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[Congressional Bills 106th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 1550 Referred in Senate (RFS)]

  1st Session
                                H. R. 1550

_______________________________________________________________________

                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                              May 12, 1999

    Received; read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, 
                      Science, and Transportation

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 AN ACT

 
 To authorize appropriations for the United States Fire Administration 
        for fiscal years 2000 and 2001, 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 ``Fire Administration Authorization 
Act of 1999''.

SEC. 2. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

    Section 17 of the Federal Fire Prevention and Control Act of 1974 
(15 U.S.C. 2216) is amended to read as follows:

                   ``authorization of appropriations

    ``Sec. 17. Except as otherwise specifically provided with respect 
to the payment of claims under section 11 of this Act, there are 
authorized to be appropriated to carry out the purposes of this Act--
            ``(1) $30,554,000 for fiscal year 1999;
            ``(2) $46,130,000 for fiscal year 2000, of which $2,200,000 
        shall be used for research activities, and $250,000 shall be 
        used for contracts or grants to non-Federal entities for data 
        analysis, including general fire profiles and special fire 
        analyses and report projects, and of which $6,000,000 shall be 
        for anti-terrorism training, including associated curriculum 
        development, for fire and emergency services personnel; and
            ``(3) $49,500,000 for fiscal year 2001, of which $3,000,000 
        shall be used for research activities, and $250,000 shall be 
        used for contracts or grants to non-Federal entities for data 
        analysis, including general fire profiles and special fire 
        analyses and report projects, and of which $8,000,000 shall be 
        for anti-terrorism training, including associated curriculum 
        development, for fire and emergency services personnel.
None of the funds authorized by paragraph (3) may be obligated unless 
the Administrator has certified to the Committee on Science of the 
House of Representatives and the Committee on Commerce, Science, and 
Transportation of the Senate that the obligation of funds is consistent 
with the strategic plan transmitted under section 3 of the Fire 
Administration Authorization Act of 1999.''.

SEC. 3. STRATEGIC PLAN.

    (a) Requirement.--Not later than April 30, 2000, the Administrator 
of the United States Fire Administration shall prepare and transmit to 
the Committee on Science of the House of Representatives and the 
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate a 5-
year strategic plan of program activities for the United States Fire 
Administration.
    (b) Contents of Plan.--The plan required by subsection (a) shall 
include--
            (1) a comprehensive mission statement covering the major 
        functions and operations of the United States Fire 
        Administration in the areas of training, research, data 
        collection and analysis, and public education;
            (2) general goals and objectives, including those related 
        to outcomes, for the major functions and operations of the 
        United States Fire Administration;
            (3) a description of how the goals and objectives 
        identified under paragraph (2) are to be achieved, including 
        operational processes, skills and technology, and the human, 
        capital, information, and other resources required to meet 
        those goals and objectives;
            (4) an identification of the fire-related activities of the 
        National Institute of Standards and Technology, the Department 
        of Defense, and other Federal agencies, and a discussion of how 
        those activities can be coordinated with and contribute to the 
        achievement of the goals and objectives identified under 
        paragraph (2);
            (5) a description of objective, quantifiable performance 
        goals needed to define the level of performance achieved by 
        program activities in training, research, data collection and 
        analysis, and public education, and how these performance goals 
        relate to the general goals and objectives in the strategic 
        plan;
            (6) an identification of key factors external to the United 
        States Fire Administration and beyond its control that could 
        affect significantly the achievement of the general goals and 
        objectives;
            (7) a description of program evaluations used in 
        establishing or revising general goals and objectives, with a 
        schedule for future program evaluations;
            (8) a plan for the timely distribution of information and 
        educational materials to State and local firefighting services, 
        including volunteer, career, and combination services 
        throughout the United States;
            (9) a description of how the strategic plan prepared under 
        this section will be incorporated into the strategic plan and 
        the performance plans and reports of the Federal Emergency 
        Management Agency; and
            (10)(A) a description of the current and planned use of the 
        Internet for the delivery of training courses by the National 
        Fire Academy, including a listing of the types of courses and 
        whether they provide real time interaction between instructor 
        and students, and including the number of students enrolled, 
        and the geographic distribution of students, for the most 
        recent fiscal year;
            (B) an assessment of the availability and actual use by the 
        National Fire Academy of Federal facilities suitable for 
        distance education applications, including facilities with 
        teleconferencing capabilities; and
            (C) an assessment of the benefits and problems associated 
        with delivery of instructional courses using the Internet, 
        including limitations due to network bandwidth at training 
        sites, the availability of suitable course materials, and the 
        effectiveness of such courses in terms of student performance.

SEC. 4. RESEARCH AGENDA.

    (a) Requirement.--Not later than 120 days after the date of the 
enactment of this Act, the Administrator of the United States Fire 
Administration, in consultation with the Director of the Federal 
Emergency Management Agency, the Director of the National Institute of 
Standards and Technology, representatives of trade associations, State 
and local firefighting services, and other appropriate entities, shall 
prepare and transmit to the Committee on Science of the House of 
Representatives and the Committee on Commerce, Science, and 
Transportation of the Senate a report describing the United States Fire 
Administration's research agenda and including a plan for implementing 
that agenda.
    (b) Contents of Report.--The report required by subsection (a) 
shall--
            (1) identify research priorities;
            (2) describe how the proposed research agenda will be 
        coordinated and integrated with the programs and capabilities 
        of the National Institute of Standards and Technology, the 
        Department of Defense, and other Federal agencies;
            (3) identify potential roles of academic and other research 
        institutions in achieving the research agenda;
            (4) provide cost estimates, anticipated personnel needs, 
        and a schedule for completing the various elements of the 
        research agenda;
            (5) describe ways to leverage resources through 
        partnerships, cooperative agreements, and other means; and
            (6) discuss how the proposed research agenda will enhance 
        training, improve State and local firefighting services, impact 
        standards and codes, increase firefighter and public safety, 
        and advance firefighting techniques.
    (c) Use in Preparing Strategic Plan.--The research agenda prepared 
under this section shall be used in the preparation of the strategic 
plan required by section 3.

SEC. 5. SURPLUS AND EXCESS FEDERAL EQUIPMENT.

    The Federal Fire Prevention and Control Act of 1974 is amended by 
adding at the end the following new section:

``SEC. 33. SURPLUS AND EXCESS FEDERAL EQUIPMENT.

    ``The Administrator shall make publicly available, including 
through the Internet, information on procedures for acquiring surplus 
and excess Federal fire, emergency, hazardous material, or other 
equipment or property that may be useful to State and local fire and 
emergency services.''.

SEC. 6. COOPERATIVE AGREEMENTS WITH FEDERAL FACILITIES.

    The Federal Fire Prevention and Control Act of 1974 is amended by 
adding at the end the following new section:

``SEC. 34. COOPERATIVE AGREEMENTS WITH FEDERAL FACILITIES.

    ``The Administrator shall make publicly available, including 
through the Internet, information on procedures for establishing 
cooperative agreements between State and local fire and emergency 
services and Federal facilities in their region relating to the 
provision of fire and emergency services.''.

SEC. 7. MISCELLANEOUS REPEALS.

    The Federal Fire Prevention and Control Act of 1974 is amended--
            (1) by repealing section 10(b) and redesignating subsection 
        (c) of that section as subsection (b);
            (2) by repealing section 23;
            (3) in section 24--
                    (A) by striking ``(a) The'' and inserting ``The''; 
                and
                    (B) by repealing subsection (b);
            (4) by repealing section 26; and
            (5) by repealing section 27.

SEC. 8. NEED FOR ADDITIONAL TRAINING IN COUNTERTERRORISM.

    (a) In General.--The Administrator of the United States Fire 
Administration shall conduct an assessment of the need for additional 
capabilities for Federal counterterrorism training of emergency 
response personnel.
    (b) Contents of Assessment.--The assessment conducted under this 
section shall include--
            (1) a review of the counterterrorism training programs 
        offered by the United States Fire Administration and other 
        Federal agencies;
            (2) an estimate of the number and types of emergency 
        response personnel that have, during the period between January 
        1, 1994, and June 1, 1999, sought training described in 
        paragraph (1), but have been unable to receive that training as 
        a result of the oversubscription of the training capabilities; 
        and
            (3) a recommendation on the need to provide additional 
        Federal counterterrorism training centers, including--
                    (A) an analysis of existing Federal facilities that 
                could be used as counterterrorism training facilities; 
                and
                    (B) a cost-benefit analysis of the establishment of 
                counterterrorism training facilities in regions where 
                many applicants for such training reside.
    (c) Report.--Not later than 180 days after the date of the 
enactment of this Act, the Administrator shall prepare and submit to 
the Congress a report on the results of the assessment conducted under 
this section.

SEC. 9. NATIONAL FIRE ACADEMY CURRICULUM REVIEW.

    (a) In General.--The Administrator of the United States Fire 
Administration, in consultation with the Board of Visitors and 
representatives of trade and professional associations, State and local 
firefighting services, and other appropriate entities, shall conduct a 
review of the courses of instruction available at the National Fire 
Academy to ensure that they are up-to-date and complement, not 
duplicate, courses of instruction offered elsewhere. Not later than 180 
days after the date of enactment of this Act, the Administrator shall 
prepare and submit a report to the Committee on Science of the House of 
Representatives and the Committee on Commerce, Science, and 
Transportation of the Senate.
    (b) Contents of Report.--The report required by subsection (a) 
shall--
            (1) examine and assess the courses of instruction offered 
        by the National Fire Academy;
            (2) identify redundant and out-of-date courses of 
        instruction;
            (3) examine the current and future impact of information 
        technology on National Fire Academy curricula, methods of 
        instruction, and delivery of services; and
            (4) make recommendations for updating the curriculum, 
        methods of instruction, and delivery of services by the 
        National Fire Academy considering current and future needs, 
        State-based curricula, advances in information technologies, 
        and other relevant factors.

SEC. 10. INTERNET AVAILABILITY OF INFORMATION.

    The Administrator of the United States Fire Administration shall 
make available through the Internet home page of the United States Fire 
Administration the abstracts relating to all research grants and awards 
made with funds authorized by the amendments made by this Act. Nothing 
in this section shall be construed to require or permit the release of 
any information prohibited by law or regulation from being released to 
the public.

SEC. 11. REPEAL OF EXCEPTION TO FIRE SAFETY REQUIREMENT.

    (a) Repeal.--Section 4 of Public Law 103-195 (107 Stat. 2298) is 
hereby repealed.
    (b) Effective Date.--Subsection (a) shall take effect 1 year after 
the date of the enactment of this section.

            Passed the House of Representatives May 11, 1999.

            Attest:

                                                 JEFF TRANDAHL,

                                                                 Clerk.
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