106TH CONGRESS
1ST SESSION
H. R. 1550
AN ACT
To authorize appropriations for the United States
Fire Administration for fiscal years 2000 and
2001, and for other purposes.
eral fire profiles and special fire analyses and report
projects, and of which $8,000,000 shall be for anti-
terrorism training, including associated curriculum
development, for fire and emergency services per-
sonnel.
None of the funds authorized by paragraph (3) may be
obligated unless the Administrator has certified to the
Committee on Science of the House of Representatives
and the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transpor-
tation of the Senate that the obligation of funds is con-
sistent with the strategic plan transmitted under section
3 of the Fire Administration Authorization Act of 1999.’’.
SEC. 3. STRATEGIC PLAN.
(a) REQUIREMENT.—Not later than April 30, 2000,
the Administrator of the United States Fire Administra-
tion shall prepare and transmit to the Committee on
Science of the House of Representatives and the Com-
mittee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the
Senate a 5-year strategic plan of program activities for
the United States Fire Administration.
(b) CONTENTS OF PLAN.—The plan required by sub-
section (a) shall include—
(1) a comprehensive mission statement covering
the major functions and operations of the United
States Fire Administration in the areas of training,
research, data collection and analysis, and public
education;
(2) general goals and objectives, including those
related to outcomes, for the major functions and op-
erations of the United States Fire Administration;
(3) a description of how the goals and objec-
tives identified under paragraph (2) are to be
achieved, including operational processes, skills and
technology, and the human, capital, information, and
other resources required to meet those goals and ob-
jectives;
(4) an identification of the fire-related activities
of the National Institute of Standards and Tech-
nology, the Department of Defense, and other Fed-
eral agencies, and a discussion of how those activi-
ties can be coordinated with and contribute to the
achievement of the goals and objectives identified
under paragraph (2);
(5) a description of objective, quantifiable per-
formance goals needed to define the level of perform-
ance achieved by program activities in training, re-
search, data collection and analysis, and public edu-
cation, and how these performance goals relate to
the general goals and objectives in the strategic
plan;
(6) an identification of key factors external to
the United States Fire Administration and beyond
its control that could affect significantly the achieve-
ment of the general goals and objectives;
(7) a description of program evaluations used in
establishing or revising general goals and objectives,
with a schedule for future program evaluations;
(8) a plan for the timely distribution of infor-
mation and educational materials to State and local
firefighting services, including volunteer, career, and
combination services throughout the United States;
(9) a description of how the strategic plan pre-
pared under this section will be incorporated into the
strategic plan and the performance plans and re-
ports of the Federal Emergency Management Agen-
cy; and
(10)(A) a description of the current and
planned use of the Internet for the delivery of train-
ing courses by the National Fire Academy, including
a listing of the types of courses and whether they
provide real time interaction between instructor and
students, and including the number of students en-
rolled, and the geographic distribution of students,
for the most recent fiscal year;
(B) an assessment of the availability and actual
use by the National Fire Academy of Federal facili-
ties suitable for distance education applications, in-
cluding facilities with teleconferencing capabilities;
and
(C) an assessment of the benefits and problems
associated with delivery of instructional courses
using the Internet, including limitations due to net-
work bandwidth at training sites, the availability of
suitable course materials, and the effectiveness of
such courses in terms of student performance.
SEC. 4. RESEARCH AGENDA.
(a) REQUIREMENT.—Not later than 120 days after
the date of the enactment of this Act, the Administrator
of the United States Fire Administration, in consultation
with the Director of the Federal Emergency Management
Agency, the Director of the National Institute of Stand-
ards and Technology, representatives of trade associa-
tions, State and local firefighting services, and other ap-
propriate entities, shall prepare and transmit to the Com-
mittee on Science of the House of Representatives and the
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of
the Senate a report describing the United States Fire Ad-
ministration’s research agenda and including a plan for
implementing that agenda.
(b) CONTENTS OF REPORT.—The report required by
subsection (a) shall—
(1) identify research priorities;
(2) describe how the proposed research agenda
will be coordinated and integrated with the programs
and capabilities of the National Institute of Stand-
ards and Technology, the Department of Defense,
and other Federal agencies;
(3) identify potential roles of academic and
other research institutions in achieving the research
agenda;
(4) provide cost estimates, anticipated per-
sonnel needs, and a schedule for completing the var-
ious elements of the research agenda;
(5) describe ways to leverage resources through
partnerships, cooperative agreements, and other
means; and
(6) discuss how the proposed research agenda
will enhance training, improve State and local fire-
fighting services, impact standards and codes, in-
crease firefighter and public safety, and advance
firefighting techniques.
(c) USE IN PREPARING STRATEGIC PLAN.—The re-
search agenda prepared under this section shall be used
in the preparation of the strategic plan required by section
3.
SEC. 5. SURPLUS AND EXCESS FEDERAL EQUIPMENT.
The Federal Fire Prevention and Control Act of 1974
is amended by adding at the end the following new section:
‘‘SEC. 33. SURPLUS AND EXCESS FEDERAL EQUIPMENT.
‘‘The Administrator shall make publicly available, in-
cluding through the Internet, information on procedures
for acquiring surplus and excess Federal fire, emergency,
hazardous material, or other equipment or property that
may be useful to State and local fire and emergency serv-
ices.’’.
SEC. 6. COOPERATIVE AGREEMENTS WITH FEDERAL FA-
CILITIES.
The Federal Fire Prevention and Control Act of 1974
is amended by adding at the end the following new section:
‘‘SEC. 34. COOPERATIVE AGREEMENTS WITH FEDERAL FA-
CILITIES.
‘‘The Administrator shall make publicly available, in-
cluding through the Internet, information on procedures
for establishing cooperative agreements between State and
local fire and emergency services and Federal facilities in
their region relating to the provision of fire and emergency
services.’’.
SEC. 7. MISCELLANEOUS REPEALS.
The Federal Fire Prevention and Control Act of 1974
is amended—
(1) by repealing section 10(b) and redesignating
subsection (c) of that section as subsection (b);
(2) by repealing section 23;
(3) in section 24—
(A) by striking ‘‘(a) The’’ and inserting
‘‘The’’; and
(B) by repealing subsection (b);
(4) by repealing section 26; and
(5) by repealing section 27.
SEC. 
8. 
NEED 
FOR 
ADDITIONAL 
TRAINING 
IN
COUNTERTERRORISM.
(a) IN GENERAL.—The Administrator of the United
States Fire Administration shall conduct an assessment
of the need for additional capabilities for Federal
counterterrorism training of emergency response per-
sonnel.
(b) CONTENTS OF ASSESSMENT.—The assessment
conducted under this section shall include—
(1) a review of the counterterrorism training
programs offered by the United States Fire Admin-
istration and other Federal agencies;
(2) an estimate of the number and types of
emergency response personnel that have, during the
period between January 1, 1994, and June 1, 1999,
sought training described in paragraph (1), but have
been unable to receive that training as a result of
the oversubscription of the training capabilities; and
(3) a recommendation on the need to provide
additional Federal counterterrorism training centers,
including—
(A) an analysis of existing Federal facili-
ties that could be used as counterterrorism
training facilities; and
(B) a cost-benefit analysis of the establish-
ment of counterterrorism training facilities in
regions where many applicants for such training
reside.
(c) REPORT.—Not later than 180 days after the date
of the enactment of this Act, the Administrator shall pre-
pare and submit to the Congress a report on the results
of the assessment conducted under this section.
SEC. 9. NATIONAL FIRE ACADEMY CURRICULUM REVIEW.
(a) IN GENERAL.—The Administrator of the United
States Fire Administration, in consultation with the
Board of Visitors and representatives of trade and profes-
sional associations, State and local firefighting services,
and other appropriate entities, shall conduct a review of
the courses of instruction available at the National Fire
Academy to ensure that they are up-to-date and com-
plement, not duplicate, courses of instruction offered else-
where. Not later than 180 days after the date of enact-
ment of this Act, the Administrator shall prepare and sub-
mit a report to the Committee on Science of the House
of Representatives and the Committee on Commerce,
Science, and Transportation of the Senate.
(b) CONTENTS OF REPORT.—The report required by
subsection (a) shall—
(1) examine and assess the courses of instruc-
tion offered by the National Fire Academy;
(2) identify redundant and out-of-date courses
of instruction;
(3) examine the current and future impact of
information technology on National Fire Academy
curricula, methods of instruction, and delivery of
services; and
(4) make recommendations for updating the
curriculum, methods of instruction, and delivery of
services by the National Fire Academy considering
current and future needs, State-based curricula, ad-
vances in information technologies, and other rel-
evant factors.
SEC. 10. INTERNET AVAILABILITY OF INFORMATION.
The Administrator of the United States Fire Admin-
istration shall make available through the Internet home
page of the United States Fire Administration the ab-
stracts relating to all research grants and awards made
with funds authorized by the amendments made by this
Act. Nothing in this section shall be construed to require
or permit the release of any information prohibited by law
or regulation from being released to the public.
SEC. 11. REPEAL OF EXCEPTION TO FIRE SAFETY REQUIRE-
MENT.
(a) REPEAL.—Section 4 of Public Law 103–195 (107
Stat. 2298) is hereby repealed.
(b) EFFECTIVE DATE.—Subsection (a) shall take ef-
fect 1 year after the date of the enactment of this section.
Passed the House of Representatives May 11, 1999.
Attest:
Clerk.