United States Fire Administration Reauthorization Act of 2003
PL 108-169 (S.1152), enacted 12/06/2003

117 STAT. 2036
PUBLIC LAW 108–169—DEC. 6, 2003
Public Law 108–169
108th Congress
An Act
To reauthorize the United States Fire Administration, and for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of
the United States of America in Congress assembled,
TITLE I—UNITED STATES FIRE
ADMINISTRATION REAUTHORIZATION
SEC. 101. SHORT TITLE.
This title may be cited as the ‘‘United States Fire Administra-
tion Reauthorization Act of 2003’’.
SEC. 102. RE-ESTABLISHMENT OF POSITION OF UNITED STATES FIRE
ADMINISTRATOR.
Section 1513 of the Homeland Security Act of 2002 (6 U.S.C.
553) does not apply to the position or office of Administrator of
the United States Fire Administration, who shall continue to be
appointed and compensated as provided by section 5(b) of the Fed-
eral Fire Prevention and Control Act of 1974 (15 U.S.C. 2204(b)).
SEC. 103. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.
Section 17(g)(1) of the Federal Fire Prevention and Control
Act of 1974 (15 U.S.C. 2216(g)) is amended by striking subpara-
graphs (A) through (K) and inserting the following:
‘‘(A) $63,000,000 for fiscal year 2005, of which $2,266,000
shall be used to carry out section 8(f);
‘‘(B) $64,850,000 for fiscal year 2006, of which $2,334,000
shall be used to carry out section 8(f);
‘‘(C) $66,796,000 for fiscal year 2007, of which $2,404,000
shall be used to carry out section 8(f); and
‘‘(D) $68,800,000 for fiscal year 2008, of which $2,476,000
shall be used to carry out section 8(f).’’.
TITLE II—FIREFIGHTING RESEARCH
AND COORDINATION
SEC. 201. SHORT TITLE.
This title may be cited as the ‘‘Firefighting Research and
Coordination Act’’.
15 USC 2201
note.
Firefighting
Research and
Coordination Act.
15 USC 2204
note.
15 USC 2201
note.
United States
Fire
Administration
Reauthorization
Act of 2003.
Dec. 6, 2003
[S. 1152]
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117 STAT. 2037
PUBLIC LAW 108–169—DEC. 6, 2003
SEC. 202. NEW FIREFIGHTING TECHNOLOGY.
Section 8 of the Federal Fire Prevention and Control Act of
1974 (15 U.S.C. 2207) is amended—
(1) by redesignating subsection (e) as subsection (g); and
(2) by inserting after subsection (d) the following:
‘‘(e) ASSISTANCE TO OTHER FEDERAL AGENCIES.—At the request
of other Federal agencies, including the Department of Agriculture
and the Department of the Interior, the Administrator may provide
assistance in fire prevention and control technologies, including
methods of containing insect-infested forest fires and limiting dis-
persal of resultant fire particle smoke, and methods of measuring
and tracking the dispersal of fine particle smoke resulting from
fires of insect-infested fuel.
‘‘(f) TECHNOLOGY
EVALUATION
AND
STANDARDS
DEVELOP-
MENT.—
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—In addition to, or as part of, the program
conducted under subsection (a), the Administrator, in consulta-
tion with the National Institute of Standards and Technology,
the Inter-Agency Board for Equipment Standardization and
Inter-Operability, the National Institute for Occupational
Safety and Health, the Directorate of Science and Technology
of the Department of Homeland Security, national voluntary
consensus standards development organizations, interested
Federal, State, and local agencies, and other interested parties,
shall—
‘‘(A) develop new, and utilize existing, measurement
techniques and testing methodologies for evaluating new
firefighting technologies, including—
‘‘(i) personal protection equipment;
‘‘(ii) devices for advance warning of extreme
hazard;
‘‘(iii) equipment for enhanced vision;
‘‘(iv) devices to locate victims, firefighters, and
other rescue personnel in above-ground and below-
ground structures;
‘‘(v) equipment and methods to provide information
for incident command, including the monitoring and
reporting of individual personnel welfare;
‘‘(vi) equipment and methods for training, espe-
cially for virtual reality training; and
‘‘(vii) robotics and other remote-controlled devices;
‘‘(B) evaluate the compatibility of new equipment and
technology with existing firefighting technology; and
‘‘(C) support the development of new voluntary con-
sensus standards through national voluntary consensus
standards organizations for new firefighting technologies
based on techniques and methodologies described in
subparagraph (A).
‘‘(2) STANDARDS FOR NEW EQUIPMENT.—(A) The Adminis-
trator shall, by regulation, require that new equipment or sys-
tems purchased through the assistance program established
by the first section 33 meet or exceed applicable voluntary
consensus standards for such equipment or systems for which
applicable voluntary consensus standards have been estab-
lished. The Administrator may waive the requirement under
this subparagraph with respect to specific standards.
Regulations.
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117 STAT. 2038
PUBLIC LAW 108–169—DEC. 6, 2003
‘‘(B) If an applicant for a grant under the first section
33 proposes to purchase, with assistance provided under the
grant, new equipment or systems that do not meet or exceed
applicable voluntary consensus standards, the applicant shall
include in the application an explanation of why such equip-
ment or systems will serve the needs of the applicant better
than equipment or systems that do meet or exceed such stand-
ards.
‘‘(C) In making a determination whether or not to waive
the requirement under subparagraph (A) with respect to a
specific standard, the Administrator shall, to the greatest extent
practicable—
‘‘(i) consult with grant applicants and other members
of the fire services regarding the impact on fire depart-
ments of the requirement to meet or exceed the specific
standard;
‘‘(ii) take into consideration the explanation provided
by the applicant under subparagraph (B); and
‘‘(iii) seek to minimize the impact of the requirement
to meet or exceed the specific standard on the applicant,
particularly if meeting the standard would impose addi-
tional costs.
‘‘(D) Applicants that apply for a grant under the terms
of subparagraph (B) may include a second grant request in
the application to be considered by the Administrator in the
event that the Administrator does not approve the primary
grant request on the grounds of the equipment not meeting
applicable voluntary consensus standards.’’.
SEC. 203. COORDINATION OF RESPONSE TO NATIONAL EMERGENCY.
(a) IN GENERAL.—Section 10 of the Federal Fire Prevention
and Control Act of 1974 (15 U.S.C. 2209) is amended—
(1) by redesignating subsection (b) as subsection (c); and
(2) by inserting after subsection (a) the following:
‘‘(b) MUTUAL AID SYSTEMS.—
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—The Administrator shall provide tech-
nical assistance and training to State and local fire service
officials to establish nationwide and State mutual aid systems
for dealing with national emergencies that—
‘‘(A) include threat assessment and equipment deploy-
ment strategies;
‘‘(B) include means of collecting asset and resource
information to provide accurate and timely data for regional
deployment; and
‘‘(C) are consistent with the Federal Response Plan.
‘‘(2) MODEL MUTUAL AID PLANS.—The Administrator shall
develop and make available to State and local fire service
officials model mutual aid plans for both intrastate and inter-
state assistance.’’.
(b) REPORT ON STRATEGIC NEEDS.—Within 90 days after the
date of enactment of this Act, the Administrator of the United
States Fire Administration shall report to the Senate Committee
on Commerce, Science, and Transportation and the House of Rep-
resentatives Committee on Science on the need for a strategy con-
cerning deployment of volunteers and emergency response personnel
(as defined in section 6 of the Firefighters’ Safety Study Act (15
Deadline.
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117 STAT. 2039
PUBLIC LAW 108–169—DEC. 6, 2003
U.S.C. 2223e)), including a national credentialing system, in the
event of a national emergency.
(c) REPORT ON FEDERAL RESPONSE PLAN.—Within 180 days
after the date of enactment of this Act, the Department of Homeland
Security shall transmit a report to the Senate Committee on Com-
merce, Science, and Transportation, the Senate Committee on
Governmental Affairs, and the House of Representatives Committee
on Science describing plans for revisions to the Federal Response
Plan and its integration into the National Response Plan, including
how the revised plan will address response to terrorist attacks,
particularly in urban areas, including fire detection and suppression
and related emergency services.
SEC. 204. TRAINING.
(a) IN GENERAL.—Section 7(d)(1) of the Federal Fire Prevention
and Control Act of 1974 (15 U.S.C. 2206(d)(1)) is amended—
(1) by striking ‘‘and’’ after the semicolon in subparagraph
(E);
(2) by redesignating subparagraph (F) as subparagraph
(N); and
(3) by inserting after subparagraph (E) the following:
‘‘(F) strategies for building collapse rescue;
‘‘(G) the use of technology in response to fires, including
terrorist incidents and other national emergencies;
‘‘(H) response, tactics, and strategies for dealing with
terrorist-caused national catastrophes;
‘‘(I) use of and familiarity with the Federal Response
Plan;
‘‘(J) leadership and strategic skills, including integrated
management systems operations and integrated response;
‘‘(K) applying new technology and developing strategies
and tactics for fighting forest fires;
‘‘(L) integrating the activities of terrorism response
agencies into national terrorism incident response systems;
‘‘(M) response tactics and strategies for fighting fires
at United States ports, including fires on the water and
aboard vessels; and’’.
(b) CONSULTATION
ON FIRE ACADEMY CLASSES.—The Super-
intendent of the National Fire Academy may consult with other
Federal, State, and local agency officials in developing curricula
for classes offered by the Academy.
(c) COORDINATION WITH OTHER PROGRAMS TO AVOID DUPLICA-
TION.—The Administrator of the United States Fire Administration
shall coordinate training provided under section 7(d)(1) of the Fed-
eral Fire Prevention and Control Act of 1974 (15 U.S.C. 2206(d)(1))
with the Attorney General, the Secretary of Health and Human
Services, and the heads of other Federal agencies—
(1) to ensure that such training does not duplicate existing
courses available to fire service personnel; and
(2) to establish a mechanism for eliminating duplicative
training programs.
(d) COURSES AND TRAINING ASSISTANCE.—Section 7(l) of the
Federal Fire Prevention and Control Act of 1974 (15 U.S.C. 2206(l))
is amended by adding at the end the following: ‘‘The Superintendent
shall offer, at the Academy and at other sites, courses and training
assistance as necessary to accommodate all geographic regions and
needs of career and volunteer firefighters.’’.
15 USC 2206
note.
15 USC 2206
note.
Deadline.
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117 STAT. 2040
PUBLIC LAW 108–169—DEC. 6, 2003
SEC. 205. FIREFIGHTER ASSISTANCE GRANTS PROGRAM.
(a) ADMINISTRATION.—The first section 33 of the Federal Fire
Prevention and Control Act of 1974 (15 U.S.C. 2229) is amended—
(1) by striking subsection (b)(2) and inserting the following:
‘‘(2) ADMINISTRATIVE
ASSISTANCE.—The Director shall
establish specific criteria for the selection of recipients of assist-
ance under this section and shall provide grant-writing assist-
ance to applicants.’’; and
(2) by striking ‘‘operate the office established under sub-
section (b)(2) and’’ in subsection (e)(2).
(b) MARITIME FIREFIGHTING.—Subsection (b)(3)(B) of the first
section 33 of the Federal Fire Prevention and Control Act of 1974
(15 U.S.C. 2229(b)(3)(B)) is amended by inserting ‘‘maritime fire-
fighting,’’ after ‘‘arson prevention and detection,’’.
(c) FIREFIGHTING IN REMOTE AREAS.—The first section 33 of
the Federal Fire Prevention and Control Act of 1974 (15 U.S.C.
2229) is amended—
(1) by inserting ‘‘equipment for fighting fires with foam
in remote areas without access to water, and’’ after ‘‘including’’
in subsection (b)(3)(H); and
(2) by inserting ‘‘Of the amounts authorized in this para-
graph, $3,000,000 shall be made available each year through
fiscal year 2008 for foam firefighting equipment.’’ at the end
of subsection (e)(1).
SEC. 206. NATIONAL FALLEN FIREFIGHTERS FOUNDATION.
(a) MEMBERS.—Section 151303(b) of title 36, United States
Code, is amended—
(1) by striking ‘‘9’’ in paragraph (2) and inserting ‘‘12’’;
(2) by striking ‘‘six’’ in subparagraph (D) of paragraph
(2) and inserting ‘‘nine’’; and
(3) by striking ‘‘3 members’’ in paragraph (3) and inserting
‘‘4 members’’.
(b) COMPENSATION.—Section 151304(b)(3) of title 36, United
States Code, is amended by inserting ‘‘15 percent above’’ after
‘‘more than’’.
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117 STAT. 2041
PUBLIC LAW 108–169—DEC. 6, 2003
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY—S. 1152 (H.R. 2692):
HOUSE REPORTS: No. 108–245 accompanying H.R. 2692 (Comm. on Science).
SENATE REPORTS: No. 108–126 (Comm. on Commerce, Science, and Transpor-
tation).
CONGRESSIONAL RECORD, Vol. 149 (2003):
Nov. 20, considered and passed Senate.
Nov. 21, considered and passed House.
(c) PERIOD OF AUTHORIZED ASSISTANCE.—Section 151307 of title
36, United States Code, is amended in subsection (a)(1), by striking
‘‘During the 10-year period beginning on the date of the enactment
of the Fire Administration Authorization Act of 2000, the’’ and
inserting ‘‘The’’.
Approved December 6, 2003.
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