I
107TH CONGRESS
1ST SESSION
H. R. 2145
To provide for fire sprinkler systems, or other fire suppression or prevention
technologies, in public and private college and university housing and
dormitories, including fraternity and sorority housing and dormitories.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
JUNE 13, 2001
Mrs. JONES of Ohio (for herself, Ms. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON of Texas,
Ms. DELAURO, Mr. HOBSON, Ms. KAPTUR, Mr. WAXMAN, Mr. GRUCCI,
Mr. BOEHLERT, and Mr. WELDON of Pennsylvania) introduced the fol-
lowing bill; which was referred to the Committee on Education and the
Workforce
A BILL
To provide for fire sprinkler systems, or other fire suppres-
sion or prevention technologies, in public and private
college and university housing and dormitories, including
fraternity and sorority housing and dormitories.
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 ‘‘College Fire Preven-
tion Act’’.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS.
Congress makes the following findings:
(1) On Wednesday, January 19, 2000, a fire
occurred at a Seton Hall University dormitory.
Three male freshmen, all 18 years of age, died.
Fifty-four students, 2 South Orange firefighters,
and 2 South Orange police officers were injured.
The dormitory was a 6-story, 350-room structure
built in 1952, that housed approximately 600 stu-
dents. It was equipped with smoke alarms but no
fire sprinkler system.
(2) On Mother’s Day 1996 in Chapel Hill,
North Carolina, a fire in the Phi Gamma Delta Fra-
ternity House killed 5 college juniors and injured 3.
The 3-story plus basement fraternity house was 70
years old. The National Fire Protection Association
identified several factors that contributed to the
tragic fire, including the lack of fire sprinkler pro-
tection.
(3) It is estimated that between 1980 and
1998, an average of 1,800 fires at dormitories, fra-
ternities, and sororities, involving 1 death, 70 inju-
ries, and $8,000,000 in property damage were re-
ported to public fire departments.
(4) Within dormitories, fraternities, and sorori-
ties the number 1 cause of fires is arson or sus-
pected arson. The second leading cause of college
building fires is cooking, while the third leading
cause is smoking.
(5) The National Fire Protection Association
has no record of a fire killing more than 2 people
in a completely fire sprinklered public assembly, edu-
cational, institutional, or residential building where
the sprinkler system was operating properly.
(6) New dormitories are generally required to
have advanced safety systems such as fire sprinklers.
But such requirements are rarely imposed retro-
actively on existing buildings.
(7) In 1998, 93 percent of the campus building
fires reported to fire departments occurred in build-
ings where there were smoke alarms present. How-
ever, only 34 percent had fire sprinklers present.
SEC. 3. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.
There are authorized to be appropriated to carry out
this Act $100,000,000 for each of the fiscal years 2002
through 2006.
SEC. 4. GRANTS AUTHORIZED.
(a) PROGRAM AUTHORITY.—The Secretary of Edu-
cation, in consultation with the United States Fire Admin-
istration, is authorized to award grants to States, private
or public colleges or universities, fraternities, and sorori-
ties to assist them in providing fire sprinkler systems, or
other fire suppression or prevention technologies, for their
student housing and dormitories.
(b) MATCHING FUNDS REQUIREMENT.—The Sec-
retary of Education may not award a grant under this
section unless the entity receiving the grant provides, from
State, local, or private sources, matching funds in an
amount equal to not less than one-half of the cost of the
activities for which assistance is sought.
SEC. 5. PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS.
(a) APPLICATION.—Each entity desiring a grant
under this Act shall submit to the Secretary of Education
an application at such time and in such manner as the
Secretary may require.
(b) PRIORITY.—In awarding grants under this Act,
the Secretary shall give priority to applicants that dem-
onstrate in the application submitted under subsection (a)
the inability to fund the sprinkler system, or other fire
suppression or prevention technology, from sources other
than funds provided under this Act.
(c) LIMITATION ON ADMINISTRATIVE EXPENSES.—
An entity that receives a grant under this Act shall not
use more than 4 percent of the grant funds for administra-
tive expenses.
SEC. 6. DATA AND REPORT.
The Comptroller General shall—
(1) gather data on the number of college and
university housing facilities and dormitories that
have and do not have fire sprinkler systems and
other fire suppression or prevention technologies;
and
(2) report such data to Congress.
SEC. 7. ADMISSIBILITY.
Notwithstanding any other provision of law, any ap-
plication for assistance under this Act, any negative deter-
mination on the part of the Secretary of Education with
respect to such application, or any statement of reasons
for the determination, shall not be admissible as evidence
in any proceeding of any court, agency, board, or other
entity.
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