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Empowering the U.S. Fire Administration Act

Public Law 117-246 · H.R. 7077 · 117th Congress · began in the House

Signed by Joe Biden (D) on Dec 20, 2022 · Emergency Management

Sponsor: Rep. Ritchie Torres (D-NY-15)

Cosponsors (34): Rep. Haley Stevens,

Passage votes

  • HouseMethod not stated
  • 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.

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Summary

The Congressional Research Service’s plain-language summary of what the law does.

This act authorizes the U.S. Fire Administration (USFA) to conduct on-site fire safety investigations of major fires and other fires under other specified circumstances.

In the case of a major fire, the USFA may send incident investigators (e.g., safety specialists, fire protection engineers, codes and standards experts, researchers, and fire training specialists) to the site. Any such investigation shall (1) be conducted in coordination and cooperation with appropriate federal, state, local, tribal, and territorial authorities; and (2) examine the previously determined cause and origin of the fire and assess broader systematic matters.

Upon concluding any such investigation, the USFA must issue a public report to federal, state, local, tribal, and territorial authorities on the findings of such investigation or collaborate with another investigating federal, state, local, tribal, or territorial agency on that agency's report. The act makes an exception where issuing a report would have a negative impact on a potential or ongoing criminal investigation.

Additionally, the USFA may send fire investigators to conduct fire safety investigations at the site of any fire with unusual or remarkable context that results in losses less severe than those occurring as a result of a major fire, in coordination and cooperation with the appropriate federal, state, local, tribal, and territorial authorities.

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.

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Related bills

3 bills the Library of Congress relates to this one.

  • H.R. 5118Related bill

    Continental Divide Trail Completion Act

  • H.Res. 1518Related bill

    Providing for consideration of the bill (H.R. 1948) to amend title 38, United States Code, to modify authorities relating to the collective bargaining of employees in the Veterans Health Administration; providing for co…

  • S. 3845Identical bill

    Empowering the U.S. Fire Administration Act

Data notes

Related bills are identified by the Congressional Research Service, the House and the Senate: companion and identical bills, bills with similar text, bills that were folded into this law, and rules that brought it to the floor. A bill that is itself a public law in this site’s data links here; the others link to Congress.gov.

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Timeline

From introduction to signing, newest first: the committees, the floor and the president. 29 actions.

  1. Dec 20, 2022Became lawBecame law · Became Public Law No: 117-246.
  2. Became lawBecame law · Signed by President.
  3. Dec 16, 2022FloorFloor · Presented to President.
  4. Dec 14, 2022FloorFloor · Pursuant to section 5 of H. Res. 1518, and the motion offered by Mr. Hoyer, the following bills passed under suspension of the rules: H.R. 1082, as amended; H.R. 5349; H.R. 6218; H.R. 6220; H.R. 6221; H.R. 6611, as amended; H.R. 6630; H.R. 6725; H.R. 7077, agreed to Senate amend…
  5. FloorFloor · Pursuant to section 5 of H. Res. 1518, and the motion offered by Mr. Hoyer, the following bills passed under suspension of the rules: H.R. 1082, as amended; H.R. 5349; H.R. 6218; H.R. 6220; H.R. 6221; H.R. 6611, as amended; H.R. 6630; H.R. 6725; H.R. 7…
  6. FloorFloor · Pursuant to the provisions of H. Res. 1518, proceedings on H.R. 7077 are considered vacated.
  7. Dec 12, 2022Resolving differencesResolving differences · Mr. Beyer moved that the House suspend the rules and agree to the Senate amendment. ((consideration: CR H9652-9653; text: CR H9652))
  8. FloorFloor · At the conclusion of debate, the Yeas and Nays were demanded and ordered. Pursuant to the provisions of clause 8, rule XX, the Chair announced that further proceedings on the motion would be postponed.
  9. 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. 7077.
  10. Dec 7, 2022FloorFloor · Message on Senate action sent to the House.
  11. Dec 6, 2022FloorFloor · Passed Senate with an amendment by Unanimous Consent.
  12. FloorFloor · Measure laid before Senate by unanimous consent.
  13. Nov 14, 2022CalendarCalendar · Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 546.
  14. CommitteeCommittee · Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs. Reported by Senator Peters without amendment. With written report No. 117-195.
  15. Aug 3, 2022CommitteeCommittee · Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs. Ordered to be reported without amendment favorably.
  16. May 12, 2022CommitteeCommittee · Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs.
  17. May 11, 2022FloorFloor · Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
  18. FloorFloor · On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended Agreed to by the Yeas and Nays: (2/3 required): 379 - 37 (Roll no. 153).House roll call 153
  19. FloorFloor · Considered as unfinished business.
  20. May 10, 2022FloorFloor · At the conclusion of debate, the Yeas and Nays were demanded and ordered. Pursuant to the provisions of clause 8, rule XX, the Chair announced that further proceedings on the motion would be postponed.
  21. FloorFloor · DEBATE - The House proceeded with forty minutes of debate on H.R. 7077.
  22. FloorFloor · Considered under suspension of the rules.
  23. FloorFloor · Ms. Stevens moved to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended.
  24. May 6, 2022CalendarCalendar · Placed on the Union Calendar, Calendar No. 229.
  25. CommitteeCommittee · Reported (Amended) by the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology. H. Rept. 117-309.
  26. Apr 5, 2022CommitteeCommittee · Ordered to be Reported (Amended) by Voice Vote.
  27. CommitteeCommittee · Committee Consideration and Mark-up Session Held.
  28. Mar 15, 2022CommitteeCommittee · Referred to the House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology.
  29. IntroducedIntroduced · Introduced in House
Data notes

Every action the Library of Congress lists for the bill, from introduction to signing, plus the dated committee hearings. The source lists many steps twice (the chamber’s own entry and the Library of Congress copy, or a presidential and a became-law entry with the same words); those are shown once. Amendments are listed in their own section.

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Amendments

1 amendment offered to the bill, with the last recorded step of each.

  • S.Amdt. 6505SenateSen. Gary PetersD-MI· offered Dec 6, 2022Agreed to

    In the nature of a substitute.

    Dec 6, 2022: Amendment SA 6505 agreed to in Senate by Unanimous Consent.

    Agreed to
Data notes

Amendments offered to this bill in either chamber, as the Library of Congress records them: each with a status read from its last recorded step: agreed to, rejected, withdrawn, ruled out of order, fell with another amendment, or offered with no vote recorded (most Senate amendments are only ever offered). The wording of each amendment is the source’s. Amendments to amendments and amendments to other bills are not listed.

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Official record

The bill’s full text is on Congress.gov. Data through Oct 7, 2026.