Today, the House of Representatives passed S.870, the Fire Grants and Safety Act, by a vote of 393 to 13. S.870 would reauthorize the Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program (AFG), the Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response Grant Program (SAFER), and the United States Fire Administration (USFA). For the past two years, CFSI and our partner organizations have been working tirelessly on this legislation and today’s vote is a positive step for our nation’s fire and emergency services. We extend our thanks to members of the Congressional Fire Services Caucus who have been instrumental in the progress we have achieved to date.

The Senate must now act quickly on this bill before AFG and SAFER face a statutory sunset on September 30. In April of 2023, it approved an earlier version of S.870 by a vote of 95-2, but it will need to approve the House-amended version before it can be signed into law by the President. Specifically, this bill would reauthorize AFG, SAFER, and USFA through fiscal year Fiscal Year 2028 and extend the sunset date to September 30, 2030.

CFSI will continue to provide updates on imminent Senate action. In the meantime, click here to tell your Senators to pass S.870 and save AFG and SAFER.