I 
108TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 1613
To establish a demonstration incentive program within the Department of 
Education to promote installation of fire sprinkler systems, or other 
fire suppression or prevention technologies, in qualified student housing 
and dormitories, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
APRIL 3, 2003
Mrs. JONES of Ohio introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
Committee on Education and the Workforce 
A BILL 
To establish a demonstration incentive program within the 
Department of Education to promote installation of fire 
sprinkler systems, or other fire suppression or prevention 
technologies, in qualified student housing and dor-
mitories, 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; FINDINGS. 
(a) SHORT TITLE.—This Act may be cited as the 
‘‘College Fire Prevention Act’’. 
(b) FINDINGS.—The Congress finds the following:
(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 leading cause of fires is arson or suspected
arson. The second leading cause of college building 
fires is cooking. The third leading cause is smoking. 
(5) 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. 
(6) 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. 2. ESTABLISHMENT OF FIRE SUPPRESSION DEM-
ONSTRATION INCENTIVE PROGRAM. 
(a) GRANTS.—The Secretary of Education (in this 
Act referred to as the ‘‘Secretary’’), in consultation with 
the United States Fire Administration, shall establish a 
demonstration program to award grants on a competitive 
basis to eligible entities for the purpose of installing fire 
sprinkler systems, or other fire suppression or prevention 
technologies, in student housing and dormitories owned or 
controlled by such entities. 
(b) ELIGIBLE ENTITY.—For purposes of this Act, the 
term ‘‘eligible entity’’ means any of the following: 
(1) An accredited public or private institution 
of higher education (as that term is defined in sec-
(1) not less than 10 percent to eligible entities 
that are historically Black colleges and universities, 
Hispanic-serving institutions, and Tribally Con-
trolled Colleges and Universities; and 
(2) not less than 10 percent to eligible entities 
that are social fraternities and sororities. 
(e) APPLICATION.—To seek a grant under this sec-
tion, an eligible entity shall submit an application to the 
Secretary at such time, in such manner, and accompanied 
by such information as the Secretary may require. 
(f) MATCHING REQUIREMENT.—As a condition on re-
ceipt of a grant under subsection (a), the applicant shall 
provide (directly or through donations from public or pri-
vate entities) non-Federal matching funds in an amount 
equal to not less than 50 percent of the cost of the activi-
ties for which assistance is sought. 
(g) LIMITATION ON ADMINISTRATIVE EXPENSES.—
Not more than 10 percent of a grant made under sub-
section (a) may be expended for administrative expenses 
with respect to the grant. 
(h) REPORTS.—Not later than 12 months after the 
date of the first award of a grant under this section and 
annually thereafter until completion of the program, the 
Secretary shall provide to the Congress a report that in-
cludes the following:
(1) The number and types of eligible entities re-
ceiving assistance under this section. 
(2) The amounts of such assistance, the 
amounts and sources of non-Federal funding lever-
aged for activities under grants under this section, 
and any other relevant financial information. 
(3) The number and types of student housing 
fitted with fire suppression or prevention tech-
nologies with assistance under this section, and the 
number of students protected by such technologies. 
(4) The types of fire suppression or prevention 
technologies installed with assistance under this sec-
tion, and the costs of such technologies. 
(5) Identification of Federal and State policies 
that present impediments to the development and in-
stallation of fire suppression or prevention tech-
nologies. 
(6) Any other information determined by the 
Secretary to be useful to evaluating the overall effec-
tiveness of the program established under this sec-
tion in improving the fire safety of student housing. 
(i) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There is 
authorized to be appropriated to carry out this Act 
$100,000,000 for each of the fiscal years 2004 through 
2008. At the end of fiscal year 2008, all unobligated ap-
propriations authorized under this subsection shall revert 
to the general fund of the Treasury. 
SEC. 3. ADMISSIBILITY AS EVIDENCE. 
(a) PROHIBITION.—Notwithstanding any other provi-
sion of law and subject to subsection (b), any application 
for assistance under this Act, any negative determination 
on the part of the Secretary with respect to such applica-
tion, 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. 
(b) EXCEPTION.—This section does not apply to the 
admission of an application, determination, or statement 
described in subsection (a) as evidence in a proceeding to 
enforce an agreement entered into between the Secretary 
of Education and an eligible entity under section 2.
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