National Fire Academy RESCUE Act

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 5777 Introduced in House (IH)]

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119th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 5777

To amend the Federal Fire Prevention and Control Act of 1974 to direct 
    the Administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency to 
reimburse certain expenses during a period in which there is a lapse in 
  appropriations for the Federal Emergency Management Agency and for 
                            other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            October 17, 2025

Mrs. McClain Delaney (for herself, Mr. Moulton, Mrs. McIver, Ms. Craig, 
   Mr. Landsman, Ms. Bonamici, Mr. Subramanyam, Mr. Carson, and Ms. 
   Lofgren) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
              Committee on Science, Space, and Technology

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To amend the Federal Fire Prevention and Control Act of 1974 to direct 
    the Administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency to 
reimburse certain expenses during a period in which there is a lapse in 
  appropriations for the Federal Emergency Management Agency 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 ``National Fire Academy Reimbursement 
for Emergency Service Course Unavailability and Expenses Act'' or the 
``National Fire Academy RESCUE Act''.

SEC. 2. REIMBURSEMENT OF CERTAIN EXPENSES DURING A LAPSE IN 
              APPROPRIATIONS FOR THE NATIONAL ACADEMY FOR FIRE 
              PREVENTION AND CONTROL.

    (a) Reimbursement of Certain Expenses.--Section 7 of the Federal 
Fire Prevention and Control Act of 1974 (15 U.S.C. 2206) is amended--
            (1) by redesignating subsection (n) as subsection (o); and
            (2) by inserting after subsection (m) the following new 
        subsection:
    ``(n) Reimbursement of Certain Expenses.--
            ``(1) In general.--With respect to a covered course or 
        activity that is cancelled during a period in which there is a 
        lapse in appropriations, or as a result of such a lapse, for 
        the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the Administrator of 
        FEMA, subject to paragraph (2), shall reimburse a fire 
        department for any covered expense related to such covered 
        course or activity not later than 90 days after the later of--
                    ``(A) the date such period ends, if applicable; or
                    ``(B) the date the Administrator of FEMA receives 
                an itemization under paragraph (3) from such fire 
                department relating to such covered course or activity.
            ``(2) Good cause.--A reimbursement under paragraph (1) 
        shall not apply with respect to a covered course or activity 
        that is cancelled if such covered course or activity is 
        cancelled for good cause.
            ``(3) Itemization of expenses.--Not later than 30 days 
        after the date on which a lapse in appropriations for the 
        Federal Emergency Management Agency ends, the fire chief or 
        other appropriate head of a fire department affected by a 
        covered course or activity that is cancelled during any such 
        period, or as a result of any such lapse, may submit to the 
        Administrator of FEMA an application for reimbursement that 
        includes an itemization of each covered expense incurred by 
        such fire department.
            ``(4) Definitions.--In this subsection:
                    ``(A) Backfill expense.--The term `backfill 
                expense' means an expense incurred for the following:
                            ``(i) Staffing adjustments.
                            ``(ii) Overtime compensation.
                    ``(B) Covered course or activity.--The term 
                `covered course or activity' means--
                            ``(i) a course or program that is offered 
                        by the Academy--
                                    ``(I) in-person and on-campus;
                                    ``(II) in-person and off-campus; or
                                    ``(III) through synchronous or 
                                asynchronous virtual instruction; or
                            ``(ii) a conference or symposium that is 
                        offered by the Academy in-person and on-campus.
                    ``(C) Covered expense.--The term `covered expense' 
                means any expense that a fire department incurred for 
                the planned participation of the personnel of such fire 
                department in a covered course or activity, including 
                the following:
                            ``(i) Any travel expense.
                            ``(ii) Any backfill expense.
                    ``(D) Good cause.--The term `good cause' includes 
                the following:
                            ``(i) The closure of a facility of the 
                        Academy for any reason other than a lapse in 
                        appropriations.
                            ``(ii) The illness or unavailability of an 
                        instructor of the Academy.
                            ``(iii) A national emergency that impedes 
                        access to a facility of the Academy by a 
                        student or faculty member of the Academy.''.
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