Arson Prevention Act of 1994
Public Law 103-254 · H.R. 1727 · 103rd Congress · began in the House
Signed by Bill Clinton (D) on May 19, 1994 · Emergency Management
Sponsor: Rep. Rick Boucher (D-VA-9)
Cosponsors (23): Rep. Sherry Boehlert, Rep. George Brown,
Passage votes
- HouseMethod not stated
- SenateVoice vote
Data notes
The final version of the law, as each chamber passed it. A chamber that passed it by voice vote or unanimous consent has no count. “Method not stated” means the record does not say how the chamber voted. Where the record has a member-by-member vote, the “Who voted for it” section shows who voted yea.
Summary
The Congressional Research Service’s plain-language summary of what the law does.
Arson Prevention Act of 1994 - Amends the Fire Prevention and Control Act of 1974 to direct the Administrator of the United States Fire Administration, acting through the Office of Fire Prevention and Arson Control, to carry out a demonstration program under which not more than ten grant awards shall be made to States or consortia of States (States) for programs relating to arson research, prevention, and control.
Directs the Administrator, in carrying out such provision, to award two-year grants on a competitive, merit basis to States for projects that promote one or more of specified goals, including: (1) improving the training by States leading to professional certification of arson investigators; (2) providing resources for the formation of arson task forces or interagency organizational arrangements involving the police and fire departments and other relevant local agencies; (3) combating fraud as a cause of arson and advancing research at the State and local levels on the significance and prevention of fraud as a motive for setting fires; (4) combating juvenile arson, drug-related arson, and domestic violence as a cause of arson; and (5) improving the capability of firefighters to identify and combat arson through expanded training programs.
Sets forth provisions regarding: (1) the structuring of applications; (2) State qualification criteria; (3) the extension of grants; (4) technical assistance; (5) consultation and cooperation with other Federal agencies; (6) assessment; and (7) the purchase of American made equipment and products by grant recipients.
(Sec. 4) Includes within a provision requiring the Administrator to provide training and instructional materials in skills and knowledge necessary to assist Federal, State, and local fire service and law enforcement personnel in arson prevention, detection, and control, a requirement that particular emphasis be placed on the needs of volunteer firefighters for improved and more widely available arson training courses.
(Sec. 5) Prohibits making certain funds available to a State or local government under the Act unless such government has a policy to actively promote the training of its firefighters in cardiopulmonary resuscitation.
(Sec. 6) Exempts Federal employee housing that does not have an adequate and reliable electrical system from the requirement for protection by hard-wired (but requires battery operated) smoke detectors.
(Sec. 7) Authorizes appropriations, including appropriations for basic research on the development of an advanced course on arson prevention and for the expansion of arson investigator training programs at the National Fire Academy and the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center or through regional delivery sites.
(Sec. 8) Prohibits any funds from being authorized to be appropriated for any fiscal year after FY 1996 for carrying out the programs for which funds are authorized by this Act or the amendments made by this Act.
Committees
The committees the bill was sent to, and what each did with it.
Science, Space, and Technology Committee · House · markup by, referred to, reported bySubcommittee: Research Subcommittee
Data notes
A committee links to its page only where it exists in the current Congress; older and renamed committees are named without a link.
Timeline
From introduction to signing, newest first: the committees, the floor and the president. 19 actions.
- May 19, 1994Became lawBecame law · Became Public Law No: 103-254.
- Became lawBecame law · Signed by President.
- May 10, 1994PresidentPresident · Presented to President.
- May 6, 1994Resolving differencesResolving differences · Senate agreed to the House amendment to the Senate amendment by Voice Vote.
- Apr 26, 1994FloorFloor · House agreed to Senate amendment with amendment pursuant to H. Res. 413.
- Nov 23, 1993CommitteeCommittee · Discharged from Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee
- Nov 22, 1993FloorFloor · Passed Senate in lieu of S. 798 with an amendment by Voice Vote.
- Jul 27, 1993CommitteeCommittee · Referred to Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee
- Jul 26, 1993FloorFloor · Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
- FloorFloor · On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended Agreed to by voice vote.
- FloorFloor · Mr. Boucher moved to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended.
- Jul 13, 1993CommitteeCommittee · Reported by House Science, Space, and Technology Committee
- Jun 30, 1993CommitteeCommittee · Markup by House Science, Space, and Technology Committee
- Jun 17, 1993CommitteeCommittee · Reported by Research Subcommittee of the House Science, Space, and Technology Committee
- CommitteeCommittee · Markup by Research Subcommittee of the House Science, Space, and Technology Committee
- Apr 22, 1993CommitteeCommittee · Referred to Research Subcommittee of the House Science, Space, and Technology Committee
- Apr 20, 1993CommitteeCommittee · Referred to House Science, Space, and Technology Committee
- CommitteeCommittee · Hearings by Research Subcommittee of the House Science, Space, and Technology Committee
- IntroducedIntroduced · Introduced in the House
Data notes
Shows the introduction, each committee and subcommittee step the source dates (referral, hearings, markup, report, discharge), and the floor, conference, presidential and became-law steps. Calendar placements, messages between the chambers, amendments and committee report numbers are not shown for laws before the 108th Congress. Two entries the source lists twice are shown once.
Official record
The bill’s full text and every action, including introduction and committee steps, are on Congress.gov. Data through Oct 7, 2026.