Home > 106th Congressional Bills > H.R. 1550 (enr) To authorize appropriations for the United States Fire Administration, and for carrying out the Earthquake Hazards Reduction Act of 1977, for fiscal years 2001, 2002, and 2003, and for other purposes. [Enrolled bill] ...H.R. 1550 (enr) To authorize appropriations for the United States Fire Administration, and for carrying out the Earthquake Hazards Reduction Act of 1977, for fiscal years 2001, 2002, and 2003, and for other purposes. [Enrolled bill] ...
106th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 1550
_______________________________________________________________________
AN ACT
To authorize appropriations for the United States Fire Administration
for fiscal years 2000 and 2001, and for other purposes.
106th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 1550
_______________________________________________________________________
AN ACT
To authorize appropriations for the United States Fire Administration
for fiscal years 2000 and 2001, 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 Administration Authorization
Act of 1999''.
SEC. 2. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.
Section 17 of the Federal Fire Prevention and Control Act of 1974
(15 U.S.C. 2216) is amended to read as follows:
``authorization of appropriations
``Sec. 17. Except as otherwise specifically provided with respect
to the payment of claims under section 11 of this Act, there are
authorized to be appropriated to carry out the purposes of this Act--
``(1) $30,554,000 for fiscal year 1999;
``(2) $46,130,000 for fiscal year 2000, of which $2,200,000
shall be used for research activities, and $250,000 shall be
used for contracts or grants to non-Federal entities for data
analysis, including general fire profiles and special fire
analyses and report projects, and of which $6,000,000 shall be
for anti-terrorism training, including associated curriculum
development, for fire and emergency services personnel; and
``(3) $49,500,000 for fiscal year 2001, of which $3,000,000
shall be used for research activities, and $250,000 shall be
used for contracts or grants to non-Federal entities for data
analysis, including general fire profiles and special fire
analyses and report projects, and of which $8,000,000 shall be
for anti-terrorism training, including associated curriculum
development, for fire and emergency services personnel.
None of the funds authorized by paragraph (3) may be obligated unless
the Administrator has certified to the Committee on Science of the
House of Representatives and the Committee on Commerce, Science, and
Transportation of the Senate that the obligation of funds is consistent
with the strategic plan transmitted under section 3 of the Fire
Administration Authorization Act of 1999.''.
SEC. 3. STRATEGIC PLAN.
(a) Requirement.--Not later than April 30, 2000, the Administrator
of the United States Fire Administration shall prepare and transmit to
the Committee on Science of the House of Representatives and the
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate a 5-
year strategic plan of program activities for the United States Fire
Administration.
(b) Contents of Plan.--The plan required by subsection (a) shall
include--
(1) a comprehensive mission statement covering the major
functions and operations of the United States Fire
Administration in the areas of training, research, data
collection and analysis, and public education;
(2) general goals and objectives, including those related
to outcomes, for the major functions and operations of the
United States Fire Administration;
(3) a description of how the goals and objectives
identified under paragraph (2) are to be achieved, including
operational processes, skills and technology, and the human,
capital, information, and other resources required to meet
those goals and objectives;
(4) an identification of the fire-related activities of the
National Institute of Standards and Technology, the Department
of Defense, and other Federal agencies, and a discussion of how
those activities can be coordinated with and contribute to the
achievement of the goals and objectives identified under
paragraph (2);
(5) a description of objective, quantifiable performance
goals needed to define the level of performance achieved by
program activities in training, research, data collection and
analysis, and public education, and how these performance goals
relate to the general goals and objectives in the strategic
plan;
(6) an identification of key factors external to the United
States Fire Administration and beyond its control that could
affect significantly the achievement of the general goals and
objectives;
(7) a description of program evaluations used in
establishing or revising general goals and objectives, with a
schedule for future program evaluations;
(8) a plan for the timely distribution of information and
educational materials to State and local firefighting services,
including volunteer, career, and combination services
throughout the United States;
(9) a description of how the strategic plan prepared under
this section will be incorporated into the strategic plan and
the performance plans and reports of the Federal Emergency
Management Agency; and
(10)(A) a description of the current and planned use of the
Internet for the delivery of training courses by the National
Fire Academy, including a listing of the types of courses and
whether they provide real time interaction between instructor
and students, and including the number of students enrolled,
and the geographic distribution of students, for the most
recent fiscal year;
(B) an assessment of the availability and actual use by the
National Fire Academy of Federal facilities suitable for
distance education applications, including facilities with
teleconferencing capabilities; and
(C) an assessment of the benefits and problems associated
with delivery of instructional courses using the Internet,
including limitations due to network bandwidth at training
sites, the availability of suitable course materials, and the
effectiveness of such courses in terms of student performance.
SEC. 4. RESEARCH AGENDA.
(a) Requirement.--Not later than 120 days after the date of the
enactment of this Act, the Administrator of the United States Fire
Administration, in consultation with the Director of the Federal
Emergency Management Agency, the Director of the National Institute of
Standards and Technology, representatives of trade associations, State
and local firefighting services, and other appropriate entities, shall
prepare and transmit to the Committee on Science of the House of
Representatives and the Committee on Commerce, Science, and
Transportation of the Senate a report describing the United States Fire
Administration's research agenda and including a plan for implementing
that agenda.
(b) Contents of Report.--The report required by subsection (a)
shall--
(1) identify research priorities;
(2) describe how the proposed research agenda will be
coordinated and integrated with the programs and capabilities
of the National Institute of Standards and Technology, the
Department of Defense, and other Federal agencies;
(3) identify potential roles of academic and other research
institutions in achieving the research agenda;
(4) provide cost estimates, anticipated personnel needs,
and a schedule for completing the various elements of the
research agenda;
(5) describe ways to leverage resources through
partnerships, cooperative agreements, and other means; and
(6) discuss how the proposed research agenda will enhance
training, improve State and local firefighting services, impact
standards and codes, increase firefighter and public safety,
and advance firefighting techniques.
(c) Use in Preparing Strategic Plan.--The research agenda prepared
under this section shall be used in the preparation of the strategic
plan required by section 3.
SEC. 5. SURPLUS AND EXCESS FEDERAL EQUIPMENT.
The Federal Fire Prevention and Control Act of 1974 is amended by
adding at the end the following new section:
``SEC. 33. SURPLUS AND EXCESS FEDERAL EQUIPMENT.
``The Administrator shall make publicly available, including
through the Internet, information on procedures for acquiring surplus
and excess Federal fire, emergency, hazardous material, or other
equipment or property that may be useful to State and local fire and
emergency services.''.
SEC. 6. COOPERATIVE AGREEMENTS WITH FEDERAL FACILITIES.
The Federal Fire Prevention and Control Act of 1974 is amended by
adding at the end the following new section:
``SEC. 34. COOPERATIVE AGREEMENTS WITH FEDERAL FACILITIES.
``The Administrator shall make publicly available, including
through the Internet, information on procedures for establishing
cooperative agreements between State and local fire and emergency
services and Federal facilities in their region relating to the
provision of fire and emergency services.''.
SEC. 7. MISCELLANEOUS REPEALS.
The Federal Fire Prevention and Control Act of 1974 is amended--
(1) by repealing section 10(b) and redesignating subsection
(c) of that section as subsection (b);
(2) by repealing section 23;
(3) in section 24--
(A) by striking ``(a) The'' and inserting ``The'';
and
(B) by repealing subsection (b);
(4) by repealing section 26; and
(5) by repealing section 27.
SEC. 8. NEED FOR ADDITIONAL TRAINING IN COUNTERTERRORISM.
(a) In General.--The Administrator of the United States Fire
Administration shall conduct an assessment of the need for additional
capabilities for Federal counterterrorism training of emergency
response personnel.
(b) Contents of Assessment.--The assessment conducted under this
section shall include--
(1) a review of the counterterrorism training programs
offered by the United States Fire Administration and other
Federal agencies;
(2) an estimate of the number and types of emergency
response personnel that have, during the period between January
1, 1994, and June 1, 1999, sought training described in
paragraph (1), but have been unable to receive that training as
a result of the oversubscription of the training capabilities;
and
(3) a recommendation on the need to provide additional
Federal counterterrorism training centers, including--
(A) an analysis of existing Federal facilities that
could be used as counterterrorism training facilities;
and
(B) a cost-benefit analysis of the establishment of
counterterrorism training facilities in regions where
many applicants for such training reside.
(c) Report.--Not later than 180 days after the date of the
enactment of this Act, the Administrator shall prepare and submit to
the Congress a report on the results of the assessment conducted under
this section.
SEC. 9. NATIONAL FIRE ACADEMY CURRICULUM REVIEW.
(a) In General.--The Administrator of the United States Fire
Administration, in consultation with the Board of Visitors and
representatives of trade and professional associations, State and local
firefighting services, and other appropriate entities, shall conduct a
review of the courses of instruction available at the National Fire
Academy to ensure that they are up-to-date and complement, not
duplicate, courses of instruction offered elsewhere. Not later than 180
days after the date of enactment of this Act, the Administrator shall
prepare and submit a report to the Committee on Science of the House of
Representatives and the Committee on Commerce, Science, and
Transportation of the Senate.
(b) Contents of Report.--The report required by subsection (a)
shall--
(1) examine and assess the courses of instruction offered
by the National Fire Academy;
(2) identify redundant and out-of-date courses of
instruction;
(3) examine the current and future impact of information
technology on National Fire Academy curricula, methods of
instruction, and delivery of services; and
(4) make recommendations for updating the curriculum,
methods of instruction, and delivery of services by the
National Fire Academy considering current and future needs,
State-based curricula, advances in information technologies,
and other relevant factors.
SEC. 10. INTERNET AVAILABILITY OF INFORMATION.
The Administrator of the United States Fire Administration shall
make available through the Internet home page of the United States Fire
Administration the abstracts relating to all research grants and awards
made with funds authorized by the amendments made by this Act. Nothing
in this section shall be construed to require or permit the release of
any information prohibited by law or regulation from being released to
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