United States Fire Administration, AFG, and SAFER Program Reauthorization Act of 2017

Bill: 115-hr-4661
Sponsor: Rep. Comstock, Barbara [R-VA-10]
Introduced: 2017-12-15 in the House
Policy area: Emergency Management
Subjects: Department of Homeland Security
Emergency planning and evacuation
Employee hiring
Employment and training programs
Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)
Fires
First responders and emergency personnel
Government information and archives
Mental health

Summary:
action_date: 2017-12-15
text: 

United States Fire Administration, AFG, and SAFER Program Reauthorization Act of 2017

 
This bill amends the the Federal Fire Prevention and Control Act of 1974 to: (1) reauthorize through FY2024 the Assistance to Firefighters Grants (AFG) Program, the Fire Prevention and Safety Grants (FPSG) Program, and the Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response Grant (SAFER) Program, and reauthorizes provisions regarding firefighting technology evaluation and standards development; 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.
 
The SAFER Program is revised to permit the use of grants to change the status of part-time or paid-on-call firefighters to full-time firefighters.
 
The United States Fire Administration (USFA) may develop and make widely available an electronic, online training course for members of the fire and emergency response community on matters related to the administration of AFG, FPSG, and SAFER grants. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) shall ensure that any such training is: (1) tailored to the financial and time constraints of members of the fire and emergency response community; and (2) accessible to all individuals in the career, combination, paid-on-call, and volunteer fire and emergency response community.
 
The USFA shall develop and implement a grant monitoring and oversight framework to mitigate and minimize risks of fraud, waste, abuse, and mismanagement relating to such grants programs.

action_date: 2017-12-18
text: 
(This measure has not been amended since it was introduced. The summary has been expanded because action occurred on the measure.)
 

United States Fire Administration, AFG, and SAFER Program Reauthorization Act of 2017

 
(Sec. 2) This bill amends the the Federal Fire Prevention and Control Act of 1974 to: (1) reauthorize through FY2024 the Assistance to Firefighters Grants (AFG) Program, the Fire Prevention and Safety Grants (FPSG) Program, and the Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response Grant (SAFER) Program, and reauthorizes provisions regarding technology evaluation and standards development; 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.
 
The SAFER Program is revised to permit the use of grants to change the status of part-time or paid-on-call firefighters to full-time firefighters.
 
(Sec. 5) The United States Fire Administration (USFA) may develop and make widely available an electronic, online training course for members of the fire and emergency response community on matters related to the administration of AFG, FPSG, and SAFER grants.
 
The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) shall ensure that any such training is: (1) tailored to the financial and time constraints of members of the fire and emergency response community; and (2) accessible to all individuals in the career, combination, paid-on-call, and volunteer fire and emergency response community.
 
(Sec. 6) The USFA shall develop and implement a grant monitoring and oversight framework to mitigate and minimize risks of fraud, waste, abuse, and mismanagement relating to such grants programs.

action_date: 2017-12-21
text: 
(This measure has not been amended since it was introduced. The expanded summary of the House passed version is repeated here.)
 

United States Fire Administration, AFG, and SAFER Program Reauthorization Act of 2017

 
This bill amends the the Federal Fire Prevention and Control Act of 1974 to: (1) reauthorize through FY2024 the Assistance to Firefighters Grants (AFG) Program, the Fire Prevention and Safety Grants (FPSG) Program, and the Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response Grant (SAFER) Program, and reauthorizes provisions regarding firefighting technology evaluation and standards development; 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.
 
The SAFER Program is revised to permit the use of grants to change the status of part-time or paid-on-call firefighters to full-time firefighters.
 
The United States Fire Administration (USFA) may develop and make widely available an electronic, online training course for members of the fire and emergency response community on matters related to the administration of AFG, FPSG, and SAFER grants. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) shall ensure that any such training is: (1) tailored to the financial and time constraints of members of the fire and emergency response community; and (2) accessible to all individuals in the career, combination, paid-on-call, and volunteer fire and emergency response community.
 
The USFA shall develop and implement a grant monitoring and oversight framework to mitigate and minimize risks of fraud, waste, abuse, and mismanagement relating to such grants programs.

action_date: 2018-01-03
text: 
(This measure has not been amended since it was introduced. The expanded summary of the House passed version is repeated here.)
 

United States Fire Administration, AFG, and SAFER Program Reauthorization Act of 2017

 
This bill amends the the Federal Fire Prevention and Control Act of 1974 to: (1) reauthorize through FY2024 the Assistance to Firefighters Grants (AFG) Program, the Fire Prevention and Safety Grants (FPSG) Program, and the Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response Grant (SAFER) Program, and reauthorizes provisions regarding firefighting technology evaluation and standards development; 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.
 
The SAFER Program is revised to permit the use of grants to change the status of part-time or paid-on-call firefighters to full-time firefighters.
 
The United States Fire Administration (USFA) may develop and make widely available an electronic, online training course for members of the fire and emergency response community on matters related to the administration of AFG, FPSG, and SAFER grants. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) shall ensure that any such training is: (1) tailored to the financial and time constraints of members of the fire and emergency response community; and (2) accessible to all individuals in the career, combination, paid-on-call, and volunteer fire and emergency response community.
 
The USFA shall develop and implement a grant monitoring and oversight framework to mitigate and minimize risks of fraud, waste, abuse, and mismanagement relating to such grants programs.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2018-01-03
text: Signed by President.
action_date: 2018-01-03
text: Signed by President.
action_date: 2018-01-02
text: Presented to President.
action_date: 2018-01-02
text: Presented to President.
action_date: 2017-12-22
text: Message on Senate action sent to the House.
action_date: 2017-12-21
text: Passed Senate without amendment by Unanimous Consent. (consideration: CR S8280)
action_date: 2017-12-21
text: Passed/agreed to in Senate: Passed Senate without amendment by Unanimous Consent.(consideration: CR S8280)
action_date: 2017-12-19
text: Received in the Senate, read twice.
action_date: 2017-12-18
text: Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
action_date: 2017-12-18
text: On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill Agreed to by voice vote. (text: CR H10155-10156)
action_date: 2017-12-18
text: Passed/agreed to in House: On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill Agreed to by voice vote.(text: CR H10155-10156)
action_date: 2017-12-18
text: DEBATE - The House proceeded with forty minutes of debate on H.R. 4661.
action_date: 2017-12-18
text: Considered under suspension of the rules. (consideration: CR H10155-10158)
action_date: 2017-12-18
text: Mrs. Comstock moved to suspend the rules and pass the bill.
action_date: 2017-12-15
text: Referred to the House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology.
action_date: 2017-12-15
text: Introduced in House
action_date: 2017-12-15
text: Introduced in House

Enacted as: number: 115-98