[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 128 (Tuesday, July 25, 2023)]
[House]
[Pages H3938-H3939]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




         FIRST RESPONDER ACCESS TO INNOVATIVE TECHNOLOGIES ACT

  Mr. GUEST. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the 
bill (H.R. 3254) to amend the Homeland Security Act of 2002 to 
establish a process to review applications for certain grants to 
purchase equipment or systems that do not meet or exceed any applicable 
national voluntary consensus standards, and for other purposes.
  The Clerk read the title of the bill.
  The text of the bill is as follows:

                               H.R. 3254

       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 ``First Responder Access to 
     Innovative Technologies Act''.

     SEC. 2. APPROVAL OF CERTAIN EQUIPMENT.

       (a) In General.--Section 2008 of the Homeland Security Act 
     of 2002 (6 U.S.C. 609) is amended--
       (1) in subsection (f)--
       (A) by striking ``If an applicant'' and inserting the 
     following:
       ``(1) Application requirement.--If an applicant''; and
       (B) by adding at the end the following new paragraphs:
       ``(2) Review process.--The Administrator shall implement a 
     uniform process for reviewing applications that, in 
     accordance with paragraph (1), contain explanations to use 
     grants provided under section 2003 or 2004 to purchase 
     equipment or systems that do not meet or exceed any 
     applicable national voluntary consensus standards developed 
     under section 647 of the Post-Katrina Emergency Management 
     Reform Act of 2006 (6 U.S.C. 747).
       ``(3) Factors.--In carrying out the review process under 
     paragraph (2), the Administrator shall consider the 
     following:
       ``(A) Current or past use of proposed equipment or systems 
     by Federal agencies or the Armed Forces.
       ``(B) The absence of a national voluntary consensus 
     standard for such equipment or systems.
       ``(C) The existence of an international consensus standard 
     for such equipment or systems, and whether such equipment or 
     systems meets such standard.
       ``(D) The nature of the capability gap identified by the 
     applicant and how such equipment or systems will address such 
     gap.
       ``(E) The degree to which such equipment or systems will 
     serve the needs of the applicant better than equipment or 
     systems that meet or exceed existing consensus standards.
       ``(F) Any other factor determined appropriate by the 
     Administrator.''; and
       (2) by adding at the end the following new subsection:
       ``(g) Review Process.--The Administrator shall implement a 
     uniform process for reviewing applications to use grants 
     provided under section 2003 or 2004 to purchase equipment or 
     systems not included on the Authorized Equipment List 
     maintained by the Administrator.''.
       (b) Inspector General Report.--Not later than three years 
     after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Inspector 
     General of the Department of Homeland Security shall submit 
     to the Committee on Homeland Security of the House of 
     Representatives and the Committee on Homeland Security and 
     Governmental Affairs of the Senate a report assessing the 
     implementation of the review process established under 
     paragraph (2) of subsection (f) of section 2008 of the 
     Homeland Security Act of 2002 (as added by subsection (a) of 
     this section), including information on the following:
       (1) The number of requests to purchase equipment or systems 
     that do not meet or exceed any applicable consensus standard 
     evaluated under such review process.
       (2) The capability gaps identified by applicants and the 
     number of such requests granted or denied.
       (3) The processing time for the review of such requests.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
Mississippi (Mr. Guest) and the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Payne) 
each will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Mississippi.


                             General Leave

  Mr. GUEST. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members 
have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and 
to include extraneous materials on H.R. 3254.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Mississippi?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. GUEST. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 3254, the First 
Responder Access to Innovative Technologies Act. It is a great piece of 
commonsense legislation that will put in place a better process for our 
first responders to access FEMA grants to purchase new equipment.
  I commend my colleague across the aisle, Mr. Payne, for his work on 
this legislation and supporting first responders. H.R. 3254 passed 
unanimously out of committee in May, and I urge my colleagues to 
support its final passage on the floor today.
  Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. PAYNE. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Madam Speaker, our communities look to our first responders to keep 
us safe. They are our hometown heroes, and it is a local and national 
tragedy whenever a first responder loses their life in the line of 
duty.
  Earlier this month, two brave Newark firefighters, Augusto Acabou and 
Wayne Brooks, Jr., lost their lives fighting a shipboard fire in the 
Port of Newark.
  That blaze also injured five of their courageous colleagues.
  I believe it is critical for first responders to be prepared by 
having the

[[Page H3939]]

tools and equipment necessary to execute their mission safely and 
efficiently.
  Congress supports first responders through DHS homeland security 
grant programs. However, communities cannot use such funding to 
purchase novel, state-of-the-art equipment because it is not on FEMA's 
authorized equipment list.
  This equipment is rendered ineligible not because it is inferior. It 
is ineligible because it is so innovative that it does not meet or 
exceed the consensus standards that FEMA relies upon.
  I first introduced this bill in the 114th Congress to require FEMA to 
establish an accessible and transparent process for such equipment to 
be evaluated. The House approved this legislation three times already. 
Each time it stalled in the Senate. Nevertheless, today I feel very 
confident that the fourth time is the charm. With the support of the 
International Association of Fire Chiefs, I am hopeful that this bill 
will get action in the Senate.
  With that, Madam Speaker, I encourage my colleagues to join me in 
sending a strong message to the Senate with a decisive ``yea'' vote on 
this bill.
  Our first responders are always there to help us. Now it is time to 
help them with the most modern equipment available to do their jobs.
  Madam Speaker, I encourage my colleagues to join me in supporting 
H.R. 3254, and I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. GUEST. Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. PAYNE. Madam Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time.
  Madam Speaker, in closing, we owe it to our hometown heroes to give 
them access to the necessary tools to carry out their missions safely 
and effectively.
  H.R. 3254 would allow communities to use DHS grant funding to 
purchase advanced lifesaving technology such as systems to track 
firefighters in burning buildings or wildland fires.
  It was cosponsored by the gentleman from Alabama, Representative 
Strong, and endorsed by the International Association of Fire Chiefs. 
The House approved the First Responder Access to Innovative 
Technologies Act in the 114th, 115th, and 116th Congresses. It is time 
for us to come together to get this bill enacted.
  Madam Speaker, this is very timely legislation. I am sure that people 
saw the tragedy that we had in Newark, New Jersey, in my district where 
we lost two firefighters fighting a fire on a ship in the Port of 
Newark. They needed this type of equipment.
  Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. GUEST. Madam Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time.
  Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues in both the House and the Senate 
to support this legislation, H.R. 3254, which would support our first 
responders, and I yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from Mississippi (Mr. Guest) that the House suspend the rules 
and pass the bill, H.R. 3254.
  The question was taken.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. In the opinion of the Chair, two-thirds 
being in the affirmative, the ayes have it.
  Mr. GUEST. Madam Speaker, I object to the vote on the ground that a 
quorum is not present and make the point of order that a quorum is not 
present.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX, further 
proceedings on this question will be postponed.
  The point of no quorum is considered withdrawn.

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