Section 1 Short title
This Act may be cited as the “AFG and SAFER Program Reauthorization Act of 2017”.
AFG and SAFER Program Reauthorization Act of 2017
AN ACT
To reauthorize the Assistance to Firefighters Grants program, the Fire Prevention and Safety Grants program, and the Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response grant program, and for other purposes.
Sec. 2 Reauthorization of Assistance to Firefighters Grants program and the Fire Prevention and Safety Grants program
Repeal of sunset— Section 33 of the Federal Fire Prevention and Control Act of 1974 (15 U.S.C. 2229) is amended by striking subsection (r).
Authorization of appropriations— Subsection (q)(1)(B) of such section is amended by striking “2017” and inserting “2023”.
Authorization for certain training under Assistance to Firefighters Grants program— Subsection (c)(3) of such section is amended by adding at the end the following:
“(N) To provide specialized training to firefighters, paramedics, emergency medical service workers, and other first responders to recognize individuals who have mental illness and how to properly intervene with individuals with mental illness, including strategies for verbal de-escalation of crisis.”
Sec. 3 Reauthorization of Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response grant program
Repeal of sunset— Section 34 of the Federal Fire Prevention and Control Act of 1974 (15 U.S.C. 2229a) is amended by striking subsection (k).
Authorization of appropriations— Subsection (j)(1)(I) of such section is amended, in the matter before clause (i), by striking “2017” and inserting “2023”.
Modification of application requirements— Subsection (b)(3)(B) of such section is amended by striking “of subsection (a)(1)(B)(ii) and (F)” and inserting “of subsection (a)(1)(F)”.
Modification of limitation— Subsection (c)(2) of such section is amended by striking “prior to November 24, 2003” and inserting “prior to the date of the application for the grant”.
Modification of waiver authority— Subsection (d)(1)(B) of such section is amended by striking “subsection (a)(1)(E) or subsection (c)(2)” and inserting “subsection (a)(1)(E), (c)(2), or (c)(4)”.
Repeal of authority for certain use of grant amounts transferred to Assistance to Firefighters Grants program— Subsection (a)(1)(B) of such section is amended by striking “and to provide” and all that follows through “of crises”.
Expansion of Staffing For Adequate Fire and Emergency Response grant program— Subsection (a)(1)(B) of such section, as amended by subsection (f), is further amended by inserting “or to change the status of part-time or paid-on-call (as defined in section 33(a)) firefighters to full-time firefighters” after “firefighters”.
Sec. 4 Training on administration of fire grant programs
In general— The Administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, acting through the Administrator of the United States Fire Administration, may develop and make widely available an electronic, online training course for members of the fire and emergency response community on matters relating to the administration of grants under sections 33 and 34 of the Federal Fire Prevention and Control Act of 1974 (15 U.S.C. 2229 and 2229a).
Requirements— The Administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency shall ensure that any training developed and made available under subsection (a) is—
tailored to the financial and time constraints of members of the fire and emergency response community; and
accessible to all individuals in the career, combination, paid-on-call, and volunteer fire and emergency response community.
Sec. 5 Framework for oversight and monitoring of the Assistance to Firefighters Grants program, the Fire Prevention and Safety Grants program, and the Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response grant program
Framework— Not later than 90 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, acting through the Administrator of the United States Fire Administration, shall develop and implement a grant monitoring and oversight framework to mitigate and minimize risks of fraud, waste, abuse, and mismanagement relating to the grants programs under sections 33 and 34 of the Federal Fire Prevention and Control Act of 1974 (15 U.S.C. 2229 and 2229a).
Elements— The framework required by subsection (a) shall include the following:
Developing standardized guidance and training for all participants in the grant programs described in subsection (a).
Conduct of regular risk assessments.
Conducting desk reviews and site visits.
Enforcement actions to recoup potential questionable costs of grant recipients.
Such other oversight and monitoring tools as the Administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency considers necessary to mitigate and minimize fraud, waste, abuse, and mismanagement relating to the grant programs described in subsection (a).