Honorable Stephanie Tubbs Jones College Fire Prevention Act - Directs the Secretary of Education to make competitive demonstration grants to institutions of higher education (IHEs), fraternities, and sororities for up to half the cost of installing fire sprinkler systems, or other fire suppression or prevention technologies, in student housing and dormitories owned or controlled by such entities.
Gives grant priority to applicants that demonstrate the greatest financial need.
Reserves the following portions of grant funds made available for each fiscal year: (1) at least 10% for historically Black colleges and universities, Hispanic-serving institutions, tribally controlled colleges and universities, Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian-serving institutions, and IHEs that are eligible for Institutional Aid under the Higher Education Act of 1965; and (2) at least 10% for social fraternities and sororities.
Prohibits the use of more than 2% of a grant for administrative expenses.
Directs the Secretary to report to Congress regarding such grant program and governmental policies that impede the development and installation of fire suppression or prevention technologies.
Authorizes FY2009-FY2011 appropriations for the grant program.
Provides that any application for assistance under this Act, any negative determination on the part of the Secretary with respect to such application, or any statement of reasons for the determination, shall not be admissible as evidence in any proceeding of any court, agency, board, or other entity (except a proceeding to enforce an agreement entered into between the Secretary and a grantee under this Act).
[Congressional Bills 110th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Printing Office]
[H.R. 642 Introduced in House (IH)]
110th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 642
To establish a demonstration incentive program within the Department of
Education to promote installation of fire sprinkler systems, or other
fire suppression or prevention technologies, in qualified student
housing and dormitories, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
January 23, 2007
Mrs. Jones of Ohio (for herself and Mr. Whitfield) introduced the
following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Education and
Labor
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To establish a demonstration incentive program within the Department of
Education to promote installation of fire sprinkler systems, or other
fire suppression or prevention technologies, in qualified student
housing and dormitories, 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; FINDINGS.
(a) Short Title.--This Act may be cited as the ``College Fire
Prevention Act''.
(b) Findings.--The Congress finds the following:
(1) On March 2, 2006, a fire destroyed a residence hall at
Salve Regina University in Newport, Rhode Island.
(2) On January 24, 2006, a college-owned home at Monmouth
College in Illinois was destroyed by a fire, displacing five
students.
(3) On October 8, 2005, a security officer, rather than
fire alarms, alerted 22 occupants of a residence hall at Taylor
University in Fort Wayne, Indiana to an early-morning fire. Due
to the extensive amount of damage, all residents were forced to
relocate to other rooms on campus.
(4) On April 26, 2005, a fire at Southern Adventist
University in Collegedale, Tennessee claimed the life of Kelly
Weimer, a junior English major from Woodridge, Illinois.
Occurring in the kitchenette and lounge area of Thatcher Hall,
a three-story women's residence hall, the cause of the fire
remains to be determined.
(5) On March 23, 2005, a morning fire at a George
Washington University residence hall left a freshman in
critical condition. According to officials, the fire most
likely began around 5:00 a.m. in a room on the top floor of
Thurston Hall, a nine-story building which housed 1,000
freshmen. Four rooms were damaged by the fire. The building was
not equipped with sprinkler systems in each room.
(6) According to the Center for Campus Fire Safety, a non-
profit organization which compiles information on campus-
related fires, 99 people have been killed in student housing
nationwide since January 2000.
SEC. 2. ESTABLISHMENT OF FIRE SUPPRESSION DEMONSTRATION INCENTIVE
PROGRAM.
(a) Grants.--The Secretary of Education (in this Act referred to as
the ``Secretary''), in consultation with the United States Fire
Administration, shall establish a demonstration program to award grants
on a competitive basis to eligible entities for the purpose of
installing fire sprinkler systems, or other fire suppression or
prevention technologies, in student housing and dormitories owned or
controlled by such entities.
(b) Eligible Entity.--For purposes of this Act, the term ``eligible
entity'' means any of the following:
(1) An accredited public or private institution of higher
education (as that term is defined in section 101 of the Higher
Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1001)).
(2) An accredited historically Black college or university
(as that term is used in section 322 of the Higher Education
Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1061)).
(3) An accredited Hispanic-serving institution (as that
term is defined in section 502 of the Higher Education Act of
1965 (20 U.S.C. 1101a)).
(4) An accredited tribally controlled college or university
(as that term is defined in section 2 of the Tribally
Controlled College or University Assistance Act of 1978 (25
U.S.C. 1801)).
(5) A social fraternity or sorority exempt from taxation
under section 501(a) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 (26
U.S.C. 501(a)), the active membership of which consists
primarily of students in attendance at an accredited
institution of higher education.
(c) Selection Priority.--In making grants under subsection (a), the
Secretary shall give priority to eligible entities that demonstrate the
greatest financial need.
(d) Reservations.--Of the amount made available to the Secretary
for grants under this section for each fiscal year, the Secretary shall
award--
(1) not less than 10 percent to eligible entities that are
historically Black colleges and universities, Hispanic-serving
institutions, and tribally controlled colleges and
universities; and
(2) not less than 10 percent to eligible entities that are
social fraternities and sororities.
(e) Application.--To seek a grant under this section, an eligible
entity shall submit an application to the Secretary at such time, in
such manner, and accompanied by such information as the Secretary may
require.
(f) Matching Requirement.--As a condition on receipt of a grant
under subsection (a), the applicant shall provide (directly or through
donations from public or private entities) non-Federal matching funds
in an amount equal to not less than 50 percent of the cost of the
activities for which assistance is sought.
(g) Limitation on Administrative Expenses.--Not more than 10
percent of a grant made under subsection (a) may be expended for
administrative expenses with respect to the grant.
(h) Reports.--Not later than 12 months after the date of the first
award of a grant under this section and annually thereafter until
completion of the program, the Secretary shall provide to the Congress
a report that includes the following:
(1) The number and types of eligible entities receiving
assistance under this section.
(2) The amounts of such assistance, the amounts and sources
of non-Federal funding leveraged for activities under grants
under this section, and any other relevant financial
information.
(3) The number and types of student housing fitted with
fire suppression or prevention technologies with assistance
under this section, and the number of students protected by
such technologies.
(4) The types of fire suppression or prevention
technologies installed with assistance under this section, and
the costs of such technologies.
(5) Identification of Federal and State policies that
present impediments to the development and installation of fire
suppression or prevention technologies.
(6) Any other information determined by the Secretary to be
useful to evaluating the overall effectiveness of the program
established under this section in improving the fire safety of
student housing.
(i) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized to be
appropriated to carry out this Act $100,000,000 for each of the fiscal
years 2008 through 2011. At the end of fiscal year 2011, all
unobligated appropriations authorized under this subsection shall
revert to the general fund of the Treasury.
SEC. 3. ADMISSIBILITY AS EVIDENCE.
(a) Prohibition.--Notwithstanding any other provision of law and
subject to subsection (b), any application for assistance under this
Act, any negative determination on the part of the Secretary with
respect to such application, or any statement of reasons for the
determination, shall not be admissible as evidence in any proceeding of
any court, agency, board, or other entity.
(b) Exception.--This section does not apply to the admission of an
application, determination, or statement described in subsection (a) as
evidence in a proceeding to enforce an agreement entered into between
the Secretary and an eligible entity under section 2.
<all>
Introduced in House
Introduced in House
Referred to the House Committee on Education and Labor.
Referred to the Subcommittee on Higher Education, Lifelong Learning, and Competitiveness.
Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR H10786)
Mrs. Davis (CA) moved to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended.
Considered under suspension of the rules. (consideration: CR H8528-8530)
DEBATE - The House proceeded with forty minutes of debate on H.R. 642.
CHANGE OF SPONSORSHIP - Mr. Clyburn asked unanimous consent that he be considered the first sponsor of H.R. 642 for the purposes of adding cosponsors and requesting reprints pursuant to clause 7 of rule XII. Agreed to without objection.
At the conclusion of debate, the Yeas and Nays were demanded and ordered. Pursuant to the provisions of clause 8, rule XX, the Chair announced that further proceedings on the motion would be postponed.
Considered as unfinished business. (consideration: CR H8658-8659)
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Passed/agreed to in House: On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended Agreed to by the Yeas and Nays: (2/3 required): 365 - 51 (Roll no. 627).(text: CR H8659)
Roll Call #627 (House)On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended Agreed to by the Yeas and Nays: (2/3 required): 365 - 51 (Roll no. 627). (text: CR H8659)
Roll Call #627 (House)Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
The title of the measure was amended. Agreed to without objection.
Received in the Senate.
Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.