Union Calendar No. 72
106TH CONGRESS
1ST SESSION
H. R. 1550
[Report No. 106–133]
A BILL
To authorize appropriations for the United States
Fire Administration for fiscal years 2000 and
2001, and for other purposes.
MAY 10, 1999
Reported with an amendment, committed to the Com-
mittee of the Whole House on the State of the Union,
and ordered to be printed
IB
Union Calendar No. 72
106TH CONGRESS
1ST SESSION
H. R. 1550
[Report No. 106–133]
To authorize appropriations for the United States Fire Administration for
fiscal years 2000 and 2001, and for other purposes.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
APRIL 26, 1999
Mr. SMITH of Michigan (for himself and Ms. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON of
Texas) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee
on Science
MAY 10, 1999
Reported with an amendment, committed to the Committee of the Whole
House on the State of the Union, and ordered to be printed
[Strike out all after the enacting clause and insert the part printed in italic]
[For text of introduced bill, see copy of bill as introduced on April 26, 1999]
A BILL
To authorize appropriations for the United States Fire Ad-
ministration for fiscal years 2000 and 2001, and for
other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives 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-ter-
rorism training, including associated curriculum de-
velopment, 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-ter-
rorism training, including associated curriculum de-
velopment, for fire and emergency services personnel.
None of the funds authorized by paragraph (3) may be obli-
gated unless the Administrator has certified to the Com-
mittee 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 Com-
merce, 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 sub-
section (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 oper-
ations of the United States Fire Administration;
(3) a description of how the goals and objectives
identified under paragraph (2) are to be achieved, in-
cluding operational processes, skills and technology,
and the human, capital, information, and other re-
sources required to meet those goals and objectives;
(4) an identification of the fire-related activities
of the National Institute of Standards and Tech-
nology, 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 per-
formance goals needed to define the level of perform-
ance achieved by program activities in training, re-
search, data collection and analysis, and public edu-
cation, 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;
(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 suit-
able 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 Com-
merce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate a report
describing the United States Fire Administration’s research
agenda and including a plan for implementing that agen-
da.
(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 Stand-
ards 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 ele-
ments 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 fire-
fighting services, impact standards and codes, in-
crease firefighter and public safety, and advance fire-
fighting techniques.
(c) USE IN PREPARING STRATEGIC PLAN.—The re-
search 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, in-
cluding through the Internet, information on procedures for
acquiring surplus and excess Federal fire, emergency, haz-
ardous material, or other equipment or property that may
be useful to State and local fire and emergency services.’’.
SEC. 6. COOPERATIVE AGREEMENTS WITH FEDERAL FACILI-
TIES.
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 FA-
CILITIES.
‘‘The Administrator shall make publicly available, in-
cluding 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 serv-
ices.’’.
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 con-
ducted under this section shall include—
(1) a review of the counterterrorism training
programs offered by the United States Fire Adminis-
tration and other Federal agencies;
(2) an estimate of the number and types of emer-
gency 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 over-
subscription of the training capabilities; and
(3) a recommendation on the need to provide ad-
ditional 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 establish-
ment 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 pre-
pare 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 as-
sociations, 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 dupli-
cate, courses of instruction offered elsewhere. Not later than
180 days after the date of enactment of this Act, the Admin-
istrator shall prepare and submit a report to the Committee
on Science of the House of Representatives and the Com-
mittee 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 in-
formation technology on National Fire Academy cur-
ricula, methods of instruction, and delivery of serv-
ices; and
(4) make recommendations for updating the cur-
riculum, methods of instruction, and delivery of serv-
ices by the National Fire Academy considering cur-
rent and future needs, State-based curricula, advances
in information technologies, and other relevant fac-
tors.
SEC. 10. INTERNET AVAILABILITY OF INFORMATION.
The Administrator of the United States Fire Adminis-
tration shall make available through the Internet home page
of the United States Fire Administration the abstracts re-
lating 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 REQUIRE-
MENT.
(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.