National Construction Safety Team Act
Public Law 107-231 · H.R. 4687 · 107th Congress · began in the House
Signed by George W. Bush (R) on Oct 1, 2002 · Emergency Management
Sponsor: Rep. Sherry Boehlert (R-NY-23)
Cosponsors (14): Rep. Anthony Weiner, Rep. Christopher Shays,
Passage votes
- HouseVoice vote
- SenateUnanimous consent
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.
National Construction Safety Team Act - Authorizes the Director of the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) to establish National Construction Safety Teams for deployment within 48 hours after events causing the failure of a building that has resulted in or posed significant potential for substantial loss of life.
Declares the purpose of Team investigations to be to improve the safety and structural integrity of buildings in the United States. Requires Teams to: (1) establish the likely technical cause(s) of the building failure; (2) evaluate the technical aspects of evacuation and emergency response procedures; (3) recommend specific improvements to building standards, codes, and practices; (4) recommend research and other appropriate actions needed to improve the structural safety of buildings and evacuation and emergency response procedures; and (5) consist of at least one NIST employee and other experts who are not NIST employees.
Authorizes a Team, in investigating a building failure, to: (1) enter property where a building failure has occurred or where relevant materials are located; (2) inspect related records, facilities, and building components and materials; (3) move appropriate records, components, and materials; and (4) subpoena necessary witnesses and evidence. Requires a Team to: (1) conduct its actions in a way that does not interfere unnecessarily with building services or materials and that preserves evidence related to the building failure; (2) coordinate its investigations with search and rescue efforts and with qualified researchers conducting engineering or scientific research relating to the building failure; and (3) cooperate with State and local authorities carrying out any activities related to a Team's investigation. Directs NIST to enter into a memorandum of understanding with the head of each Federal agency that may conduct or sponsor a related investigation, providing for coordination of investigations. Grants a Team investigation priority over any other investigation of any other Federal agency, with the exception of related investigations conducted by the National Transportation Safety Board or building failures that may have been caused by criminal acts. Requires Teams to ensure that evidence of such criminal acts is preserved.
Requires: (1) the Director, on behalf of a Team, to hold public briefings on investigations, including final briefings after public reports required by this Act are issued; and (2) Teams to issue public reports after completing investigations, including an analysis of the cause of the building failure and any recommendations for changes to evacuation and emergency response procedures, improvements to building standards, and actions needed to prevent future failures. Requires NIST to review such reports, to conduct or encourage appropriate recommended research, and to promote adoption of Team recommendations by the Federal Government and other agencies and organizations.
Requires the Director to: (1) report to specified congressional committees on Team investigations and recommendations, including on the extent to which those recommendations have been implemented, and on NIST actions to improve building safety and structural integrity in response; and (2) establish an advisory committee to advise the Director on carrying out this Act and to review the procedures developed for the establishment and deployment of Teams and Team reports. Requires such advisory committee to transmit to such congressional committees annual reports that include: (1) an evaluation of Team activities, along with recommendations for improving Team operation and effectiveness; and (2) an assessment of the implementation of Team recommendations.
States that the authorities and restrictions applicable under this Act to the Director and Teams shall apply to the NIST's activities in response to the attacks of September 11, 2001.
Authorizes NIST to use funds otherwise authorized by law to carry out this Act.
Committees
The committees the bill was sent to, and what each did with it.
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. 17 actions.
- Oct 1, 2002Became lawBecame law · Became Public Law No: 107-231.
- Became lawBecame law · Signed by President.
- Sep 20, 2002PresidentPresident · Presented to President.
- Sep 17, 2002Resolving differencesResolving differences · Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
- Resolving differencesResolving differences · On motion that the House suspend the rules and agree to the Senate amendment Agreed to by voice vote.
- Resolving differencesResolving differences · Mr. Boehlert moved that the House suspend the rules and agree to the Senate amendment.
- FloorFloor · DEBATE - The House proceeded with forty minutes of debate on the motion to suspend the rules and agree to the Senate amendment to H.R. 4687.
- Sep 9, 2002FloorFloor · Passed Senate with an amendment by Unanimous Consent.
- FloorFloor · Measure laid before Senate by unanimous consent.
- Jul 12, 2002FloorFloor · On passage Passed by the Yeas and Nays: 338 - 23 (Roll no. 295).House roll call 295
- FloorFloor · Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
- FloorFloor · The House adopted the amendment as agreed to by the Committee of the Whole House on the state of the Union.
- FloorFloor · Rule H. Res. 475 passed House.
- Jun 25, 2002CommitteeCommittee · Reported by House Science, Space, and Technology Committee
- May 22, 2002CommitteeCommittee · Markup by House Science, Space, and Technology Committee
- May 9, 2002CommitteeCommittee · Referred to 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.