A bill to direct the Secretary of Homeland Security to conduct a survey to determine the level of compliance with national consensus standards and any barriers to achieving compliance with such standards, and for other purposes.

Summary: Firefighter Fatality Reduction Act of 2008 - Directs the Secretary of Homeland Security to: (1) conduct a survey of and report to Congress on the compliance of fire departments in the United States with national consensus standards for staffing, training, safe operations, personal protective equipment, and fitness relating to fire department operations and firefighting practices; and (2) establish a Task Force to Enhance Firefighter Safety to develop a plan to enhance firefighter safety by increasing compliance with such standards and to consider ways in which the federal government, states, and local governments can promote, encourage, or require compliance.

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Firefighter Fatality Reduction Act 
of 2008''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

    Congress makes the following findings:
            (1) Each year in the United States, over 100 firefighters 
        die in the line of duty, while an additional tens of thousands 
        of firefighters are injured.
            (2) The Federal Government has a vested interest in 
        protecting firefighter health and safety, as it relies on local 
        fire departments to efficiently and effectively implement the 
        National Response Framework in the response to major disasters.
            (3) Adequate training, proper personal protective 
        equipment, safe staffing levels, safe operating procedures, and 
        physical and mental fitness of firefighters can reduce 
        avoidable firefighter fatalities.
            (4) The fire services, in conjunction with Government 
        agencies and interested private-sector parties, has partnered 
        with standards-making bodies to develop national consensus 
        standards for safe fire department operations and fire fighting 
        capabilities.
            (5) Such standards are widely respected and promoted by all 
        facets of the fire service to better ensure firefighter health 
        and safety.
            (6) Through its Firefighter Fatality Investigation and 
        Prevention Program, the National Institute for Occupational 
        Safety and Health has identified the failure to follow specific 
        national consensus standards as a contributing factor in many 
        firefighter deaths.
            (7) A comprehensive accounting of fire department 
        compliance with national consensus standards would help policy 
        makers seeking to enhance public safety and reduce avoidable 
        firefighter fatalities.

SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS.

    In this Act--
            (1) the term ``fire department'' includes a career, 
        volunteer, or combination fire department operated by the 
        Federal Government, a State, or a local government;
            (2) the term ``fire service'' has the meaning given that 
        term in section 4 of the Federal Fire Prevention and Control 
        Act of 1974 (15 U.S.C. 2203);
            (3) the term ``national consensus standards'' means the 
        most recently issued national consensus standards for staffing, 
        training, safe operations, personal protective equipment, and 
        fitness relating to fire department operations and firefighting 
        practices, as of the date of the enactment of this Act.
            (4) the term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary of Homeland 
        Security; and
            (5) the term ``Task Force'' means the Task Force to Enhance 
        Firefighter Safety established under section 5(a).

SEC. 4. SURVEY BY THE DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY.

    (a) Survey Required.--Not later than 120 days after the date of 
enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall begin to conduct a survey of 
each fire department located in the United States, under which the 
Secretary shall determine whether each such fire department is in 
compliance with national consensus standards.
    (b) Report.--Not later than 2 years after the date of enactment of 
this Act, the Secretary shall submit to Congress a report on the 
findings of the survey required under subsection (a), including an 
accounting of whether each fire department located in the United States 
is in compliance with national consensus standards.

SEC. 5. ESTABLISHMENT OF TASK FORCE TO ENHANCE FIREFIGHTER SAFETY.

    (a) Establishment.--Not later than 120 days after the date on which 
the Secretary submits the report to Congress required under section 
4(b), the Secretary shall establish a task force to be known as the 
Task Force to Enhance Firefighter Safety.
    (b) Membership.--
            (1) In general.--The members of the Task Force shall be 
        appointed by the Secretary and shall include--
                    (A) representatives of national organizations 
                representing firefighters and fire chiefs;
                    (B) individuals representing standards-setting and 
                accrediting organizations relating to fire department 
                operations and firefighting practices, including 
                representatives from the voluntary consensus codes and 
                standards development community; and
                    (C) other individuals as the Secretary determines 
                to be appropriate.
            (2) Representatives of other departments and agencies.--The 
        Secretary may invite representatives of other departments and 
        agencies of the Federal Government that have an interest in the 
        fire service to participate in the meetings and other 
        activities of the Task Force.
            (3) Number; terms of service; pay and allowances.--The 
        Secretary shall determine the number, terms of service, and pay 
        and allowances of members of the Task Force appointed by the 
        Secretary, except that a term of service of any such member may 
        not exceed 2 years.
    (c) Responsibilities.--The Task Force shall develop a plan to 
enhance firefighter safety by increasing fire department compliance 
with national consensus standards. In developing the plan under this 
subsection, the Task Force shall consider ways in which the Federal 
Government, States, and local governments can promote, encourage, or 
require fire departments to comply with national consensus standards.
    (d) Report to Congress.--Not later than 1 year after the date on 
which the Secretary establishes the Task Force, the Task Force shall 
submit to Congress and the Secretary a report containing the findings 
and recommendations of the Task Force together with the plan described 
in subsection (c).