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The Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee unanimously approved a modified version of the FIRE Act Wednesday, according to the Congressional Fire Services Institute.

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Offered by Committee Chairman John McCain (AZ) and ranking member Senator Fritz Hollings (SC), the measure would authorize $400 million over two years ($100 million for FY 01 and $300 million, FY02) in direct grants to fire departments. Volunteer, paid and combination departments could use the grants for training, equipment, apparatus, personnel, education programs and other items.

This is the third version of the bill introduced in the House (H.R. 1168), by Representatives Bill Pascrell (D-NJ) and Curt Weldon (R-PA), and the Senate (S. 1941) by Senators Mike DeWine (R-OH) and Christopher Dodd (D-CT) in the Senate.

The FIRE Act originally had a requested appropriation of $5 billion spread over five years. As an amendment to The Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2001 it became a $3.1 billion version available over six years.

The Defense Authorization Act is now in conference and includes the FIRE Act as an amendment. The language, but not the numbers of the McCain-Hollings substitute, is similar to what the Defense Authorization conference committee is considering as it prepares the final version of its bill. It could replace the current amendment.

What comes out of conference goes back to both the House and the Senate for final passage.

Or, the full Senate could vote on the McCain-Hollings substitute as it comes out of the Commerce Committee, as a separate bill.

The one provision of the original act that has undergone the most changes is the matching requirement. In the McCain-Hollings substitute, departments serving communities of 50,000 or less would have to provide a 10 percent match in non-federal funds. For all other departments, the match is 30 percent.

In addition to these grants, the legislation also authorizes $30 million for the Volunteer Fire Assistance Fire Program for Fiscal Years 2001 and 2002. This program provides assistance to rural volunteer fire departments that serve less than 10,000 people.

The bill would also require a study to be conducted by the Federal Emergency Management Agency in conjunction with the National Fire Protection Association to determine the needs of fire departments.

The other programs in the legislation are a hepatitis C study, burn research and treatment and a report on spectrum sharing for communications.