I 

111TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 1680 

To authorize the Secretary of Health and Human Services to make grants 

to promote professional retrofit installation of fire alarm detection systems and other fire detection and prevention technologies in nursing 

homes, hospice facilities, and other appropriate facilities. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

MARCH 24, 2009 

Mr. ARCURI introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee 

on Energy and Commerce 

A BILL 

To authorize the Secretary of Health and Human Services 

to make grants to promote professional retrofit installation of fire alarm detection systems and other fire detection and prevention technologies in nursing homes, hospice facilities, and other appropriate facilities. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Long-Term Care Life 

5 Safety Act of 2009’’. 


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1 SEC. 2. RETROFIT ASSISTANCE GRANTS FOR FIRE SAFETY 

2 AND PREVENTION. 

3 (a) AUTHORITY.—Not later than 120 days after the 

4 date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Health 

5 and Human Services shall establish a program to award 

6 grants to nursing homes, hospice facilities, assisted living 

7 facilities, residential care program facilities, board and 

8 care facilities (as defined in section 1903(q)(4)(B) of the 

9 Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1396b(q)(4)(B))), and any 

10 other facilities that are licensed or certified by the State 

11 and are determined by the Secretary to be appropriate for 

12 a grant under this section, for the purpose of retrofitting 

13 such homes and facilities with any professionally installed 

14 fire alarm detection system or other fire detection and pre15 vention technology, as defined in subsection (c)(1). 

16 (b) PRIORITY.—In awarding grants under this sec17 tion, the Secretary shall give priority to applicants that 

18 demonstrate a need or hardship. In determining hardship, 

19 the Secretary may take into account factors such as the 

20 age and condition of the facilities of the applicant, the 

21 need for facility beds in the community involved, and re22 quirements imposed on the applicant to meet fire safety 

23 regulations applicable under Medicare, Medicaid, other 

24 Federal programs, or State or local licensing or building 

25 code standards. 

26 (c) DEFINITIONS.—In this Act: 


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1 (1) The term ‘‘fire alarm detection system or 

2 other fire detection and prevention technology’’ 

3 means a system, a portion of a system, or a com4 bination of systems and components for fire protec5 tion, such as integrated systems of manual devices 

6 and automatic sensors that, when activated, cause 

7 the systems to warn building occupants and emer8 gency forces; smoke detectors; automatic fire sprin9 kler systems; specialized suppression systems and 

10 other active fire protection systems or components 

11 installed in accordance with codes and standards 

12 such as those developed by the National Fire Protec13 tion Association in the 2006 Life Safety Code. 

14 (2) The term ‘‘Secretary’’ means the Secretary 

15 of Health and Human Services. 

16 (d) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There is 

17 authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section 

18 $40,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2010 through 2014. 

Æ 


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