Empowering the U.S. Fire Administration Act
Bill: S.3845 | Sponsor: Sen. Gillibrand, Kirsten E. (D-NY)
Policy area: Emergency Management

Summary:
Empowering the U.S. Fire Administration Act
This bill authorizes the U.S. Fire Administration (USFA) to conduct on-site investigations of major fires and other fires under other specified circumstances.
In the case of a major fire, the USFA may send incident investigators (e.g., safety specialists, fire protection engineers, codes and standards experts, researchers, and fire training specialists) to the site. Any such investigation shall (1) be conducted in coordination with appropriate federal, state, and local authorities; and (2) examine the determined cause and origin of the fire and assess broader systematic matters.
Upon concluding any such investigation, the USFA must issue a public report to local, state, and federal authorities on the findings of such investigation or collaborate with another investigating federal agency on that agency's report.
Additionally, the USFA may send fire investigators to conduct investigations at the site of any fire with unusual or remarkable context that results in losses less severe than those occurring as a result of a major fire.

To require the United States Fire Administration to conduct on-site 
         investigations of major fires, and for other purposes.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Empowering the U.S. Fire 
Administration Act''.

SEC. 2. FIRE INVESTIGATIONS.

    The Federal Fire Prevention and Control Act of 1974 (15 U.S.C. 2201 
et seq.) is amended by adding at the end the following:

``SEC. 38. INVESTIGATION AUTHORITIES.

    ``(a) In General.--In the case of any major fire, the Administrator 
may send incident investigators, which may include safety specialists, 
fire protection engineers, codes and standards experts, researchers, 
and fire training specialists, to the site of the fire to conduct an 
investigation as described in subsection (b).
    ``(b) Investigation Required.--A fire investigation conducted under 
this section--
            ``(1) shall be conducted in coordination with appropriate 
        Federal, State, and local authorities, including Federal 
        agencies that are authorized to investigate a major fire or an 
        incident of which the major fire is a part; and
            ``(2) shall examine the determined cause and origin of the 
        fire and assess broader systematic matters to include use of 
        codes and standards, demographics, structural characteristics, 
        smoke and fire dynamics (movement) during the event, and costs 
        of associated injuries and deaths.
    ``(c) Report.--Upon concluding any fire investigation under this 
section, the Administrator shall issue a public report to local, State, 
and Federal authorities on the findings of such investigation, or 
collaborate with another investigating Federal agency on that agency's 
report, including recommendations on--
            ``(1) any other buildings with similar characteristics that 
        may bear similar fire risks;
            ``(2) improving tactical response to similar fires;
            ``(3) improving civilian safety practices;
            ``(4) assessing the costs and benefits to the community of 
        adding fire safety features; and
            ``(5) how to mitigate the causes of such fire.
    ``(d) Discretionary Authority.--In addition to investigations 
conducted pursuant to subsection (a), the Administrator may send fire 
investigators to conduct investigations at the site of any fire with 
unusual or remarkable context that results in losses less severe than 
those occurring as a result of a major fire, in coordination with 
appropriate Federal, State, and local authorities, including Federal 
agencies that are authorized to investigate a major fire or an incident 
of which the major fire is a part.
    ``(e) Major Fire Defined.--For purposes of this section, the term 
`major fire' shall have the meaning given such term under regulations 
to be issued by the Administrator.''.
                                 <all>