FY 2022 Appropriations Bills Contain Increases for Fire and EMS Programs

July 27, 2021

The House Appropriations Subcommittees have begun work on FY 2022 appropriations legislation, and the bills as introduced include increases for a number of programs that assist fire and EMS agencies.

H.R. 4331, the FY 2022 Homeland Security Appropriations Act, provides $370 million each for the Assistance to Firefighters Grant (AFG) and Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) grant programs, an increase of $10 million for each program. H.R. 4331 also provides $53.212 million for the U.S. Fire Administration, an increase of nearly $4 million over the FY 2021 level.

H.R. 4372, the FY 2022 Department of the Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies Act, provides $20 million for the Volunteer Fire Assistance grant program. That represents a $1 million increase over the level provided in FY 2021.

H.R. 4502, the FY 2022 Department of Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education Act, provides $2.5 million for the National Firefighter Registry, which will track incidences of firefighter cancer. $2.5 million represents full funding – the highest level of funding authorized for the Registry.