article: SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. This Act may be cited as the ``Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response Firefighters Act of 2003''. SEC. 2. OFFICE OF GRANT MANAGEMENT. The Federal Fire Prevention and Control Act of 1974 (15 U.S.C. 2201 et seq.) is amended by redesignating the second section 33 and section 34 as sections 35 and 36, respectively, and by inserting after the first section 33 the following new section: ``SEC. 34. OFFICE OF GRANT MANAGEMENT. ``(a) Establishment.--A new office within the United States Fire Administration shall be established to administer the SAFER Firefighter grant program under this section. ``(b) Authority To Make Grants.--(1) The Administrator may make grants directly to career, voluntary, and combination fire departments of a State, in consultation with the chief executive of the State, for the purpose of substantially increasing the number of firefighters so that communities can meet industry minimum standards to provide adequate protection from acts of terrorism and hazards. ``(2)(A) Grants made under paragraph (1) shall be for 4 years and be used for programs to hire new, additional career firefighters. ``(B) Grantees are required to commit to retaining for at least 1 year beyond the termination of their grants those career firefighters hired under paragraph (1). ``(3) In awarding grants under this section, the Administrator may give preferential consideration, where feasible, to applications for hiring and rehiring additional career firefighters that involve a non- Federal contribution exceeding the minimums under paragraph (5). ``(4) The Administrator may provide technical assistance to States, units of local government, Indian tribal governments, and to other public entities, in furtherance of the purposes of this section. ``(5) The portion of the costs of a program, project, or activity provided by a grant under paragraph (1) may not exceed-- ``(A) 90 percent in the first year of the grant; ``(B) 80 percent in the second year of the grant; ``(C) 50 percent in the third year of the grant; and ``(D) 30 percent in the fourth year of the grant, unless the Administrator waives, wholly or in part, the requirement under this paragraph of a non-Federal contribution to the costs of a program, project, or activity. ``(6) The authority under paragraph (1) of this section to make grants for the hiring of additional career firefighters shall lapse at the conclusion of 10 years from the date of enactment of this section. Prior to the expiration of this grant authority, the Administrator shall submit a report to Congress concerning the experience with and effects of such grants. The report may include any recommendations the Administrator may have for amendments to this section and related provisions of law. ``(c) Applications.--(1) No grant may be made under this section unless an application has been submitted to, and approved by, the Administrator. ``(2) An application for a grant under this section shall be submitted in such form, and contain such information, as the Administrator may prescribe by regulation or guidelines. ``(3) In accordance with the regulations or guidelines established by the Administrator, each application for a grant under this section shall-- ``(A) include a long-term strategy and detailed implementation plan that reflects consultation with community groups and appropriate private and public agencies and reflects consideration of the statewide strategy; ``(B) explain the applicant's inability to address the need without Federal assistance; ``(C) outline the initial and ongoing level of community support for implementing the proposal including financial and in-kind contributions or other tangible commitments; ``(D) specify plans for obtaining necessary support and continuing the proposed program, project, or activity following the conclusion of Federal support; and ``(E) provide assurances that the applicant will, to the extent practicable, seek, recruit, and hire members of racial and ethnic minority groups and women in order to increase their ranks within firefighting. ``(4) Notwithstanding any other provision of this section, in relation to applications under this section of units of local government or fire districts having jurisdiction over areas with populations of less than 50,000, the Administrator may waive 1 or more of the requirements of paragraph (3) and may otherwise make special provisions to facilitate the expedited submission, processing, and approval of such applications. ``(d) Limitation on Use of Funds.--(1) Funds made available under this section to States or units of local government for salaries and benefits to hire new, additional career firefighters shall not be used to supplant State or local funds, or, in the case of Indian tribal governments, funds supplied by the Bureau of Indian Affairs, but shall be used to increase the amount of funds that would, in the absence of Federal funds received under this section, be made available from State or local sources, or in the case of Indian tribal governments, from funds supplied by the Bureau of Indian Affairs. ``(2) Funds appropriated by the Congress for the activities of any agency of an Indian tribal government or the Bureau of Indian Affairs performing firefighting functions on any Indian lands may be used to provide the non-Federal share of the cost of programs or projects funded under this section. ``(3)(A) Total funding provided under this section over 4 years for hiring a career firefighter may not exceed $100,000, unless the Administrator grants a waiver from this limitation. ``(B) The $100,000 cap shall be adjusted annually for inflation beginning in fiscal year 2005. ``(e) Performance Evaluation.--(1) Each program, project, or activity funded under this section shall contain a monitoring component, developed pursuant to guidelines established by the Administrator. The monitoring required by this subsection shall include systematic identification and collection of data about activities, accomplishments, and programs throughout the life of the program, project, or activity and presentation of such data in a usable form. ``(2) Selected grant recipients shall be evaluated on the local level or as part of a national evaluation, pursuant to guidelines established by the Administrator. Such evaluations may include assessments of individual program implementations. In selected jurisdictions that are able to support outcome evaluations, the effectiveness of funded programs, projects, and activities may be required. ``(3) The Administrator may require a grant recipient to submit to the Administrator the results of the monitoring and evaluations required under paragraphs (1) and (2) and such other data and information as the Administrator considers reasonably necessary. ``(f) Revocation or Suspension of Funding.--If the Administrator determines, as a result of the activities under subsection (e), or otherwise, that a grant recipient under this section is not in substantial compliance with the terms and requirements of an approved grant application submitted under subsection (c), the Administrator may revoke or suspend funding of that grant, in whole or in part. ``(g) Access to Documents.--(1) The Administrator shall have access for the purpose of audit and examination to any pertinent books, documents, papers, or records of a grant recipient under this section and to the pertinent books, documents, papers, or records of State and local governments, persons, businesses, and other entities that are involved in programs, projects, or activities for which assistance is provided under this section. ``(2) Paragraph (1) shall apply with respect to audits and examinations conducted by the Comptroller General of the United States or by an authorized representative of the Comptroller General. ``(h) Definitions.--In this section, the term-- ``(1) `firefighter' has the meaning given the term `employee in fire protection activities' under section 3(a) of the Fair Labor Standards Act (29 U.S.C. 203(y)); and ``(2) `Indian tribe' means a tribe, band, pueblo, nation, or other organized group or community of Indians, including an Alaska Native village (as defined in or established under the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act (43 U.S.C. 1601 et seq.)), that is recognized as eligible for the special programs and services provided by the United States to Indians because of their status as Indians. ``(i) Authorization of Appropriations.--There are authorized to be appropriated for the purposes of carrying out this section-- ``(1) $1,000,000,000 for fiscal year 2004; ``(2) $1,030,000,000 for fiscal year 2005; ``(3) $1,061,000,000 for fiscal year 2006; ``(4) $1,093,000,000 for fiscal year 2007; ``(5) $1,126,000,000 for fiscal year 2008; ``(6) $1,159,000,000 for fiscal year 2009; and ``(7) $1,194,000,000 for fiscal year 2010.''.
summary: Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response Firefighters Act of 2003 - Amends the Federal Fire Prevention and Control Act of 1974 to require the establishment of an office within the United States Fire Administration to administer the Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) Firefighter grant program under this Act.Authorizes the U.S. Fire Administrator to make direct four-year grants to State career, volunteer, and combination fire departments for staff increases in order to provide protection from terrorism and hazards. Specifies Federal grant contribution levels. Requires grantees to retain hired career firefighters for at least one year after grant termination. Terminates program authority ten years after enactment of this Act.Authorizes the Administrator to: (1) give preferential hiring to career firefighters where non-federal contributions exceed the minimums provided for by this Act; and (2) provide technical assistance to States, local governments, Indian tribes, and other public entities.Requires project evaluations.