United States Fire Administration Authorization Act of 2003

United States Fire Administration Authorization Act of 2003 - (Sec. 2) Re-establishes the position of United States Fire Administrator.

(Sec. 3) Amends the Federal Fire Prevention and Control Act of 1974 to require the Administrator to develop and implement a national residential fire sprinkler strategy that meets specified requirements.

(Sec. 4) Allows the use of fire prevention program grant assistance for training of firefighting personnel in maritime firefighting.

(Sec. 5) Transfers the duties of the Director of the United States Fire Administration to the Administrator with respect to the firefighter assistance grants program. Requires the Administrator to: (1) establish specific criteria for the selection of assistance recipients; and (2) provide grant-writing assistance to applicants.

(Sec. 6) Authorizes FY 2004 through 2006 appropriations for the Administrator to carry out this Act other than the firefighter assistance grants program.

(Sec. 7) Requires the Superintendent of the National Academy for Fire Prevention and Control to offer, at the Academy and other sites, courses and training assistance as necessary to accommodate all geographic regions and needs of career and volunteer firefighters.

(Sec. 8) Directs the Administrator to: (1) develop new, and utilize existing, measurement techniques and testing methodologies for evaluating firefighting technologies; (2) evaluate the compatibility of new and existing equipment and technology; and (3) support the development of new standards through national voluntary consensus standards organizations for new firefighting technologies. Requires the Administrator, by regulation, to require that new equipment or systems purchased through the assistance program established by the Act meet or exceed established applicable voluntary consensus standards. Allows the Administrator to waive this requirement. Requires a grant applicant, who proposes to purchase with assistance provided under the grant new equipment or systems that do not meet or exceed applicable voluntary consensus standards, to include in the application an explanation of why such equipment or systems will serve the needs of the applicant better than equipment or systems that do meet or exceed such standards. Allows a grant applicant to include a second grant request in the application to be considered by the Administrator in the event the primary grant request is not approved on the grounds of the equipment not meeting such standards.

Authorizes FY 2004 through 2006 appropriations for the Administrator to develop new firefighting technology.

(Sec. 9) Directs the Administrator to: (1) provide technical assistance and training to State and local fire service officials to establish nationwide and State mutual aid systems for dealing with national emergencies; and (2) develop and make model mutual aid plans for both intrastate and interstate assistance available to State and local fire service officials.

Requires the Administrator to report to specified congressional committees on the need for a strategy concerning deployment of volunteers and emergency response personnel, including a national credentialing system, in the event of a national emergency.

Requires the Director of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to: (1) revise the FEMA Federal Response Plan to incorporate plans for responding to terrorist attacks, particularly in urban areas, including fire detection and suppression and related emergency services; and (2) report to specified congressional committees on the action taken to comply with such revisions.

(Sec. 10) Authorizes the Superintendent of the National Academy for Fire Prevention and Control to train fire service personnel in: (1) strategies for building collapse rescue; (2) the use of technology in response to fires; (3) response, tactics, and strategies for dealing with terrorist-caused national catastrophes; (4) use of and familiarity with the FEMA's Federal Response Plan; (5) leadership and strategic skills, including integrated management systems operations and integrated response; (6) applying new technology and developing strategies and tactics for fighting forest fires; (7) integrating terrorism response agencies into the national terrorism incident response system; and (8) response tactics and strategies for fighting fires at U.S. ports, including fires on the water and aboard vessels.

Authorizes the Superintendent to consult with other Federal, State, and local agency officials in developing curricula for classes offered by the Academy.

Requires the Administrator, where appropriate, to coordinate training provided under the Act with the heads of other Federal agencies to: (1) ensure that such training does not duplicate existing courses available to fire service personnel; and (2) establish a mechanism for eliminating duplicative programs.

[Congressional Bills 108th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 2692 Introduced in House (IH)]






108th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 2692

   To authorize appropriations for activities under the Federal Fire 
Prevention and Control Act of 1974 for fiscal years 2004 through 2006, 
                        and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             July 10, 2003

  Mr. Smith of Michigan (for himself and Ms. Eddie Bernice Johnson of 
    Texas) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
                          Committee on Science

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
   To authorize appropriations for activities under the Federal Fire 
Prevention and Control Act of 1974 for fiscal years 2004 through 2006, 
                        and for other purposes.

    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 ``United States Fire Administration 
Authorization Act of 2003''.

SEC. 2. UNITED STATES FIRE ADMINISTRATOR.

    Notwithstanding section 1513 of the Homeland Security Act of 2002 
(6 U.S.C. 553), the Administrator of the United States Fire 
Administration shall continue to be appointed and compensated as 
provided under section 5(b) of the Federal Fire Prevention and Control 
Act of 1974 (15 U.S.C. 2204(b)).

SEC. 3. NATIONAL RESIDENTIAL FIRE SPRINKLER STRATEGY.

    Section 30 of the Federal Fire Prevention and Control Act of 1974 
(15 U.S.C. 2226) is amended--
            (1) by inserting ``(a) In General.--'' before ``The 
        Director, acting''; and
            (2) by adding at the end the following new subsection:
    ``(b) National Residential Fire Sprinkler Strategy.--The 
Administrator shall develop and implement a strategy for promoting the 
installation and use of residential fire sprinklers. The strategy shall 
include--
            ``(1) advocacy and informational support to relevant 
        stakeholders, including builders, insurers, and State and local 
        decisionmakers;
            ``(2) promotion of residential sprinklers in residences 
        supported by the Federal Government;
            ``(3) a particular focus on residences--
                    ``(A) at high risk to fire hazards; and
                    ``(B) with occupants at high risk to fire hazards, 
                such as senior citizens; and
            ``(4) a particular focus on localized fire suppression in 
        high-risk areas of residences, such as kitchens.''.

SEC. 4. SUPPORT FOR TRAINING TO FIGHT MARITIME FIRES.

    Subsection (b)(3)(B) of the first section 33 of the Federal Fire 
Prevention and Control Act of 1974 (15 U.S.C. 2229(b)(3)(B)) is amended 
by inserting ``maritime firefighting,'' after ``arson prevention and 
detection,''.

SEC. 5. FIREFIGHTER ASSISTANCE GRANTS PROGRAM.

    The first section 33 of the Federal Fire Prevention and Control Act 
of 1974 (15 U.S.C. 2229) is amended--
            (1) by striking ``Director'' each place it appears and 
        inserting ``Administrator'';
            (2) by amending subsection (b)(2) to read as follows:
            ``(2) Administrative assistance.--The Administrator shall 
        establish specific criteria for the selection of recipients of 
        assistance under this section and shall provide grant-writing 
        assistance to applicants.''; and
            (3) in subsection (e)(2), by striking ``operate the office 
        established under subsection (b)(2) and''.

SEC. 6. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

    Section 17(g) of the Federal Fire Prevention and Control Act of 
1974 (15 U.S.C. 2216(g)) is amended by striking ``to carry out the 
purposes'' and all that follows through the end of subparagraph (K) and 
inserting ``to the Administrator to carry out the purposes of this Act, 
other than the firefighter assistance program under section 33--
                    ``(A) $61,000,000 for fiscal year 2004;
                    ``(B) $62,830,000 for fiscal year 2005; and
                    ``(C) $65,000,000 for fiscal year 2006.''.

SEC. 7. COURSES AND TRAINING ASSISTANCE.

    Section 7(l) of the Federal Fire Prevention and Control Act of 1974 
(15 U.S.C. 2206(l)) is amended by adding at the end the following: 
``The Superintendent shall offer, at the Academy and at other sites, 
courses and training assistance as necessary to accommodate all 
geographic regions and needs of career and volunteer firefighters.''.
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