The Senate passed a bipartisan bill Thursday to reauthorize federal grant programs for local fire departments after reaching agreement earlier this week to allow amendment votes.
The measure, passed 95-2, would reauthorize the two grant programs, Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response Grants and Assistance to Firefighters Grants, through fiscal 2030 but with flat funding.
The bill would also reauthorize the U.S. Fire Administration, which conducts research and provides public education and training, through the same time period. The measure would provide a $20 million increase for each of the next seven years that would bring the agency’s total budget authorization up to $95 million per year.
