Senate Looks to Greenlight Fire Safety Reauthorization

Senators will gavel in for legislative business, and votes are possible with respect to a bill to reauthorize a series of fire safety grant programs and agencies. Specifically, the Senate is expected to take up a procedural motion that would place the Fire Grants and Safety Act on President Biden’s desk for signature. This legislation, which passed the House with amendments last month, would reauthorize the U.S. Fire Administration, the Assistance to Firefighters Grants Program, and the Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response Grant Program through fiscal year (FY) 2030. The bill also restricts Chinese entities from being eligible recipients or subrecipients for assistance through these programs. Additionally, House lawmakers tacked on a bipartisan package of nuclear-focused policies that would, among other things, streamline nuclear licensing and boost the Nuclear Regulatory Commission’s (NRC) workforce. Assuming all 100 senators cooperate with this procedural maneuver, the bill will immediately pass and land on President Biden’s desk for signature.