[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 5575 Introduced in House (IH)]
<DOC>
119th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 5575
To authorize grants to fire departments to conduct activities with the
goals of reducing falls among older adults and reducing response time
when responding to in-home emergencies, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
September 26, 2025
Ms. Lois Frankel of Florida (for herself, Mr. Ciscomani, Mr. Magaziner,
and Ms. Norton) introduced the following bill; which was referred to
the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To authorize grants to fire departments to conduct activities with the
goals of reducing falls among older adults and reducing response time
when responding to in-home emergencies, and for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Firefighters Assisting Seniors To
Emergency Response Act'' or the ``FASTER Act''.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS.
Congress finds the following:
(1) According to the Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention (CDC), about 14,000,000 falls are reported each year
nationwide among adults age 65 and over.
(2) These falls result in 38,000 deaths.
(3) Each year, approximately 3,000,000 older adults are
treated in emergency departments for a fall injury.
(4) Falls are the top cause of injury and injury-related
deaths for adults over 65.
(5) Falls among adults aged 65 and above result in over
$80,000,000,000 per year in medical expenses.
(6) More than 95 percent of hip fractures are caused by
falling.
(7) Falls are the most common cause of traumatic brain
injuries.
(8) According to the National Institutes of Health (NIH),
over 70 percent of falls occur in the home.
(9) Falls can often be prevented, including by implementing
simple home modifications.
(10) Fire department personnel can play an important role
in preventing and responding to falls.
SEC. 3. FIREFIGHTERS ASSISTING SENIORS TO EMERGENCY RESPONSE.
(a) Fall Prevention and Home Safety Grants.--
(1) In general.--The Administrator of FEMA shall make
grants directly to career fire departments, combination fire
departments, and volunteer fire departments for the purpose of
implementing programs to improve home safety and prevent falls
for older adults, including through fall prevention programs.
(2) Period of performance.--Grants made under this
subsection shall be for three years.
(3) Consideration.--In awarding grants under this
subsection, the Administrator of FEMA may give preferential
consideration to applications that involve non-Federal
contributions that exceed the difference between 100 percent
and the maximum percentage allowable Federal contribution
specified in paragraph (5) for a year.
(4) Technical assistance.--The Administrator of FEMA may
provide technical assistance to States, units of local
government, Tribal governments, and other public entities in
furtherance of the purposes of this section.
(5) Limitation on costs.--The portion of the costs of
implementing programs to improve home safety and prevent falls
for older adults provided by a grant under this paragraph may
not exceed the following:
(A) Seventy-five percent in the first year of such
grant.
(B) Seventy-five percent in the second year of such
grant.
(C) Thirty-five percent in the third year of such
grant.
(6) Administration.--Grants made pursuant to this
subsection shall be awarded on a competitive basis through a
neutral peer review process.
(b) Applications.--
(1) Restriction.--No grant may be made under this section
unless an application has been submitted to, and approved by,
the Administrator of FEMA.
(2) Form.--An application for a grant under this section
shall be submitted to the Administrator of FEMA in such form,
and containing such information, as the Administrator of FEMA
may prescribe.
(3) Contents.--At a minimum, each application for a grant
under this section shall--
(A) explain the applicant's inability or challenges
to implement without Federal assistance a program to
improve home safety and prevent falls for older adults;
and
(B) specify long-term plans for continuing such a
program following the conclusion of Federal support
provided under this section.
(c) Allowable Use of Funds.--Grants under this section shall be
used for any of the following purposes:
(1) Procurement and installation of devices, including lock
boxes, that can be installed on homes in order to allow
emergency responders quicker access to a home in case of an
emergency.
(2) Recruitment, retention, salaries, and benefits of
community paramedicine personnel, including firefighters,
paramedics, EMTs, social workers, case managers,
administrators, or other professionals for the purpose
described in subsection (a)(1).
(3) Installation and replacement of smoke detectors and
batteries.
(4) Compilation of health information to permit emergency
responders ready access to vital health data in case of an
emergency.
(5) Minor home modifications to reduce fall risks,
including the following:
(A) Flattening of rugs.
(B) Removal of tripping hazards.
(C) Installation of hand rails and grab bars,
including supplies, labor, and insurance.
(6) Risk assessment and reconciliation of medications.
(7) Referral to classes, medical professionals, and other
community resources that educate seniors on reducing fall
risks.
(d) Rules Regarding Use of Funds.--
(1) Limitation.--Funds made available under this section to
fire departments may not be used to supplant State or local
funds, or, in the case of Tribal governments, funds supplied by
the Bureau of Indian Affairs, but shall be used to increase the
amount of funds that would, in the absence of Federal funds
received under this section, be made available from State or
local sources, or in the case of Tribal governments, from funds
supplied by the Bureau of Indian Affairs.
(2) Relating to prior reductions.--No grant shall be
awarded pursuant to this section to a municipality or other
recipient whose annual budget at the time of the application
for fire-related programs and emergency response has been
reduced below 80 percent of the average funding level in the
three years immediately preceding the date of the application
for the grant.
(3) Permitted.--Funds appropriated by Congress for the
activities of any agency of a Tribal government or the Bureau
of Indian Affairs may be used to provide the non-Federal share
of the cost of programs or projects funded under this section.
(e) Waivers.--
(1) In general.--In a case of demonstrated economic
hardship of an applicant for a grant under this section, the
Administrator of FEMA may--
(A) waive the requirements of subsection (d)(1); or
(B) waive or reduce the application of subsection
(a)(5) or (d)(2).
(2) Guidelines.--
(A) In general.--The Administrator of FEMA shall
establish and publish guidelines for determining what
constitutes economic hardship for purposes of paragraph
(1).
(B) Consultation.--In developing guidelines under
subparagraph (A), the Administrator of FEMA shall
consult with individuals who are--
(i) recognized for expertise in emergency
medical services provided by fire services,
community paramedicine, fall prevention, or the
economic affairs of State or local governments;
and
(ii) members of national fire service
organizations or national organizations
representing the interests of State or local
governments.
(C) Considerations.--In developing guidelines under
subparagraph (A), the Administrator of FEMA shall
consider, with respect to relevant communities, the
following:
(i) Changes in rates of unemployment from
previous years.
(ii) Whether the rates of unemployment of
the relevant communities are currently and have
consistently exceeded the annual national
average rates of unemployment.
(iii) Changes in percentages of individuals
eligible to receive food stamps from previous
years.
(iv) Such other factors as the
Administrator of FEMA considers appropriate.
(f) Performance Evaluation.--
(1) In general.--The Administrator of FEMA shall establish
a performance assessment system, including quantifiable
performance metrics, to evaluate the extent to which grants
awarded under this section are furthering the purposes of this
section.
(2) Submittal of information.--The Administrator of FEMA
may require a grant recipient to submit to the Administrator of
FEMA any information the Administrator of FEMA considers
reasonably necessary to evaluate the implementation of programs
to improve home safety and prevent falls for older adults.
(g) Report.--Not later than two years after the date of the
enactment of this Act, the Administrator of FEMA shall submit to
Congress a report on the experience with, and effectiveness of, grants
awarded under this section in meeting the objectives of this section.
Such report may include any recommendations the Administrator of FEMA
may have for amendments to this section and related provisions of law.
(h) Revocation or Suspension of Funding.--If the Administrator of
FEMA determines that a grant recipient under this section is not in
substantial compliance with the terms and requirements of an approved
grant application submitted under this section, the Administrator of
FEMA may revoke or suspend funding of such grant, in whole or in part.
(i) Access to Documents.--
(1) In general.--The Administrator of FEMA shall have
access for the purpose of audit and examination to any
pertinent books, documents, papers, or records of a grant
recipient under this section and to the pertinent books,
documents, papers, or records of State and local governments,
persons, businesses, and other entities that are involved in
programs, projects, or activities for which assistance is
provided under this section.
(2) Application.--Paragraph (1) shall apply with respect to
audits and examinations conducted by the Comptroller General of
the United States or by an authorized representative of the
Comptroller General.
(j) Definitions.--In this section:
(1) Administrator of fema; career fire department;
combination fire department; volunteer fire department.--The
terms ``Administrator of FEMA'', ``career fire department'',
``combination fire department'', and ``volunteer fire
department'' have the meanings given such terms in section
33(a) of the Federal Fire Prevention and Control Act of 1974
(15 U.S.C. 2229(a)).
(2) Community paramedicine.--The term ``community
paramedicine'' means the operation of first responders,
including firefighters, emergency medical technicians (EMTs),
and paramedics, in roles that serve to proactively make
communities, homes, and residents safer and prevent future
medical emergencies.
(3) Fall prevention.--The term ``fall prevention'' means
the use of evidence-based measures that decrease fall risks in
older adults.
(4) Fire service; local.--The terms ``fire service'' and
``local'' have the meanings given such terms in section 4 of
the Federal Fire Prevention and Control Act of 1974 (15 U.S.C.
2203).
(5) Firefighter.--The term ``firefighter'' has the meaning
given the term ``employee in fire protection activities'' in
section 3(y) of the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 (29 U.S.C.
203(y)).
(6) State.--The term ``State'' has the meaning given such
term in section 2 of the Homeland Security Act of 2002 (6
U.S.C. 101).
(k) Authorization of Appropriations.--
(1) In general.--There are authorized to be appropriated
for the purposes of carrying out this section, the following:
(A) $1,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2026, 2027,
and 2028.
(B) $2,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2029, 2030,
and 2031.
(C) $4,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2032, 2033,
and 2034.
(D) $7,000,000 for fiscal year 2035.
(2) Administrative expenses.--Of the amounts authorized to
be appropriated pursuant to paragraph (1) for a fiscal year,
the Administrator of FEMA may use not more than five percent of
such amounts to cover salaries and expenses and other
administrative costs incurred by the Administrator of FEMA to
make grants and provide assistance under this section.
(l) Sunset of Authorities.--This section expires on September 30,
2036.
<all>