S. 2606: United States Fire Administration Reauthorization Act of 2008
Before you vote › Federal bills
S. 2606: United States Fire Administration Reauthorization Act of 2008
110th Congress · introduced 2008-02-07 · Emergency Management · Latest: Became Public Law No: 110-376.
federal
Follow this bill, step by step
- Where it came from: introduced 2008-02-07 · official record
- Who proposed it: Sen. Dodd, Christopher J. [D-CT] · what a sponsor is
- What happened next: 1 recorded vote in our records. Latest: House roll call 636 (2008): On Motion to Suspend the Rules and Pass, S2606 (2008-09-24), Passed. See all
- Where it stands now: Became Public Law No: 110-376. (final step reached)
- If it becomes law and spends money: follow the money to money laws, then agencies and contracts and grants.
Official title
United States Fire Administration Reauthorization Act of 2008
Plain summary
(This measure has not been amended since it was passed by the Senate on September 18, 2008. The summary of that version is repeated here.) United States Fire Administration Reauthorization Act of 2008 - (Sec. 3) Amends the Federal Fire Prevention and Control Act of 1974 to authorize appropriations for the U.S. Fire Administration (USFA) for FY2009-FY2012. (Sec. 4) Authorizes the Superintendent of the National Academy for Fire Prevention and Control to include within fire service personnel training: (1) tactics and strategies for dealing with natural disasters, acts of terrorism, and other man-made disasters; (2) applying new technology and developing strategies and tactics for fighting wildfires; (3) tactics and strategies for fighting large-scale or multiple fires in a general area that cross jurisdictional boundaries, fires occurring at the wildland-urban interface, and fires involving hazardous materials; and (4) advanced emergency medical services training. Increases (from 4% to 7.5%) the percentage of authorized USFA appropriations that may be used for assistance to state and local fire service training programs. Authorizes the Superintendent to conduct on-site training. Authorizes the Administrator of USFA to contract with nationally recognized organizations that have established on-site training programs that comply with national voluntary consensus standards for fire service personnel to facilitate the delivery of USFA education and training programs directly to such personnel. Prohibits the Administrator from: (1) contracting with an organization unless it provides training that leads to certification by a nationally recognized accreditation organization or an equivalent program; and (2) expending, in any fiscal year, sums exceeding 7.5% of authorized USFA appropriations for on-site training. Requires the Administrator to: (1) include in every third annual report information about changes made to the National Fire Academy curriculum; and (2) report on the feasibility of providing training in incident command for appropriate fire service personnel for fires at U.S. ports and in marine environments, including fires on the water and aboard vessels. (Sec. 5) Directs the Administrator to update the National Fire Incident Reporting system to ensure that the information in the system is available, and can be updated, through the Internet and in real time. (Sec. 6) Authorizes the Administrator to coordinate with the Secretary of Agriculture, the Secretary of the Interior, and the Wildland Fire Leadership Council, in assisting the nation's fire services in rural and remote areas. Provides for such assistance to include: (1) sponsoring and encouraging research into land-use policies; and (2) assistance to improve fire prevention and control in the wildland-urban interface. Requires the Administrator, for each fire-related research program funded, to make available to the public on USFA's website: (1) a description of such research program, including its scope, methodology, and goals; (2) information that identifies the individuals or institutions conducting the program; (3) the amount of funding provided by USFA; and (4) the results or findings. Sets forth deadlines for the publication of such information. (Sec. 7) Requires the Administrator to promote adoption by fire services of voluntary national consensus standards for firefighter health and safety. (Sec. 8) Directs the Secretary of Homeland Security to: (1) establish a fire service position at the National Operations Center to ensure the effective sharing of information between the federal government and state and local fire services; and (2) designate a state or local fire service official for that position on a rotating basis. (Sec. 9) Includes among the Administrator's coordination responsibilities to provide liaison to assure coordination related to emergency medical services (EMS) provided by fire service-based systems with federal, state, and local government agencies and nongovernmental organizations, as well as entities concerned with EMS generally. Authorizes the Administrator to conduct studies of the operations and management aspects of fire service-based EMS and coordination between EMS and fire services, which may include optimum protocols for on-scene care, resource allocation, and training requirements. (Sec. 11) Expresses support for USFA recommendations regarding the adoption of fire sprinklers in commercial buildings and educational programs to raise awareness of the importance of installing fire sprinklers in residential buildings.
Congressional Research Service summary (Public Law), quoted unchanged (nonpartisan). Read the source.
What a vote does
A “Yea” vote
If it passes both chambers and is signed, it becomes law.
A “Nay” vote
If it is not passed, current law stays as it is.
PSI Sci description of the legislative step (not an opinion).
What does this mean? (plain words)
Official text
United States Fire Administration Reauthorization Act of 2008
AI explanation – may be wrong, check the official text
No AI explanation yet. It takes up to a minute to write and is then saved for everyone.
Limited to a few requests an hour per person.
The strongest published arguments
Arguments for (supporters)
Needs sources: no published arguments on this side yet. We only show items backed by a published source. Suggest one.
Arguments against (opponents)
Needs sources: no published arguments on this side yet. We only show items backed by a published source. Suggest one.
Alternatives
Needs sources: no published alternatives yet (for example a different bill, a law instead of an amendment, or keeping current law). We only show items backed by a published source. Suggest one.
How did my representative vote? · This bill's floor votes
Officials and money
Sponsor: Sen. Dodd, Christopher J. [D-CT] · 12 cosponsors
Cost estimate: CBO cost estimate: S. 2606, United States Fire Administration Reauthorization Act of 2008 (2008-04-15); CBO cost estimate: S. 2606, United States Fire Administration Reauthorization Act of 2008 (2008-04-15)
Cosponsors on this site
Susan M. Collins (R-ME), Bernard Sanders (I-VT)
Recorded votes
- House roll call 636 (2008): On Motion to Suspend the Rules and Pass, S2606 (2008-09-24): Passed
Words on this page, explained (4)
- Appropriation
- Money a legislature sets aside by law for a specific purpose. Government agencies may spend public money only as it has been appropriated.
- Authorization
- A law that creates or continues a government program and says what it may do, often with a suggested spending ceiling. An authorization alone does not provide money; a separate appropriation does.
- Fiscal year
- The 12-month period a government uses for its budget. The federal fiscal year runs from October 1 to September 30 and is named for the calendar year in which it ends. Most states use July 1 to June 30.
- Securities
- Financial investments that can be bought and sold, such as stocks and bonds.
Plain meanings written from linked sources. All words.
Sources
- Congressional Research Service summary (Public Law)
- Congress.gov
- Data: GovInfo BILLSTATUS bulk data (Library of Congress), BILLSTATUS-110s2606.xml <https://www.govinfo.gov/bulkdata/BILLSTATUS/110/s>
Record fed-us-cong110-s2606 · catalog fed-us-congress-bills-cong110 · updated 2026-11-15 by psicol fed-bills-cong110