[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 152 (2006), Part 16]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 21722]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                THE CAMPUS FIRE SAFETY RIGHT TO KNOW ACT

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. BILL PASCRELL, JR.

                             of new jersey

                    in the house of representatives

                      Thursday, September 28, 2006

  Mr. PASCRELL. Mr. Speaker, in March 2006 the Campus Fire Safety Right 
to Know Act passed the House of Representatives as part of the College 
Access and Opportunity Act of 2006. This landmark legislation called 
for colleges and universities across the United States to report vital 
fire safety information to the U.S. Department of Education so that 
prospective students and their parents could make informed decisions 
regarding a fire-safe school based on criteria such as the installation 
of automatic fire sprinkler systems, automatic fire alarm systems, fire 
prevention training, and other related factors.
  The fact that this legislation passed the House of Representatives 
was due, in no small part, to the tremendous support provided by 
leading fire safety organizations. Each of these organizations works 
tirelessly every day to improve fire safety for our citizens, and their 
contribution to the passage of this bill was instrumental.
  These organizations include: The Center for Campus Fire Safety, the 
Congressional Fire Services Institute, the International Fire Chiefs 
Association, the International Code Council, the International Fire 
Marshals Association, the National Association of State Fire Marshals, 
the National Electrical Manufacturers Association, the National Fire 
Protection Association, the National Fire Sprinkler Association, the 
Society of Fire Protection Engineers, and Underwriters Laboratories.
  I want to offer my heartfelt thanks to these associations for their 
hard work and dedication to the safety of the students of this Nation. 
They are to be commended for their commitment to the cause of fire 
safety and for their support in the passage of the Campus Fire Safety 
Right to Know Act.
  I also want to thank my friends on the Education and Workforce 
Committee who worked to make passage possible. My colleagues 
Representatives Rob Andrews, Carolyn McCarthy, Joe Wilson, Chairman 
Buck McKeon, and former Chairman (and current Majority Leader) John 
Boehner were immensely helpful in passing our amendment in Committee 
and I am eternally grateful for their support.
  Mr. Speaker, I will not stop fighting to enact legislation to ensure 
a safe school environment for all college and university students. This 
is the least we can do for the young people of this nation. When we 
entrust our children to any institution, we expect that they will be in 
a safe environment. And we have the right to expect that much.

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