[Congressional Record Volume 154, Number 113 (Thursday, July 10, 2008)]
[Senate]
[Pages S6561-S6562]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Mr. CASEY (for himself, Mr. Sanders, and Ms. Mikulski):
  S. 3237. A bill to assist volunteer fire companies in coping with the 
precipitous rise in fuel prices; to the Committee on Banking, Housing, 
and Urban Affairs.
  Mr. CASEY. Mr. President, I rise today to introduce legislation, 
along with my colleagues Senator Sanders and Senator Mikulski, that 
will provide immediate assistance to our Nation's volunteer 
firefighters who have been severely affected by the rising cost of 
gasoline and diesel fuel. This bill, the Supporting America's Volunteer 
Emergency Services Act, or SAVES Act, will establish a new grant 
program at the Department of Housing and Urban Development to help 
qualifying volunteer fire companies cope with the strain that today's 
gas and diesel prices have put on their already tight operating 
budgets. According to the United States Fire Administration, over 
22,141 fire companies, 89 percent of all fire companies in the United 
States, are volunteer or majority volunteer companies. 39 percent of 
our country's population, some 117 million people, relies on these 
volunteer forces to protect their homes and businesses. In recent 
months, I have heard from fire chiefs across Pennsylvania about the 
effect that high gas and diesel prices are having on their daily 
operations. Some have expressed serious concerns that fuel costs are 
preventing them from responding to emergency calls with the amount of 
equipment recommended by their National Fire Protection Association 
guidelines. This poses a serious risk to public safety. Congress has an 
obligation to address this issue, for we simply cannot afford to let 
high gas prices stand in the way of firefighters' ability to provide 
local families and businesses with the help they need.
  I was lucky to have 6 fire chiefs from York County, Pennsylvania, on 
hand today to help me bring attention to this issue. These gentlemen, 
Deputy Chief Barry Emig of the York Area United Fire and Rescue, Deputy 
Chief Joe Madzelan of the Manchester Township Fire Services, Chief 
William Carlisle of the Fairview Township Fire Department, Assistant 
Chief Trever Rentzel of the Manchester Union Fire Company, chief Tony 
Myers of the Shrewsbury Fire Department, and Chief John Senft of York 
City Fire and Rescue, have helped me and others understand the impact 
that high fuel prices have made on each of their departments' bottom 
line. I want to thank them for going above and beyond the call of duty 
to help me in this effort.
  The program created under the SAVES Act would set a baseline gas and 
diesel price using 2007 price data. Each year, volunteer companies that 
wished to participate would submit their annual fuel receipts. They 
would then be eligible to receive 75 percent of the difference between 
how much they paid for gas and diesel that year, and how much that same 
amount of fuel would have cost at 2007 prices. This straightforward, 
commonsense approach will help to ensure that volunteer fire companies 
do not have to restrain their response to emergency calls.
  I would like to thank my colleagues Senator Sanders and Senator 
Mikulski for agreeing to serve as original cosponsors of this important 
legislation. In addition, I appreciate the leadership of Congressman 
Jason Altmire in offering companion legislation in the House of 
Representatives. I hope that my colleagues in the Senate will join me 
in helping to pass the SAVES Act immediately so that our volunteer fire 
companies can receive some much-needed relief on their next trip to the 
pump.
  Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the text of the bill be 
printed in the Record.
  There being no objection, the text of the bill was ordered to be 
printed in the Record, as follows:

                                S. 3237

       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 ``Supporting America's 
     Volunteer Emergency Services Act of 2008''.

     SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

       Congress finds the following:
       (1) According to the Federal Emergency Management 
     Administration, in 2006 there were--
       (A) 807,150 volunteer firefighters, nearly 73 percent of 
     all active firefighters; and
       (B) 19,915 all-volunteer fire companies nationwide, 
     servicing 22.6 percent of the population of the United States 
     and 4,105 companies comprised of a majority of volunteers, 
     servicing 16.3 percent of the population of the United 
     States.
       (2) These volunteer companies, especially those serving 
     communities of fewer than 5,000 residents, rely heavily upon 
     fund-raising efforts and other potentially unreliable sources 
     of funding for their basic operating expenses.
       (3) According to the Energy Information Administration, 
     between June 2003 and June 2008, the price of regular grade 
     gasoline and diesel fuels rose 171 percent and 229 percent, 
     respectively.
       (4) These rising costs represent an unavoidable burden, and 
     have placed serious constraints on the ability of volunteer 
     companies to respond to fire emergencies.

     SEC. 3. DEFINITION OF QUALIFIED VOLUNTEER FIRE DEPARTMENT.

       In this Act, the term ``qualified volunteer fire 
     department'' has the same meaning given that term in section 
     150(e) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986.

[[Page S6562]]

     SEC. 4. GASOLINE AND DIESEL FUEL SUBSIDY PROGRAM.

       (a) Establishment of Baseline.--
       (1) In general.--The Secretary of Housing and Urban 
     Development shall, for calendar year 2007, determine for each 
     of the 5 Petroleum Administration for Defense Districts the 
     average annual price per gallon for--
       (A) gasoline; and
       (B) diesel fuel.
       (2) Basis for price per gallon.--The average annual price 
     per gallon determined under paragraph (1) shall be based 
     solely on data reported by the Energy Information 
     Administration.
       (3) Baseline.--The price per gallon determined under 
     paragraph (1) shall serve as the baseline fuel cost for each 
     Petroleum Administration for Defense District.
       (b) Payments.--
       (1) Submission of receipts.--At the end of each calendar 
     year, each qualified volunteer fire department seeking 
     reimbursement under this section shall submit to the 
     Secretary of Housing and Urban Development all of its 
     receipts and bills of sales documenting the amounts of 
     gasoline and diesel fuel purchased by such department during 
     that calendar year. Each department shall also provide a sum 
     total of the--
       (A) aggregate number of gallons of gasoline and diesel fuel 
     purchased by the department during that calendar year; and
       (B) costs of purchasing such gasoline and diesel fuel.
       (2) Determination of subsidy amounts.--The Secretary of 
     Housing and Urban Development shall reimburse a qualified 
     volunteer fire department for 75 percent of the difference 
     between--
       (A) the actual expenditures of the department for gasoline 
     and diesel fuel for a calendar year as determined under 
     paragraph (1); and
       (B) the amount that such expenditures would have cost had 
     the department determined such expenditures utilizing the 
     baseline fuels costs determined under subsection (a).
       (3) Special rule relating to states sales tax.--If the 
     State in which a qualified volunteer fire department is 
     located does not charge local or State fuel taxes on such 
     departments when such departments purchase gasoline or diesel 
     fuel, the amount of such omitted sales tax shall be added 
     back in to any determination made under paragraph (2)(A).
       (c) Regulations.--Not later than 60 days after the date of 
     enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Housing and Urban 
     Development shall promulgate such regulations as may be 
     necessary to implement and administer the grant and subsidy 
     programs authorized by this section.

     SEC. 5. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

       There are authorized to be appropriated such sums as are 
     necessary to carry out this Act.
                                 ______