[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 1814 Introduced in House (IH)]
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118th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 1814
To provide grants for fire station construction through the
Administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, and for other
purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
March 27, 2023
Mr. Pascrell (for himself, Mr. Fitzpatrick, and Mr. Bost) introduced
the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Science,
Space, and Technology, and in addition to the Committee on
Transportation and Infrastructure, for a period to be subsequently
determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such
provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
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 ``Facilitating Investments Required
for Emergency Services to All Towns in Our Nation Act'' or the ``FIRE
STATION 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 subparagraphs.
(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.--Chapter 10 of title 5, United States Code,
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 $750,000,000 for fiscal year 2024 to carry out this
section. Funds appropriated under this Act shall remain available until
expended.
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