119-hr5777

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 5777 Introduced in House

    (IH) ]

<DOC>

119th CONGRESS
 1st Session
 H. R. 5777

To amend the Federal Fire Prevention and Control Act of 1974 to direct 
 the Administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency to 
reimburse certain expenses during a period in which there is a lapse in 
 appropriations for the Federal Emergency Management Agency and for 
 other purposes.

_______________________________________________________________________

 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

 October 17, 2025

Mrs. McClain Delaney (for herself, Mr. Moulton, Mrs. McIver, Ms. Craig, 
 Mr. Landsman, Ms. Bonamici, Mr. Subramanyam, Mr. Carson, and Ms. 
 Lofgren) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
 Committee on Science, Space, and Technology

_______________________________________________________________________

 A BILL

To amend the Federal Fire Prevention and Control Act of 1974 to direct 
 the Administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency to 
reimburse certain expenses during a period in which there is a lapse in 
 appropriations for the Federal Emergency Management Agency and for 
 other purposes.

 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

 This Act may be cited as the ``National Fire Academy Reimbursement 
for Emergency Service Course Unavailability and Expenses Act'' or the 
``National Fire Academy RESCUE Act''.

SEC. 2. REIMBURSEMENT OF CERTAIN EXPENSES DURING A LAPSE IN 
 APPROPRIATIONS FOR THE NATIONAL ACADEMY FOR FIRE 
 PREVENTION AND CONTROL.

    (a) Reimbursement of Certain Expenses.--

Section 7 of the Federal 
Fire Prevention and Control Act of 1974 (15 U.S.C. 2206) is amended--

    (1) by redesignating subsection

    (n) as subsection

    (o) ; and

    (2) by inserting after subsection
            (m) the following new 
 subsection:
 ``

    (n) Reimbursement of Certain Expenses.--
 ``

    (1) In general.--With respect to a covered course or 
 activity that is cancelled during a period in which there is a 
 lapse in appropriations, or as a result of such a lapse, for 
 the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the Administrator of 
 FEMA, subject to paragraph

    (2) , shall reimburse a fire 
 department for any covered expense related to such covered 
 course or activity not later than 90 days after the later of--
 ``
        (A) the date such period ends, if applicable; or
 ``
        (B) the date the Administrator of FEMA receives 
 an itemization under paragraph

    (3) from such fire 
 department relating to such covered course or activity.
 ``

    (2) Good cause.--A reimbursement under paragraph

    (1) shall not apply with respect to a covered course or activity 
 that is cancelled if such covered course or activity is 
 cancelled for good cause.
 ``

    (3) Itemization of expenses.--Not later than 30 days 
 after the date on which a lapse in appropriations for the 
 Federal Emergency Management Agency ends, the fire chief or 
 other appropriate head of a fire department affected by a 
 covered course or activity that is cancelled during any such 
 period, or as a result of any such lapse, may submit to the 
 Administrator of FEMA an application for reimbursement that 
 includes an itemization of each covered expense incurred by 
 such fire department.
 ``

    (4) === Definitions. ===
-In this subsection:
 ``
        (A) Backfill expense.--The term `backfill 
 expense' means an expense incurred for the following:
 ``
            (i) Staffing adjustments.
 ``
            (ii) Overtime compensation.
 ``
        (B) Covered course or activity.--The term 
 `covered course or activity' means--
 ``
            (i) a course or program that is offered 
 by the Academy--
 ``
            (I) in-person and on-campus;
 ``
            (II) in-person and off-campus; or
 ``
            (III) through synchronous or 
 asynchronous virtual instruction; or
 ``
            (ii) a conference or symposium that is 
 offered by the Academy in-person and on-campus.
 ``
            (C) Covered expense.--The term `covered expense' 
 means any expense that a fire department incurred for 
 the planned participation of the personnel of such fire 
 department in a covered course or activity, including 
 the following:
 ``
            (i) Any travel expense.
 ``
            (ii) Any backfill expense.
 ``
            (D) Good cause.--The term `good cause' includes 
 the following:
 ``
            (i) The closure of a facility of the 
 Academy for any reason other than a lapse in 
 appropriations.
 ``
            (ii) The illness or unavailability of an 
 instructor of the Academy.
 ``
            (iii) A national emergency that impedes 
 access to a facility of the Academy by a 
 student or faculty member of the Academy.''.
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