Empowering the U.S. Fire Administration Act

Floor Speech

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Mr. BEYER. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and concur in the Senate amendment to the bill (H.R. 7077) to require the United States Fire Administration to conduct on-site investigations of major fires, and for other purposes.

The Clerk read the title of the bill.

The text of the Senate amendment is as follows:

Senate amendment:

Strike all after the enacting clause and insert the following: SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

This Act may be cited as the ``Empowering the U.S. Fire Administration Act''. SEC. 2. FIRE SAFETY INVESTIGATIONS.

The Federal Fire Prevention and Control Act of 1974 (15 U.S.C. 2201 et seq.) is amended by adding at the end the following: ``SEC. 38. INVESTIGATION AUTHORITIES.

``(a) In General.--In the case of a major fire, the Administrator may send incident investigators, which may include safety specialists, fire protection engineers, codes and standards experts, researchers, and fire training specialists, to the site of the fire to conduct a fire safety investigation as described in subsection (b).

``(b) Investigation Required.--A fire safety investigation conducted under this section--

``(1) shall be conducted in coordination and cooperation with appropriate Federal, State, local, Tribal, and territorial authorities, including Federal agencies that are authorized to investigate any fire; and

``(2) shall examine the previously determined cause and origin of the fire and assess broader systematic matters to include use of codes and standards, demographics, structural characteristics, smoke and fire dynamics (movement) during the event, and costs of associated injuries and deaths.

``(c) Report.--

``(1) In general.--Subject to paragraph (2), upon concluding any fire safety investigation under this section, the Administrator shall--

``(A) issue a public report to the appropriate Federal, State, local, Tribal, and territorial authorities on the findings of such investigation; or

``(B) collaborate with another investigating Federal, State, local, Tribal, or territorial agency on the report of that agency.

``(2) Exception.--If the Administrator, in consultation with appropriate Federal, State, local, Tribal, and territorial authorities determines that issuing a report under paragraph (1) would have a negative impact on a potential or ongoing criminal investigation, the Administrator is not required to issue such report.

``(3) Contents.--Each public report issued under paragraph (1) shall include recommendations on--

``(A) any other buildings with similar characteristics that may bear similar fire risks;

``(B) improving tactical response to similar fires;

``(C) improving civilian safety practices;

``(D) assessing the costs and benefits to the community of adding fire safety features; and

``(E) how to mitigate the causes of the fire.

``(d) Discretionary Authority.--In addition to a fire safety investigation conducted pursuant to subsection (a), provided doing so would not have a negative impact on a potential or ongoing criminal investigation, the Administrator may send fire investigators to conduct a fire safety investigation at the site of any fire with unusual or remarkable context that results in losses less severe than those occurring as a result of a major fire, in coordination and cooperation with the appropriate Federal, State, local, Tribal, and territorial authorities, including Federal agencies that are authorized to investigate the fire.

``(e) Construction.--Nothing in this section shall be construed to--

``(1) affect or otherwise diminish the authorities or the mandates vested in other Federal agencies;

``(2) grant the Administrator authority to investigate a major fire for the purpose of an enforcement action or criminal prosecution; or

``(3) require the Administrator to send investigators or issue a report for a major fire when the Administrator, in coordination and cooperation with the appropriate Federal, State, local, Tribal, and territorial authorities, determine that it may compromise a potential or ongoing criminal investigation.

``(f) Major Fire Defined.--For purposes of this section, the term `major fire' shall have the meaning given such term under regulations to be issued by the Administrator.''.

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Mr. BEYER. 7077, the bill now under consideration.

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Mr. BEYER. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Madam Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H.R. 7077, the Empowering the U.S. Fire Administration Act.

Although significant progress has been made in preventing major fires over the past 25 years, building fires in the United States remain a serious problem.

According to the U.S. Fire Administration, there was an estimated 372,000 residential building fires within the United States in 2020. These fires caused an estimated 2,615 deaths, 11,825 injuries, and $8.6 billion in property loss.

It is very timely that we are about to enact this bill as winter approaches and residential building fires are more likely to occur.

It is essential that we learn from major fires to inform and improve future fire prevention efforts. The U.S. Fire Administration is an essential part of these efforts.

Unfortunately, the agency currently lacks the authority to participate in post-fire onsite investigations.

H.R. 7077 addresses this gap by authorizing USFA to send their own experts to the site of a major fire to conduct an onsite investigation in coordination and cooperation with Federal, State, local, Tribal, and Territorial authorities. In doing so, this bill more fully leverages the unique expertise of the U.S. Fire Administration to help strengthen fire prevention.

This bill would also require the administrator to issue a public report on the findings of an investigation or collaborate with another investigating agency on their report. This report would include recommendations on improving tactical response and civilian safety practices, as well as on approaches to mitigation. These reports are an essential component of ensuring that everyone can utilize the knowledge we collect from major fires to improve future prevention efforts.

I thank my friend and colleague, Representative Ritchie Torres, for his leadership on this bill. Representative Torres introduced this bill after a major residential building fire in his district on January 9 of this year resulted in the tragic deaths of 17 people, including 8 children.

I also thank my colleagues on the Science, Space, and Technology Committee, Representatives Haley Stevens, Anthony Gonzalez, and Peter Meijer for their leadership on this bill, and I urge all of my colleagues to join us in passing this bill.

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