§ 2221. — Arson prevention grants.
[Laws in effect as of January 24, 2002]
[Document not affected by Public Laws enacted between
January 24, 2002 and December 19, 2002]
[CITE: 15USC2221]
TITLE 15--COMMERCE AND TRADE
CHAPTER 49--FIRE PREVENTION AND CONTROL
Sec. 2221. Arson prevention grants
(a) Definitions
As used in this section:
(1) Arson
The term ``arson'' includes all incendiary and suspicious fires.
(2) Office
The term ``Office'' means the Office of Fire Prevention and
Arson Control of the United States Fire Administration.
(b) Grants
The Administrator, acting through the Office, shall carry out a
demonstration program under which not more than 10 grant awards shall be
made to States, or consortia of States, for programs relating to arson
research, prevention, and control.
(c) Goals
In carrying out this section, the Administrator shall award 2-year
grants on a competitive, merit basis to States, or consortia of States,
for projects that promote one or more of the following goals:
(1) To improve the training by States leading to professional
certification of arson investigators, in accordance with nationally
recognized certification standards.
(2) To provide resources for the formation of arson task forces
or interagency organizational arrangements involving police and fire
departments and other relevant local agencies, such as a State arson
bureau and the office of a fire marshal of a State.
(3) To combat fraud as a cause of arson and to advance research
at the State and local levels on the significance and prevention of
fraud as a motive for setting fires.
(4) To provide for the management of arson squads, including--
(A) training courses for fire departments in arson case
management, including standardization of investigative
techniques and reporting methodology;
(B) the preparation of arson unit management guides; and
(C) the development and dissemination of new public
education materials relating to the arson problem.
(5) To combat civil unrest as a cause of arson and to advance
research at the State and local levels on the prevention and control
of arson linked to urban disorders.
(6) To combat juvenile arson, such as juvenile fire-setter
counseling programs and similar intervention programs, and to
advance research at the State and local levels on the prevention of
juvenile arson.
(7) To combat drug-related arson and to advance research at the
State and local levels on the causes and prevention of drug-related
arson.
(8) To combat domestic violence as a cause of arson and to
advance research at the State and local levels on the prevention of
arson arising from domestic violence.
(9) To combat arson in rural areas and to improve the capability
of firefighters to identify and prevent arson initiated fires in
rural areas and public forests.
(10) To improve the capability of firefighters to identify and
combat arson through expanded training programs, including--
(A) training courses at the State fire academies; and
(B) innovative courses developed with the Academy and made
available to volunteer firefighters through regional delivery
methods, including teleconferencing and satellite delivered
television programs.
(d) Structuring of applications
The Administrator shall assist grant applicants in structuring their
applications so as to ensure that at least one grant is awarded for each
goal described in subsection (c) of this section.
(e) State qualification criteria
In order to qualify for a grant under this section, a State, or
consortium of States, shall provide assurances adequate to the
Administrator that the State or consortium--
(1) will obtain at least 25 percent of the cost of programs
funded by the grant, in cash or in kind, from non-Federal sources;
(2) will not as a result of receiving the grant decrease the
prior level of spending of funds of the State or consortium from
non-Federal sources for arson research, prevention, and control
programs;
(3) will use no more than 10 percent of funds provided under the
grant for administrative costs of the programs; and
(4) is making efforts to ensure that all local jurisdictions
will provide arson data to the National Fire Incident Reporting
System or the Uniform Crime Reporting program.
(f) Extension
A grant awarded under this section may be extended for one or more
additional periods, at the discretion of the Administrator, subject to
the availability of appropriations.
(g) Technical assistance
The Administrator shall provide technical assistance to States in
carrying out programs funded by grants under this section.
(h) Consultation and cooperation
In carrying out this section, the Administrator shall consult and
cooperate with other Federal agencies to enhance program effectiveness
and avoid duplication of effort, including the conduct of regular
meetings initiated by the Administrator with representatives of other
Federal agencies concerned with arson and concerned with efforts to
develop a more comprehensive profile of the magnitude of the national
arson problem.
(i) Assessment
Not later than 18 months after May 19, 1994, the Administrator shall
submit a report to Congress that--
(1) identifies grants made under this section;
(2) specifies the identity of grantees;
(3) states the goals of each grant; and
(4) contains a preliminary assessment of the effectiveness of
the grant program under this section.
(j) Regulations
Not later than 90 days after May 19, 1994, the Administrator shall
issue regulations to implement this section, including procedures for
grant applications.
(k) Administration
The Administrator shall directly administer the grant program
required by this section, and shall not enter into any contract under
which the grant program or any portion of the program will be
administered by another party.
(l) Purchase of American made equipment and products
(1) Sense of Congress
It is the sense of Congress that any recipient of a grant under
this section should purchase, when available and cost-effective,
American made equipment and products when expending grant monies.
(2) Notice to recipients of assistance
In allocating grants under this section, the Administrator shall
provide to each recipient a notice describing the statement made in
paragraph (1) by the Congress.
(Pub. L. 93-498, Sec. 25, as added Pub. L. 103-254, Sec. 3, May 19,
1994, 108 Stat. 679.)
Prior Provisions
A prior section 2221, Pub. L. 93-498, Sec. 25, as added Pub. L. 95-
422, Sec. 4, Oct. 5, 1978, 92 Stat. 933, authorized sale by United
States Fire Administrator of former Marjorie Webster Junior College
facility, located in Washington, D.C., which had previously been
purchased as site for National Academy for Fire Prevention and Control,
prior to repeal by Pub. L. 97-80, title II, Sec. 202(b), Nov. 20, 1981,
95 Stat. 1083.
Section Referred to in Other Sections
This section is referred to in sections 2216, 2228 of this title.
