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AFG/SAFER Reauthorization Introduced in House

Published Date: 07.05.2011

On June 22, Congresswoman Eddie Bernice Johnson (D-TX), the Ranking Member of the House Science and Technology Committee, introduced the FIRE Grants Reauthorization Act of 2011 (H.R. 2269) along with a bi-partisan group of 14 original co-sponsors. The legislation, which would reauthorize the Assistance to Firefighters Grant (AFG) program and the Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) grant program through FY 2016, is nearly identical to H.R. 3791 from the 111th Congress, which passed the House by a vote of 395-31 in November 2009. The NVFC, along with other major fire service organizations,  sent a letter to Congresswoman Johnson expressing support for H.R. 2269.

“I’d like to thank Congresswoman Johnson, the co-Chairs of the House Fire Services Caucus, and all of the U.S. Representatives from both parties who have joined together to introduce this important piece of legislation,” said National Volunteer Fire Council (NVFC) Chairman Philip C. Stittleburg. “The language in this bill is closely tied to a series of policy recommendations made jointly by the NVFC and other major national fire service organizations in 2009 for reauthorization of AFG and SAFER.”

Senate legislation to reauthorize AFG and SAFER (S. 550) was passed out of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee (HSGAC) in May. The NVFC supported HSGAC voting favorably on S. 550 so that the full Senate can act on it, but we are concerned about language that was added to the bill during the Committee markup to eliminate AFG and SAFER after FY 2016, among other provisions.

“AFG and SAFER are by far the most significant sources of federal assistance available to the fire and emergency services and play a critical role in ensuring that all departments meet a baseline level of readiness,” said Stittleburg. “I look forward to working with our supporters in the House of Representatives to enact H.R. 2269.”

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