Description:
S. 559 would reauthorize appropriations, which expire at the end of 2023, for operations of the U.S. Fire Administration (USFA) and for two grant programs that organization administers: Assistance to Firefighters Grants (AFG), which funds training and purchases of equipment and vehicles, and Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER), which helps state, local, and tribal fire departments hire and retain firefighters and first responders. The bill would authorize the appropriation of $95 million each year over the 2024-2030 period for USFA’s operations. The Congress provided $58 million for that purpose in fiscal year 2023. The bill also would extend through 2030 the underlying formula for the authorizations of appropriations for the grant programs; those amounts are calculated by adjusting the amount authorized for 2013 ($750 million) each year to account for inflation. After accounting for inflation, CBO estimates that S. 559 would authorize appropriations totaling $5.3 billion for each program over the 2024-2028 period. The Congress provided $360 million for each of them in fiscal year 2023.
