I
104TH CONGRESS
1ST SESSION
H. R. 771
To save lives, prevent injuries, and protect property through improved State
and local fire safety education.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
FEBRUARY 1, 1995
Mr. HOYER (for himself, Mr. WELDON of Pennsylvania, and Mr. BOEHLERT)
introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Science
A BILL
To save lives, prevent injuries, and protect property through
improved State and local fire safety education.
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 Safety Education
Act’’.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS.
The Congress finds that—
(1) the Nation’s fire losses are estimated at
5,000 deaths and 29,000 injuries annually, produc-
ing an economic loss conservatively estimated at
$10,000,000,000 
a 
year 
plus 
more 
than
$1,000,000,000 a year in health care costs;
(2) sustained and targeted fire safety education
at the State and local levels, particularly in identifi-
able high-risk populations, produces dramatic results
in preventing fires, fire deaths, and dollar loss from
fire;
(3) in recent years, the Nation’s fire depart-
ments have seen their fire safety education budgets
cut dramatically and, in many cases, eliminated;
(4) there is a need to expand the availability of
State and local fire prevention programs and sup-
porting resources and materials to help State agen-
cies and local fire departments in carrying out effec-
tive public education;
(5) fire departments in other countries with
fewer fire deaths per capita than the United States
spend an average of 4–10 percent of their budgets
on fire prevention, versus less than 3 percent for
United States departments; and
(6) only by accurately collecting and analyzing
data on fire deaths, injuries and dollar loss can the
Nation’s fire departments pinpoint the populations
and regions where they most need to direct their
educational efforts, thus leading to a more efficient
and effective use of resources.
SEC. 3. FIRE SAFETY EDUCATION.
(a) AWARDS.—The Administrator may enter into
contracts, cooperative agreements, or grants with eligible
entities to obtain and distribute at the State and local level
fire safety and prevention education programs and sup-
porting educational resources.
(b) DISTRIBUTION OF FUNDS.—Of the amounts re-
ceived by an entity under subsection (a)—
(1) not more than 25 percent may be used for
statewide fire safety and prevention programs;
(2) not more than 25 percent may be used to
implement new regional or local fire safety and pre-
vention programs targeting high risk populations;
and
(3) at least 50 percent shall be used for awards
of not more than $10,000 for existing regional or
local fire safety and prevention programs that have
been demonstrated to be effective in preventing fires,
fire deaths and injuries, and dollar losses from fire.
(c) USE OF FUNDS.—Funds provided under sub-
section (a) may be used to educate the public in all aspects
of fire safety and prevention, including—
(1) the effectiveness and appropriate use of fire
suppression and prevention equipment such as auto-
matic sprinklers, smoke detectors, and portable ex-
tinguishers;
(2) the organization and conduct of exit drills;
and
(3) the safe use of products that could contrib-
ute to accidental fires.
(d) PRIORITY OF EXISTING MATERIALS.—Fire safety
education programs funded under this Act shall give prior-
ity to the use of public education materials that have al-
ready been developed, if such materials meet the demands
of the program being funded.
SEC. 4. DATA COLLECTION.
The Administrator may enter into contracts, coopera-
tive agreements, or grants with States for the purpose of
implementing the revised National Fire Incident Report-
ing System, established under section 9 of the Federal
Fire Prevention and Control Act of 1974 (15 U.S.C.
2208), to improve and enhance the collection and analysis
of fire data at the State and local levels.
SEC. 5. APPLICATIONS.
Each eligible entity desiring a contract, cooperative
agreement, or grant under this Act shall submit an appli-
cation to the Administrator at such time, in such manner,
and accompanied by such information as the Adminis-
trator may reasonably require.
SEC. 6. REPORTS AND EVALUATION.
(a) ANNUAL REPORT TO ADMINISTRATOR.—An en-
tity receiving funds under section 3 shall prepare and sub-
mit to the Administrator an annual report which contains
such information as the Administrator may require. At a
minimum, the report shall describe the program activities
undertaken with such funds, including—
(1) any program that has been developed di-
rectly or indirectly by the entity, and the target pop-
ulation of such program;
(2) support materials that have been obtained
and the method by which such materials are distrib-
uted; and
(3) any initiatives undertaken by the entity to
develop public-private partnerships to secure non-
Federal support for the development and distribu-
tion of programs and material in furtherance of this
Act.
(b) REPORT TO CONGRESS.—The Administrator shall
prepare and submit to the Congress an annual report
which includes a description of the programs undertaken
and materials developed and distributed by entities receiv-
ing funds under section 3.
SEC. 7. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.
(a) FIRE SAFETY EDUCATION.—For the purposes of
carrying out section 3 of this Act, there are authorized
to be appropriated $10,000,000 for each of the fiscal years
1997 and 1998, of which no more than $500,000 may be
spent in any fiscal year on administrative costs.
(b) DATA COLLECTION.—For the purposes of carry-
ing out section 4 of this Act, there are authorized to be
appropriated $2,500,000 for fiscal year 1996, of which no
more than $300,000 shall be spent on administrative
costs.
SEC. 8. DEFINITIONS.
As used in this Act—
(1) the term ‘‘Administrator’’ means the Ad-
ministrator of the United States Fire Administra-
tion;
(2) the term ‘‘eligible entity’’ means the office
of the State fire marshal for a State or an equiva-
lent State office having primary responsibility for
fire safety and prevention in the State;
(3) the term ‘‘fire safety and prevention edu-
cation programs’’ includes publications, audiovisual
presentations, and demonstrations; and
(4) the term ‘‘State’’ means any State of the
United States, the District of Columbia, the Com-
monwealth of Puerto Rico, the United States Virgin
Islands, Guam, American Samoa, the Northern Mar-
iana Islands, and any other territory or possession
of the United States.
Æ