Congress·In Committee·H.R. 5777

National Fire Academy RESCUE Act

National Fire Academy: Reimbursement for Canceled Training

5 months ago·View on Congress.gov·Read full text

The National Fire Academy RESCUE Act is currently in the early stages of the legislative process. It was recently sent to the House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology for review. There are no upcoming votes scheduled at this time, and the bill is still waiting for its first committee hearing.

Passage Likelihood

25%Unlikely

This bill is currently supported by only one party and has just been sent to a committee. Most bills introduced this way do not make it to a final vote.

·Introduced in the House
·Referred to committee
·Lacks bipartisan cosponsors

Legislative Progress

House

Senate

President

Law

Key Points

This bill helps local fire departments get their money back if a government shutdown cancels their training. When the federal government stops working because of budget fights, classes at the National Fire Academy are often called off.
Fire departments would be paid back for travel costs and the money they spent on overtime to cover for the firefighters who were supposed to be away at training. These costs can be very high for small towns with tight budgets.
FEMA would have to send the money back within 90 days after the shutdown ends or after the fire department sends in their list of expenses. Fire departments must submit their request within 30 days of the government reopening.
The bill covers all types of training, including in-person classes, off-site programs, and online courses. It also covers conferences and meetings hosted by the Academy.
Reimbursement would not happen if the class was canceled for other reasons. This includes things like an instructor getting sick, a building closing for repairs, or a separate national emergency.