Fire Station Construction Grants Act
Bill: S.4690 | Sponsor: Sen. Van Hollen, Chris (D-MD)
Policy area: Emergency Management

Summary:
Fire Station Construction Grants Act
This bill directs the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to establish a grant program to modify, upgrade, and construct fire and emergency medical services (EMS) department facilities.
Grant recipients may use funds to
The bill sets forth provisions regarding (1) grant fund allocations between career and volunteer fire and EMS departments, (2) overtime, and (3) prevailing rate of wage and a requirement for using materials produced domestically for public contracts.

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 Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Fire Station Construction Grants 
Act''.

SEC. 2. ASSISTANCE TO FIREFIGHTERS FIRE STATION CONSTRUCTION GRANTS.

    (a) Definitions.--In this section:
            (1) Administrator.--The term ``Administrator'' 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 public or private 
        nonprofit EMS organization that is not affiliated with a 
        hospital and does not serve a geographic area in which the 
        Administrator finds that EMS are adequately provided by a fire 
        department.
            (6) Volunteer fire department.--The term ``volunteer fire 
        department'' means a fire department that has an all-volunteer 
        force of firefighting personnel.
    (b) Grant Program.--The Administrator shall establish a grant 
program to provide financial assistance to entities described in 
subsection (c) to modify, upgrade, and construct fire and EMS 
department facilities.
    (c) Eligible Applicants.--The Administrator may make a grant under 
this section to the following:
            (1) Career, volunteer, and combination fire departments.
            (2) Fire training facilities.
            (3) Nonaffiliated EMS organizations, combination and 
        volunteer emergency medical stations (except that for-profit 
        EMS organizations are not eligible for a grant under this 
        section).
    (d) Applications.--An entity described in subsection (c) seeking a 
grant under this section shall submit to the Administrator an 
application in such form, at such time, and containing such information 
as the Administrator determines appropriate.
    (e) Meeting for Recommendations.--
            (1) In general.--The Administrator shall convene a meeting 
        of qualified members of national fire service organizations 
        and, at the discretion of the Administrator, qualified members 
        of EMS organizations to obtain recommendations regarding the 
        criteria for the awarding of grants under this section.
            (2) Qualifications.--For purposes of this subsection, a 
        qualified member of an organization is a member who--
                    (A) is recognized for firefighting or EMS 
                expertise;
                    (B) is not an employee of the Federal Government; 
                and
                    (C) in the case of a member of an EMS organization, 
                is a member of an organization that represents--
                            (i) EMS providers that are affiliated with 
                        fire departments; or
                            (ii) nonaffiliated EMS providers.
    (f) Peer Review of Grant Application.--The Administrator shall, in 
consultation with national fire service and EMS organizations, appoint 
fire service personnel to conduct peer reviews of applications received 
under subsection (d).
    (g) 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 (f).
    (h) Uses of Funds.--
            (1) In general.--A recipient of a grant under this section 
        may use funds received for the following:
                    (A) Building, rebuilding, or renovating fire and 
                EMS department facilities.
                    (B) Upgrading existing facilities to install 
                exhaust emission control systems, install backup power 
                systems, upgrade or replace environmental control 
                systems (such as HVAC systems), remove or remediate 
                mold, and construct or modify living quarters for use 
                by male and female personnel.
                    (C) Upgrading fire and EMS stations or building new 
                stations.
            (2) Code compliant.--In using funds under paragraph (1), a 
        recipient of a grant under this section shall meet 1 of the 2 
        most recently published editions of relevant codes and 
        standards, especially codes and standards that--
                    (A) require up-to-date hazard resistant and safety 
                provisions; and
                    (B) are relevant for protecting firefighter health 
                and safety.
    (i) Grant Funding.--
            (1) In general.--The Administrator shall allocate grant 
        funds under this section as follows:
                    (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 Administrator does 
        not receive sufficient funding requests from a particular 
        department type described in subparagraphs (A) through (C) of 
        paragraph (1), the Administrator may make awards to other 
        departments described in such paragraphs.
            (3) Limitation on awards amounts.--A recipient of a grant 
        under this section may not receive more than $7,500,000 under 
        this section.
    (j) Prevailing Rate of Wage and Public Contracts.--
            (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 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 
        subchapter IV of chapter 31 of title 40, United States Code 
        (commonly known as the ``Davis-Bacon Act'').
            (2) Overtime.--Each employee described in paragraph (1) 
        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 8 hours in any workday or 
        40 hours in the workweek, as the case may be.
            (3) Assurances.--The Administrator shall make no 
        contribution of Federal funds without first obtaining adequate 
        assurance that the labor standards described in paragraphs (1) 
        and (2) will be maintained upon the construction work.
            (4) Authority of secretary of labor.--The Secretary of 
        Labor shall have, with respect to the labor standards described 
        in paragraphs (1) and (2), the authority and functions set 
        forth in Reorganization Plan Numbered 14 of 1950 (5 U.S.C. 
        App.) and section 3145 of title 40, United States Code.
            (5) Public contracts.--Contractors and subcontractors 
        performing construction work pursuant to this section shall 
        procure only manufactured articles, materials, and supplies 
        that have been manufactured in the United States substantially 
        all from articles, materials, or supplies mined, produced, or 
        manufactured in the United States in accordance with the 
        requirements (and exceptions thereto) applicable to Federal 
        agencies under chapter 83 of title 41, United States Code.
    (k) Applicability of FACA.--The Federal Advisory Committee Act (5 
U.S.C. App.) shall not apply to activities carried out pursuant to this 
section.
    (l) Reporting Requirements.--
            (1) Annual report to administrator of fema.--Not later than 
        1 year after the date of enactment of this Act, and annually 
        thereafter during the term of a grant awarded under this 
        section, the recipient of the grant shall submit to the 
        Administrator a report describing how the recipient used the 
        amounts from the grant.
            (2) Annual report to congress.--Not later than 1 year after 
        the date of enactment of this Act, and annually thereafter 
        until the date on which the rebuilding or renovation of fire 
        facilities and stations are completed using grant funds under 
        this section, the Administrator shall submit to the Committee 
        on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs of the Senate and 
        the Committees on Transportation and Infrastructure 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. Funds appropriated under this Act shall remain available until 
expended.
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