Title: AFG and SAFER Program Reauthorization Act of 2017
Policy area: Emergency Management

Summary:
AFG and SAFER Program Reauthorization Act of 2017
This bill amends the the Federal Fire Prevention and Control Act of 1974 to: (1) repeal the expiration dates of, and to reauthorize through FY2023, the Assistance to Firefighters Grants (AFG) Program, the Fire Prevention and Safety Grants Program, and the Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response Grant (SAFER) Program; and (2) authorize the use of AFG Program grants, instead of SAFER Program grants, to provide specialized training to first responders on how to recognize and properly intervene with individuals with mental illness.

[Congressional Bills 115th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 829 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

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115th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                 S. 829

To reauthorize the Assistance to Firefighters Grants program, the Fire 
  Prevention and Safety Grants program, and the Staffing for Adequate 
   Fire and Emergency Response grant program, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                April 5 (legislative day, April 4), 2017

   Mr. McCain (for himself, Mr. Tester, Ms. Collins, and Mr. Carper) 
introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the 
        Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To reauthorize the Assistance to Firefighters Grants program, the Fire 
  Prevention and Safety Grants program, and the Staffing for Adequate 
   Fire and Emergency Response grant program, 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 ``AFG and SAFER Program 
Reauthorization Act of 2017''.

SEC. 2. REAUTHORIZATION OF ASSISTANCE TO FIREFIGHTERS GRANTS PROGRAM 
              AND THE FIRE PREVENTION AND SAFETY GRANTS PROGRAM.

    (a) Repeal of Sunset.--Section 33 of the Federal Fire Prevention 
and Control Act of 1974 (Public Law 93-498; 15 U.S.C. 2229) is amended 
by striking subsection (r).
    (b) Authorization of Appropriations.--Subsection (q)(1)(B) of such 
section is amended by striking ``2017'' and inserting ``2023''.
    (c) Authorization for Certain Training Under Assistance to 
Firefighters Grants Program.--Subsection (c)(3) of such section is 
amended by adding at the end the following:
                    ``(N) To provide specialized training to 
                firefighters, paramedics, emergency medical service 
                workers, and other first responders to recognize 
                individuals who have mental illness and how to properly 
                intervene with individuals with mental illness, 
                including strategies for verbal de-escalation of 
                crisis.''.

SEC. 3. REAUTHORIZATION OF STAFFING FOR ADEQUATE FIRE AND EMERGENCY 
              RESPONSE GRANT PROGRAM.

    (a) Repeal of Sunset.--Section 34 of the Federal Fire Prevention 
and Control Act of 1974 (Public Law 93-498; 15 U.S.C. 2229a) is amended 
by striking subsection (k).
    (b) Authorization of Appropriations.--Subsection (j)(1)(I) of such 
section is amended, in the matter before clause (i), by striking 
``2017'' and inserting ``2023''.
    (c) Modification of Application Requirements.--Subsection (b)(3)(B) 
of such section is amended by striking ``of subsection (a)(1)(B)(ii) 
and (F)'' and inserting ``of subsection (a)(1)(F)''.
    (d) Modification of Limitation.--Subsection (c)(2) of such section 
is amended by striking ``prior to November 24, 2003'' and inserting 
``prior to the date of the application for the grant''.
    (e) Modification of Waiver Authority.--Subsection (d)(1)(B) of such 
section is amended by striking ``subsection (a)(1)(E) or subsection 
(c)(2)'' and inserting ``subsection (a)(1)(E), (c)(2), or (c)(4)''.
    (f) Repeal of Authority for Certain Use of Grant Amounts 
Transferred to Assistance to Firefighters Grants Program.--Subsection 
(a)(1)(B) of such section is amended by striking ``and to provide'' and 
all that follows through ``of crises''.
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