I 
117TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 3728 
To provide grants for fire station construction through the Administrator 
of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JUNE 4, 2021 
Mr. PASCRELL (for himself, Mr. FITZPATRICK, Mr. BOST, Mr. GARAMENDI, 
Ms. BROWNLEY, Mr. HUFFMAN, Mr. CARBAJAL, and Ms. SHERRILL) in-
troduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on 
Science, Space, and Technology, and in addition to the Committee on 
Transportation and Infrastructure, for a period to be subsequently deter-
mined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions 
as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned 
A BILL 
To provide grants for fire station construction through the 
Administrator of the Federal Emergency Management 
Agency, 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. ASSISTANCE TO FIREFIGHTERS FIRE STATION 
CONSTRUCTION GRANTS. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—The Administrator of the Federal 
Emergency Management Agency shall establish a grant 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
06:41 Jul 03, 2021
Jkt 019200
PO 00000
Frm 00001
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H3728.IH
H3728
pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with BILLS
program to provide financial assistance to modify, up-
grade, and construct fire and (EMS) department facilities. 
(b) ELIGIBLE APPLICANTS.—The Administrator may 
make a grant under this section to the following: 
(1) Career, volunteer, and combination fire de-
partments. 
(2) Fire training facilities. 
(3) Nonaffiliated EMS organizations, combina-
tion and volunteer emergency medical stations (ex-
cept that for-profit EMS organizations are not eligi-
ble for a grant under this section). 
(c) APPLICATIONS.—To be eligible for a grant under 
this section, an entity specified in subsection (b) shall sub-
mit to the Administrator an application in such form, at 
such time, and containing such information as the Admin-
istrator determines is appropriate. 
(d) MEETING FOR RECOMMENDATIONS.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—The Administrator shall con-
vene a meeting of qualified members of national fire 
service organizations and, at the discretion of the 
Administrator, qualified members of emergency med-
ical service organizations to obtain recommendations 
regarding the criteria for the awarding of grants 
under this section. 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
06:41 Jul 03, 2021
Jkt 019200
PO 00000
Frm 00002
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H3728.IH
H3728
pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with BILLS
(2) QUALIFICATIONS.—For purposes of this 
subsection, a qualified member of an organization is 
a member who— 
(A) is recognized for expertise in fire-
fighting or emergency medical services; 
(B) is not an employee of the Federal Gov-
ernment; and 
(C) in the case of a member of an emer-
gency medical service organization, is a member 
of an organization that represents— 
(i) providers of emergency medical 
services that are affiliated with fire depart-
ments; or 
(ii) nonaffiliated EMS providers. 
(e) PEER REVIEW OF GRANT APPLICATION.—The 
Administrator shall, after consultation with national fire 
service and emergency medical services organizations, ap-
point fire service personnel to conduct peer reviews of ap-
plications received under subsection (c). 
(f) PRIORITY
OF GRANTS.—In awarding grants 
under this section, the Administrator shall consider the 
findings and recommendations of the peer reviews carried 
out under subsection (e). 
(g) USES OF FUNDS.— 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
06:41 Jul 03, 2021
Jkt 019200
PO 00000
Frm 00003
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H3728.IH
H3728
pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with BILLS
(1) IN GENERAL.—A recipient of a grant under 
this section may use funds received for the following: 
(A) Build, rebuild, or renovate fire and 
EMS department facilities. 
(B) Upgrade existing facilities to install 
exhaust emission control systems, install backup 
power systems, upgrade or replace environ-
mental control systems (such as HVAC sys-
tems), remove or remediate mold, and construct 
or modify living quarters for use by male and 
female personnel. 
(C) Upgrade fire and EMS stations or 
build new stations. 
(2) CODE COMPLIANT.—In using funds under 
paragraph (1), a grant recipient is required to meet 
1 of the 2 most recently published editions of build-
ing codes and standards established by the National 
Fire Protection Association and International Code 
Council, including NFPA 101, Life Safety Code and 
NFPA 1581, Standard on Fire Department Infec-
tion Control Program. 
(h) GRANT FUNDING.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—The Administrator shall al-
locate grant funds as follows: 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
06:41 Jul 03, 2021
Jkt 019200
PO 00000
Frm 00004
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H3728.IH
H3728
pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with BILLS
(A) 25 percent for career fire and EMS 
departments. 
(B) 25 percent for combination fire and 
EMS departments. 
(C) 25 percent for volunteer fire and EMS 
departments. 
(D) 25 percent to remain available for 
competition between the various department 
types. 
(2) INSUFFICIENT APPLICATIONS.—If the Ad-
ministrator does not receive sufficient funding re-
quests from a particular department type specified 
in subparagraphs (A) through (C) of paragraph (1), 
the Administrator may make awards to other de-
partments in such paragraphs. 
(3) LIMITATION
ON
AWARDS
AMOUNTS.—A 
grant 
recipient 
may 
not 
receive 
more 
than 
$7,500,000 under this section. 
(i) PREVAILING RATE OF WAGE AND PUBLIC CON-
TRACTS.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—All laborers and mechanics 
employed by contractors or subcontractors in the 
performance of construction work financed with the 
assistance of any contribution of Federal funds 
made by the Administrator under this section shall 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
06:41 Jul 03, 2021
Jkt 019200
PO 00000
Frm 00005
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H3728.IH
H3728
pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with BILLS
be paid wages at rates not less than those prevailing 
on similar construction in the locality as determined 
by the Secretary of Labor in accordance with sub-
chapter IV of chapter 31 of title 40 (commonly 
known as the ‘‘Davis-Bacon Act’’), and every such 
employee shall receive compensation at a rate not 
less than one and 1⁄2 times the basic rate of pay of 
the employee for all hours worked in any workweek 
in excess of eight hours in any workday or 40 hours 
in the workweek, as the case may be. The Adminis-
trator shall make no contribution of Federal funds 
without first obtaining adequate assurance that 
these labor standards will be maintained upon the 
construction work. The Secretary of Labor shall 
have, with respect to the labor standards specified in 
this subsection, the authority and functions set forth 
in Reorganization Plan Numbered 14 of 1950 (5 
U.S.C. App.) and section 2 of the Act of June 13, 
1934 (40 U.S.C. 276(c)). 
(2) PUBLIC
CONTRACTS.—In addition to the 
wage rate set forth in paragraph (1), contractors 
and subcontractors performing construction work 
pursuant to this section shall follow the standards 
identified in chapter 83 of title 41, United States 
Code, including a requirement that all supplies and 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
06:41 Jul 03, 2021
Jkt 019200
PO 00000
Frm 00006
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H3728.IH
H3728
pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with BILLS
construction materials purchased shall be produced 
in the United States, unless such materials are not 
reasonably available, or such a purchase would not 
be in the public interest. 
(j) APPLICABILITY OF FACA.—The Federal Advisory 
Committee Act (5 U.S.C. App.) shall not apply to activi-
ties carried out pursuant to this section. 
(k) DEFINITIONS.—For purposes of this section, the 
following definitions apply: 
(1) ADMINISTRATOR.—The term ‘‘Adminis-
trator’’ means the Administrator of the Federal 
Emergency Management Agency. 
(2) CAREER
FIRE
DEPARTMENT.—The term 
‘‘career fire department’’ means a fire department 
that has an all-paid force of firefighting personnel 
other than paid-on-call firefighters. 
(3) COMBINATION
FIRE
DEPARTMENT.—The 
term ‘‘combination fire department’’ means a fire 
department that has— 
(A) paid firefighting personnel; and 
(B) volunteer firefighting personnel. 
(4) EMS.—The term ‘‘EMS’’ means emergency 
medical services. 
(5) NONAFFILIATED EMS ORGANIZATION.—The 
term ‘‘nonaffiliated EMS organization’’ means a 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
06:41 Jul 03, 2021
Jkt 019200
PO 00000
Frm 00007
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H3728.IH
H3728
pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with BILLS
public or private nonprofit emergency medical serv-
ices organization that is not affiliated with a hospital 
and does not serve a geographic area in which the 
Administrator finds that emergency medical services 
are adequately provided by a fire department. 
(6) 
VOLUNTEER
FIRE
DEPARTMENT.—The 
term ‘‘volunteer fire department’’ means a fire de-
partment that has an all-volunteer force of fire-
fighting personnel. 
(l) REPORTING REQUIREMENTS.— 
(1) ANNUAL
REPORT
TO
ADMINISTRATOR
OF 
FEMA.—Beginning 1 year after the date of enact-
ment of this section and every year thereafter during 
the term of a grant awarded under this section, a 
recipient of the grant shall submit to the Adminis-
trator an annual report describing how the recipient 
used such grant amounts. 
(2) ANNUAL
REPORT
TO
CONGRESS.—Begin-
ning 1 year after the date of enactment of this sec-
tion and every year thereafter until the rebuilding or 
renovation of fire facilities and stations are com-
pleted using grant funds under this section, the Ad-
ministrator shall submit to the Committee on Home-
land Security and Governmental Affairs of the Sen-
ate and the Committees on Transportation and In-
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
06:41 Jul 03, 2021
Jkt 019200
PO 00000
Frm 00008
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H3728.IH
H3728
pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with BILLS
frastructure and Science, Space, and Technology of 
the House of Representatives a report that provides 
an evaluation of the effectiveness of the grants 
awarded under this section. 
(m) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There is 
authorized to be appropriated $1,000,000,000 for fiscal 
year 2022 to carry out this section. Such funds shall re-
main available until expended. 
Æ 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
06:41 Jul 03, 2021
Jkt 019200
PO 00000
Frm 00009
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6301
E:\BILLS\H3728.IH
H3728
pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with BILLS