at Greenville College in 
Greenville, Illinois. The dormitory, Kinney Hall, was built in the 
1960s and had no fire sprinkler system. On January 10, 1997, a student 
died at the University of Tennessee at Martin. The dormitory, Ellington 
Hall, had no fire sprinkler system. On January 3, 1997 a student died 
in a dormitory fire at Central Missouri State University in 
Warrensburg, Missouri. On October 21, 1994, five students died in a 
fraternity house fire in Bloomsburg, Pennsylvania. The list goes on and 
on. In a typical year between 1980 and 1998, the National Fire 
Protection Association estimates there were an average of 1,800 fires 
at dormitories, fraternities, and sororities, involving 1 death, 70 
injuries, and 8 million dollars in property damage.
  So now we must ask, what can be done? What can we do to curtail these 
tragic fires from taking the lives of our children, our young adults? 
We should focus our attention on the lack of fire sprinklers in college 
dormitories and fraternity and sorority houses. Sprinklers save lives. 
Indeed, the National Fire Protection Association has never recorded a 
fire that killed more than 2 people in a public assembly, educational, 
institutional, or residential building where a sprinkler system was 
operating properly.
  Despite the clear benefits of sprinklers, many college dorms do not 
have them. New dormitories are generally required to have advanced 
safety systems such as fire sprinklers. But such requirements are 
rarely imposed retroactively on existing buildings. In 1998, 93 percent 
of the campus building fires reported to fire departments occurred in 
buildings where there were smoke alarms present. However, only 34 
percent of them had fire sprinklers present.
  At my state's flagship university at Chapel Hill, for example, only 
six of the 29 residence halls have sprinklers. A report published by 
The Raleigh News & Observer in the wake of the Seton Hall fire also 
noted that only seven of 19 dorms at North Carolina State University 
are equipped with the life-saving devices, and there are sprinklers in 
two of the 10 dorms at North Carolina Central University. At Duke 
University, only five of 26 dorms have sprinklers.
  The legislation I introduce today authorizes the Secretary of 
Education, in consultation with the United States Fire Administration, 
to award grants to States, private or public colleges or universities, 
fraternities, or sororities to assist them in providing fire sprinkler 
systems for their student housing and dormitories. These entities would 
be required to produce matching funds equal to one-half of the cost. 
This legislation authorizes $100 million for fiscal years 2002 through 
2006.
  In North Carolina, we decided to initiate a drive to install 
sprinklers in our public college and university dorms. The overall cost 
is estimated at 57.5 million dollars. Given how much it is going to 
cost North Carolina's public colleges and universities to install 
sprinklers, I think it's clear that the $100 million that this measure 
authorizes is just a drop in the bucket. But my hope is that by 
providing this small incentive we can encourage more colleges to 
institute a comprehensive review of their dorm's fire safety and to 
install sprinklers. All they need is a helping hand. With this modest 
measure of prevention, we can help prevent the needless and tragic loss 
of young lives.
  Parents should not have to worry about their children living in fire 
traps. When we send our children away to college, we are sending them 
to a home away from home where hundreds of other students eat, sleep, 
burn candles, use electric appliances and smoke. We must not compromise 
on their safety. In short, the best way to ensure the protection of our 
college students is to install fire sprinklers in our college 
dormitories and fraternity and sorority houses. I ask all of my 
colleagues to join me in supporting this important legislation. Thank 
you.
  Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that a copy of the bill be 
printed in the Record.
  There being no objection, the bill was ordered to be printed in the 
Record, as follows:

[[Page S1632]]

                                 S. 399

       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 ``College Fire Prevention 
     Act''.

     SEC 2. FINDINGS.

       Congress makes the following findings:
       (1) On Wednesday, January 19, 2000, a fire occurred at a 
     Seton Hall University dormitory. Three male freshmen, all 18 
     years of age, died. Fifty-four students, 2 South Orange 
     firefighters, and 2 South Orange police officers were 
     injured. The dormitory was a 6-story, 350-room structure 
     built in 1952, that housed approximately 600 students. It was 
     equipped with smoke alarms but no fire sprinkler system.
       (2) On Mother's Day 1996 in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, a 
     fire in the Phi Gamma Delta Fraternity House killed 5 college 
     juniors and injured 3. The 3-story plus basement fraternity 
     house was 70 years old. The National Fire Protection 
     Association identified several factors that contributed to 
     the tragic fire, including the lack of fire sprinkler 
     protection.
       (3) It is estimated that between 1980 and 1998, an average 
     of 1,800 fires at dormitories, fraternities, and sororities, 
     involving 1 death, 70 injuries, and $8,000,000 in property 
     damage were reported to public fire departments.
       (4) Within dormitories, fraternities, and sororities the 
     number 1 cause of fires is arson or suspected arson. The 
     second leading cause of college building fires is cooking, 
     while the third leading cause is smoking.
       (5) The National Fire Protection Association has no record 
     of a fire killing more than 2 people in a completely fire 
     sprinklered public assembly, educational, institutional, or 
     residential building where the sprinkler system was operating 
     properly.
       (6) New dormitories are generally required to have advanced 
     safety systems such as fire sprinklers. But such requirements 
     are rarely imposed retroactively on existing buildings.
       (7) In 1998, 93 percent of the campus building fires 
     reported to fire departments occurred in buildings where 
     there were smoke alarms present. However, only 34 percent had 
     fire sprinklers present.

     SEC. 3. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

       There are authorized to be appropriated to carry out this 
     Act $100,000,000 for each of the fiscal years 2002 through 
     2006.

     SEC. 4. GRANTS AUTHORIZED.

       (a) Program Authority.--The Secretary of Education, in 
     consultation with the United States Fire Administration, is 
     authorized to award grants to States, private or public 
     colleges or universities, fraternities, and sororities to 
     assist them in providing fire sprinkler systems, or other 
     fire suppression or prevention technologies, for their 
     student housing and dormitories.
       (b) Matching Funds Requirement.--The Secretary of Education 
     may not award a grant under this section unless the entity 
     receiving the grant provides, from State, local, or private 
     sources, matching funds in an amount equal to not less than 
     one-half of the cost of the activities for which assistance 
     is sought.

     SEC. 5. PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS.

       (a) Application.--Each entity desiring a grant under this 
     Act shall submit to the Secretary of Education an application 
     at such time and in such manner as the Secretary may require.
       (b) Priority.--In awarding grants under this Act, the 
     Secretary shall give priority to applicants that demonstrate 
     in the application submitted under subsection (a) the 
     inability to fund the sprinkler system, or other fire 
     suppression or prevention technology, from sources other than 
     funds provided under this Act.
       (c) Limitation on Administrative Expenses.--An entity that 
     receives a grant under this Act shall not use more than 4 
     percent of the grant funds for administrative expenses.

     SEC. 6. DATA AND REPORT.

       The Comptroller General shall--
       (1) gather data on the number of college and university 
     housing facilities and dormitories that have and do not have 
     fire sprinkler systems and other fire suppression or 
     prevention technologies; and
       (2) report such data to Congress.

     SEC. 7. ADMISSIBILITY.

       Notwithstanding any other provision of law, any application 
     for assistance under this Act, any negative determination on 
     the part of the Secretary of Education with respect to such 
     application, or any statement of reasons for the 
     determination, shall not be admissible as evidence in any 
     proceeding of any court, agency, board, or other entity.
                                 ______