I
106TH CONGRESS
2D SESSION
H. R. 3831
To amend the Higher Education Act of 1965 to require colleges and univer-
sities to disclose to students and their parents the incidents of fires
in dormitories, and their plans to reduce fire safety hazards in dor-
mitories, to require the United States Fire Administration to establish
fire safety standards for dormitories, and for other purposes.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
MARCH 2, 2000
Mrs. MALONEY of New York (for herself and Mr. HOLT) introduced the fol-
lowing bill; which was referred to the Committee on Education and the
Workforce, and in addition to the Committee on Science, for a period to
be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consider-
ation of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee
concerned
A BILL
To amend the Higher Education Act of 1965 to require
colleges and universities to disclose to students and their
parents the incidents of fires in dormitories, and their
plans to reduce fire safety hazards in dormitories, to
require the United States Fire Administration to estab-
lish fire safety standards for dormitories, 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 Safe Dorm Act
of 2000’’.
TITLE I—OBLIGATIONS OF INSTI-
TUTIONS OF HIGHER EDU-
CATION
SEC. 101. IMPROVED DISCLOSURE OF FIRES AND FIRE PRE-
VENTION 
MEASURES 
IN 
COLLEGE 
DOR-
MITORIES.
Section 485(f) of the Higher Education Act of 1965
(20 U.S.C. 1092(f)) is amended—
(1) in paragraph (1), by adding at the end the
following new subparagraphs:
‘‘(I) Statistics concerning the occurrence of
fires and fire alarms in dormitories on campus dur-
ing the most recent calendar year, and during the 5
preceding calendar years for which data are avail-
able.
‘‘(J) A statement describing whether the insti-
tutions’ dormitory rooms currently have sprinklers,
smoke detectors, and furniture made of flame re-
tardant material.’’;
(2) in paragraph (4), by adding at the end the
following new subparagraph:
‘‘(C) Each institution participating in any program
under this title shall make, keep, and maintain a daily log,
written in a form that can be easily understood, recording
all fires reported to local fire departments, including the
nature, date, time, and general location of each fire. Such
logs shall be open to public inspection.’’; and
(3) in paragraph (5)—
(A) by inserting ‘‘or paragraph (1)(I)’’
after ‘‘paragraph (1)(F)’’; and
(B) by inserting ‘‘and campus fires’’ after
‘‘campus crime’’.
SEC. 102. DISCLOSURE OF PLANS TO BRING RESIDENTIAL
FACILITIES INTO COMPLIANCE WITH NEW
BUILDING CODES.
Section 485(a)(1) of the Higher Education Act of
1965 (20 U.S.C. 1092) is amended—
(1) by striking ‘‘and’’ at the end of subpara-
graph (N);
(2) by striking the period at the end of sub-
paragraph (O) and inserting ‘‘; and’’; and
(3) by adding at the end the following new sub-
paragraph:
‘‘(P) a summary of the specific plans that the
institution has adopted for construction or renova-
tion to ensure that all campus residential facilities
comply, by January 1, 2010, with the standards es-
tablished by the Administrator of the United States
Fire Administration under section 201 of the Fire
Safe Dorm Act of 2000.’’.
SEC. 103. COMPLIANCE WITH FIRE SAFETY STANDARDS
FOR DORMITORIES.
Section 487(a) of the Higher Education Act of 1965
(20 U.S.C. 1094(a)) is amended by adding at the end the
following new paragraph:
‘‘(24) The institution will adopt, within 10
years after the date of enactment of the Fire Safe
Dorm Act of 2000, plans to install sprinklers, smoke
detectors, and open flame resistant furniture in dor-
mitories in compliance with the standards estab-
lished by the Administrator of the United States
Fire Administration under section 201 of such
Act.’’.
SEC. 104. EXEMPTION.
The amendments made by this title shall not be con-
strued to require the installation of sprinklers in any
building or other structure that is listed on the National
Register for Historic Places as maintained by the National
Park Service under the authority of the National Preser-
vation Act of 1966 (P.L. 89–665), if such installation
would destroy historic materials, features, and spatial re-
lationships that characterize the historic nature of the
property. The Secretary of Education shall determine dis-
putes concerning the application of this exemption by ref-
erence of the matter to the Secretary of the Interior.
TITLE II—DORMITORY FIRE
SAFETY STANDARDS
SEC. 201. STANDARDS.
(a) ESTABLISHMENT.—Not later than 6 months after
the date of the enactment of this Act, the Administrator
of the United States Fire Administration shall establish
measurable standards for dormitory fire safety. Such
standards shall include mandatory fire sprinklers, smoke
detectors, and open flame resistant furniture and mat-
tresses.
(b) OUTREACH.—The Administrator of the United
States Fire Administration shall undertake appropriate
activities to encourage the adoption by State and local au-
thorities of the standards established under subsection (a).
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