R48283 — Reauthorization of the U.S. Fire Administration and of the Assistance to Firefighters Grant (AFG) and Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) Programs

The U.S. Fire Administration (USFA) is the lead federal agency on fire safety, fire data collection management, public fire education, fire research, and fire service training. It was established in the Federal Fire Prevention and Control Act of 1974 (FPCA; P.L. 93-498). The USFA is organized under the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) within the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). FPCA was passed to address fatal fires in the United States following the 1973 publication of America Burning, a landmark report by the National Commission on Fire Prevention and Control. Since FY2005, Congress has funded the USFA to administer the Assistance to Firefighters Grant (AFG) program. AFG provides funding to fire departments for personal protective gear, training, and equipment. Fire Prevention and Safety (FP&S) grants—a subprogram of AFG—support fire safety education with 10% of AFG funds. Since FY2005, Congress also has funded the Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) grant program under the AFG program. SAFER provides funding for hiring new firefighters and for recruiting and retaining personnel. The grants are administered by FEMA with USFA guidance. Authorization History When Congress created the programs, it authorized certain levels of funding for the USFA and the fire grants. Congress has reauthorized the programs several times. On January 2, 2013, in the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2013 (P.L. 112-239), Congress extended the authorization of appropriations for five years, through FY2017, and provided parity in funding between AFG and SAFER. Further, it stipulated that authorization of appropriations would be adjusted each year for inflation and created sunset provisions, ending the authority to award grants five years from enactment of P.L. 112-239. In the United States Fire Administration, AFG, and SAFER Program Reauthorization Act of 2017 (P.L. 115-98), Congress extended the authorization of appropriations for the USFA, AFG, and SAFER through September 30, 2023, and for the sunset provisions—the authorizations to award AFG and SAFER grants—through September 30, 2024. Legislation and Congressional Considerations The 118th Congress passed legislation (P.L. 118-67) to extend the authorization of appropriations for the USFA, AFG, and SAFER through FY2028 and for the sunset provisions for AFG and SAFER through FY2030. P.L. 118-67 authorizes a combined $750 million per year for the programs through FY2028 with no adjustment for inflation. Members introduced reauthorization bills in both Houses. The Senate passed a reauthorization bill (S. 870) on April 20, 2023. The House amended S. 870, substituting the text of its own bill (H.R. 4090) as an amendment and adding a division to the bill on advanced nuclear energy deployment. The House amendment reduced the level of authorized appropriations in the original Senate version and shortened the program extension and authorizations for appropriations by two years. Both versions included a requirement for the Government Accountability Office to audit the grant program and produce a report on “barriers that prevent fire departments from accessing Federal funds” and the USFA within three years. On June 18, 2024, the Senate agreed to the House amendments to S. 870 by a vote of 88-2. Congress has typically enacted appropriations for these programs below the levels authorized. During deliberations on reauthorization, some Members expressed concern that annual increases in authorizations might spur greater federal spending. Others have advocated for increased appropriations. Another issue was the timeline for sunset provisions. Such provisions provide Congress a measure of additional control over AFG and SAFER but might also affect administration of grant awards if program authorities are allowed to sunset. The fire community advocated for extension of appropriations authorizations and sunset provisions, as well as increased funding overall. Stakeholders argued that additional federal investment is needed, citing loss from over a million fires in 2021 that claimed the lives of 3,800 people (with an additional 14,700 injured) and resulted in about $16 billion in property loss. Fire community challenges include fires in the wildland urban interface, increased fire deaths, and emerging hazards of battery-powered electric vehicle and energy storage installations. Additionally, recruitment and firefighter mental health continue to challenge many fire departments.

Curated by CRS — every bill listed in this report's relatedMaterials. Edge type cited_in_report, gold confidence.

• HR 5212 — Firefighter Investments to Recognize Exposure to Cancer Act of 2023 · 118th Cong
• HR 4367 — Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Act, 2024 · 118th Cong
• HR 4090 — Fire Grants and Safety Act of 2023 · 118th Cong
• S 2625 — Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Act, 2024 · 118th Cong
• S 870 — An act to authorize appropriations for the United States Fire Administration and firefighter assista · 118th Cong
• S 559 — Fire Grants and Safety Act · 118th Cong