[Senate Report 117-214]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
Calendar No. 567
117th Congress} { Report
SENATE
2d Session } { 117-214
======================================================================
FIRE GRANTS AND SAFETY ACT
__________
R E P O R T
OF THE
COMMITTEE ON HOMELAND SECURITY AND
GOVERNMENTAL AFFAIRS
UNITED STATES SENATE
TO ACCOMPANY
S. 4882
TO AMEND THE FEDERAL FIRE PREVENTION AND
CONTROL ACT OF 1974 TO AUTHORIZE APPROPRIATIONS
FOR THE UNITED STATES FIRE ADMINISTRATION AND
FIREFIGHTER ASSISTANCE GRANT PROGRAMS
[GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]
November 28, 2022.--Ordered to be printed
__________
U.S. GOVERNMENT PUBLISHING OFFICE
39-010 WASHINGTON : 2022
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COMMITTEE ON HOMELAND SECURITY AND GOVERNMENTAL AFFAIRS
GARY C. PETERS, Michigan, Chairman
THOMAS R. CARPER, Delaware ROB PORTMAN, Ohio
MAGGIE HASSAN, New Hampshire RON JOHNSON, Wisconsin
KYRSTEN SINEMA, Arizona RAND PAUL, Kentucky
JACKY ROSEN, Nevada JAMES LANKFORD, Oklahoma
ALEX PADILLA, California MITT ROMNEY, Utah
JON OSSOFF, Georgia RICK SCOTT, Florida
JOSH HAWLEY, Missouri
David M. Weinberg, Staff Director
Zachary I. Schram, Chief Counsel
Christopher J. Mulkins, Director of Homeland Security
Naveed Jazayeri, Senior Professional Staff Member
Pamela Thiessen, Minority Staff Director
Sam J. Mulopulos, Minority Deputy Staff Director
Clyde E. Hicks Jr., Minority Director of Homeland Security
Laura W. Kilbride, Chief Clerk
Calendar No. 567
117th Congress} { Report
SENATE
2d Session } { 117-214
======================================================================
FIRE GRANTS AND SAFETY ACT
_______
November 28, 2022.--Ordered to be printed
_______
Mr. Peters, from the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental
Affairs, submitted the following
R E P O R T
[To accompany S. 4882]
[Including cost estimate of the Congressional Budget Office]
The Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental
Affairs, to which was referred the bill (S. 4882) to amend the
Federal Fire Prevention and Control Act of 1974 to authorize
appropriations for the United States Fire Administration and
firefighter assistance grant programs, having considered the
same, reports favorably thereon with amendments and recommends
that the bill, as amended, do pass.
CONTENTS
Page
I. Purpose and Summary..............................................1
II. Background and Need for the Legislation..........................2
III. Legislative History..............................................3
IV. Section-by-Section Analysis of the Bill, as Reported.............3
V. Evaluation of Regulatory Impact..................................4
VI. Congressional Budget Office Cost Estimate........................4
VII. Changes in Existing Law Made by the Bill, as Reported............7
I. Purpose and Summary
S. 4882, the Fire Grants and Safety Act, would reauthorize
the Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER)
grant program, the Assistance to Firefighters Grant (AFG)
program, and the United States Fire Administration (USFA). The
current authorization of appropriations for all three entities
expires in 2023, and SAFER and AFG have a program sunset in
2024. The bill would extend all three authorizations until 2030
and impose a new sunset clause of 2032 for the SAFER and AFG
programs. It also authorizes appropriations for USFA at $95
million for the entire time period, an increase from the
current authorization of $76.5 million. It does not change the
SAFER and AFG authorization amounts, which was set at $750
million each in 2013 and is adjusted for inflation every year.
II. Background and Need for the Legislation
Firefighters in the United States play a critical role in
mitigating and responding to the persistent threat of fires
that occur at our homes, businesses, across landscapes, and
other locations in our communities. Fires remain a persistent
threat across the country. In 2021, there were an estimated
1.35 million fires responded to by local fire departments in
the United States.\1\ These fires caused 3,800 civilian deaths
and an estimated $15.9 billion in property damage.\2\ Fire
stations across the country rely on SAFER, AFG, and the USFA
for critical resources and information to protect both their
communities and firefighting personnel.
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\1\National Fire Protection Association, Fire Loss in the United
States During 2021 (Sept.
2022) (https://www.nfpa.org/ /media/Files/News%20and%20Research/
Fire%20statistics%20and% 20reports/US%20Fire%20Problem/
osFireLoss.ashx).
\2\Id.
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Firefighting and the providing of fire protection services
is generally the responsibility of local governments, with
funding coming from a mix of state, county, and city
resources.\3\ Due to state and local budget shortfalls in the
1990s, and increased responsibilities such as counterterrorism,
fire community stakeholders called for additional funding from
the federal government.\4\ The AFG program was authorized in
the 106th Congress to provide federal funding for equipment and
training directly to local fire departments.\5\ After the AFG
program was created, stakeholders in the fire services
community argued that there remained a critical need for a
federal program to provide grants to help fire departments
recruit and retain firefighters, and that without federal
assistance local fire departments would be unable to meet
national consensus standards for minimum staffing levels. In
response, Congress passed the SAFER Act in the 108th Congress
which authorized the SAFER grant program to help address fire
department staffing needs.\6\ The USFA was created after a
report from the National Commission on Fire Prevention and
Control, entitled America Burning.\7\ The Commission
recommended the creation of a federal fire agency which would
provide support to state and local governments and private fire
organizations in their efforts to reduce fire deaths, injuries,
and property loss.\8\
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\3\Congressional Research Service, Staffing for Adequate Fire and
Emergency Response: The SAFER Grant Program (RL33375) (Apr. 25, 2019).
\4\Id.
\5\Federal Fire Prevention and Control Act of 1974, Pub. L. No. 93-
498, Sec. 33 (2019).
\6\Federal Fire Prevention and Control Act of 1974, as amended,
Pub. L. No. 93-498, Sec. 34. (2004).
\7\Federal Fire Prevention and Control Act of 1974, Pub. L. No. 95-
422.
\8\Congressional Research Service, United States Fire
Administration: An Overview (RS20071) (Apr. 25, 2019).
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The SAFER program provides grants from the Federal
Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to career, volunteer, and
combination local fire departments for the purpose of
increasing the number of firefighters to help communities meet
industry-minimum standards and attain 24-hour staffing to
provide adequate protection from fire and fire-related
hazards.\9\ The AFG program provides grants from FEMA to local
fire departments and unaffiliated Emergency Medical Services
(EMS) organizations to help address a variety of equipment,
training, and other firefighter-related and EMS needs.\10\
USFA's mission is to provide leadership, coordination, and
support for the nation's fire prevention and control, fire
training and education, and emergency medical services
activities, and to prepare first responders and health care
leaders to react to hazard and terrorism emergencies of all
kinds.\11\ One of USFA's key objectives is to significantly
reduce the nation's loss of life from fire, while also
achieving a reduction in property loss and nonfatal injury due
to fire. They work to achieve this through data collection,
research, trainings, and public education.
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\9\Id.
\10\Congressional Research Service, Assistance to Firefighters
Program: Distribution of Fire Grant Funding (RL32341) (Apr. 25, 2019).
\11\Federal Emergency Management Agency, U.S. Fire Administration
Fiscal Year 2021 Report to Congress (Aug. 30, 2022).
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This legislation will ensure firefighters, EMS workers, and
other stakeholders will continue to have access to critical
grant funding and information to help keep themselves, and
their communities, safe. This legislation would extend all
three authorizations until 2030 and impose a new sunset clause
of 2032 for the SAFER and AFG programs. Additionally, the bill
increases the authorization of appropriation for the USFA from
the current $76.5 million to $95 million.
III. Legislative History
S. 4882 was introduced on September 19, 2022 by Senators
Peters (D-MI) and Portman (R-OH), and referred to the Senate
Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs.
Senators Carper (D-DE) and Collins (R-ME) joined as cosponsors
of the bill on September 28, 2022. The Committee considered
this bill at a business meeting on September 28, 2022. During
the meeting, Senator Scott offered an amendment that would
strike the repeal of the AFG and SAFER sunsets and add a sunset
in 2030 for both programs. Senator Peters offered a second-
degree amendment to Scott's amendment that made the sunset year
2032 instead of 2030.
The Committee adopted Scott Amendment 1, as amended by the
Peters second-degree amendment, and reported the bill favorably
by voice vote, as amended. The Senators present for the vote
were Peters, Carper, Hassan, Sinema, Rosen, Padilla, Ossoff,
Portman, Johnson, Lankford, Romney, Scott, and Hawley.
IV. Section-by-Section Analysis of the Bill, as Reported
Section 1. Short title
This section designates the name of the bill as the ``Fire
Grants and Safety Act.''
Section 2. Reauthorization of the United States Fire Administration
This section reauthorizes the authorization for
appropriations of the United States Fire Administration (USFA)
at $95 million for fiscal years 2024 through 2030. This section
states that $3.42 million of the funds appropriated will be
used to carry out technology development and standards
development.
Section 3. Reauthorization of assistance for Firefighters grants
program and the Fire Prevention and Safety grants program
Subsection (a) changes the current sunset provision from
2024 to 2032 for the AFG program.
Subsection (b) extends the authorization of appropriations
for the AFG program through fiscal year 2030.
Section 4. Reauthorization of Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency
Response grant program
Subsection (a) changes the current sunset provision from
2024 to 2032 for the SAFER grant program.
Subsection (b) extends the authorization of appropriations
for the SAFER grant program through fiscal year 2030.
V. Evaluation of Regulatory Impact
Pursuant to the requirements of paragraph 11(b) of rule
XXVI of the Standing Rules of the Senate, the Committee has
considered the regulatory impact of this bill and determined
that the bill will have no regulatory impact within the meaning
of the rules. The Committee agrees with the Congressional
Budget Office's statement that the bill contains no
intergovernmental or private-sector mandates as defined in the
Unfunded Mandates Reform Act (UMRA) and would impose no costs
on state, local, or tribal governments.
VI. Congressional Budget Office Cost Estimate
U.S. Congress,
Congressional Budget Office,
Washington, DC, November 9, 2022.
Hon. Gary C. Peters,
Chairman, Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs, U.S.
Senate, Washington, DC.
Dear Mr. Chairman: The Congressional Budget Office has
prepared the enclosed table summarizing estimated budgetary
effects and mandates information for some of the legislation
that has been ordered reported by the Senate Committee on
Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs during the 117th
Congress.
If you wish further details, we will be pleased to provide
them. The CBO staff contact for each estimate is listed on the
enclosed table.
Sincerely,
Phillip L. Swagel,
Director.
Enclosure.
SUMMARY ESTIMATES OF LEGISLATION ORDERED REPORTED
The Congressional Budget Act of 1974 requires the
Congressional Budget Office, to the extent practicable, to
prepare estimates of the budgetary effects of legislation
ordered reported by Congressional authorizing committees. In
order to provide the Congress with as much information as
possible, the attached table summarizes information about the
estimated direct spending and revenue effects of some of the
legislation that has been ordered reported by the Senate
Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs during
the 117th Congress. The legislation listed in this table
generally would have small effects, if any, on direct spending
or revenues, CBO estimates. Where possible, the table also
provides information about the legislation's estimated effects
on spending subject to appropriation and on intergovernmental
and private-sector mandates as defined in the Unfunded Mandates
Reform Act.
LEGISLATION ORDERED REPORTED BY THE SENATE COMMITTEE ON HOMELAND SECURITY AND GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS ESTIMATED BUDGETARY EFFECTS AND MANDATES INFORMATION
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Increases
Direct Spending Subject Pay-As-You- On-Budget
Bill Title Status Last Budget Spending, Revenues, to Go Deficits Mandates Contact
Number Action Function 2023-2032 2023-2032 Appropriation, Procedures Beginning
2023-2027 Apply? in 2033?
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S. 4882 Fire Grants Ordered 09/28/22 450 0 0 Not estimated No No No Jon Sperl
and Safety reported
Act
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S. 4882 would reauthorize appropriations for the operation of the U.S. Fire Administration and two grant programs administered by the agency that
provide assistance to state, local, and tribal fire departments. Those programs provide assistance for hiring and retaining firefighters and first
responders as well as for training and for procuring equipment and vehicles. CBO estimates that enacting S. 4882 would not affect direct spending or
revenues. CBO has not estimated the discretionary costs of implementing the bill. The bill contains no intergovernmental or private-sector mandates as
defined in the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act.
VII. Changes in Existing Law Made by the Bill, as Reported
In compliance with paragraph 12 of rule XXVI of the
Standing Rules of the Senate, changes in existing law made by
the bill, as reported, are shown as follows: (existing law
proposed to be omitted is enclosed in brackets, new matter is
printed in italic, and existing law in which no change is
proposed is shown in roman):
FEDERAL FIRE PREVENTION AND CONTROL ACT OF 1974
* * * * * * *
SEC. 17. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.
(a) * * *
* * * * * * *
(g)(1) Except as otherwise specifically provided with
respect to the payment of claims under section 11 of this Act,
there are authorized to be appropriated to carry out the
purposes of this Act--
(A) $63,000,000 for fiscal year 2005, of which
$2,266,000 shall be used to carry out section 8(f);
(L) $76,490,890 for fiscal year 2016, of which
$2,753,672 shall be used to carry out section 8(f);
[and]
(M) $76,490,890 for each of fiscal years 2017 through
2023, of which $2,753,672 for each such fiscal year
shall be used to carry out section 8(f)[.]; and
(N) $95,000,000 for each fiscal years 2024 through
2030, of which $3,420,000 for each such fiscal year
shall be used to carry out section 8(f).
SEC. 33. FIREFIGHTER ASSISTANCE.
(q) Authorization of Appropriations.--
(1) In general.--There is authorized to be
appropriated to carry out this section--
(A) * * *
(B) for each of fiscal years 2014 through
[2023] 2030, an amount equal to the amount
authorized for the previous fiscal year
increased by the percentage by which--
(i) * * *
(ii) * * *
(2) * * *
(3) * * *
(r) Sunset of Authorities.--The authority to award
assistance and grants under this section shall expire on
September 30, [2024] 2032.
SEC. 34. STAFFING FOR ADEQUATE FIRE AND EMERGENCY RESPONSE.
(j) Authorization of Appropriations.--
(1) In general.--There are authorized to be
appropriated for the purposes of carrying out this
section--
(I) for each of fiscal years 2014 through
[2023] 2030, an amount equal to the amount
authorized for the previous fiscal year
increased by the percentage by which--
(i) * * *
(ii) * * *
(2) * * *
(3) * * *
(k) Sunset of Authorities.--The authority to award
assistance and grants under this section shall expire
on September 30, [2024] 2032.
* * * * * * *
[all]