In the Senate of the United States,
December 6, 2022.
Resolved, That the bill from the House of Representatives (H.R. 7077) entitled “An Act to require the United States Fire Administration to conduct on-site investigations of major fires, and for other purposes.”, do pass with the following
AMENDMENT:
SEC. 2. Fire safety investigations.
The Federal Fire Prevention and Control Act of 1974 (15 U.S.C. 2201 et seq.) is amended by adding at the end the following:
“SEC. 38. Investigation authorities.
“(a) In general.—In the case of a major fire, the Administrator may send incident investigators, which may include safety specialists, fire protection engineers, codes and standards experts, researchers, and fire training specialists, to the site of the fire to conduct a fire safety investigation as described in subsection (b).
“(b) Investigation required.—A fire safety investigation conducted under this section—
“(c) Report.—
“(1) IN GENERAL.—Subject to paragraph (2), upon concluding any fire safety investigation under this section, the Administrator shall—
“(2) EXCEPTION.—If the Administrator, in consultation with appropriate Federal, State, local, Tribal, and territorial authorities determines that issuing a report under paragraph (1) would have a negative impact on a potential or ongoing criminal investigation, the Administrator is not required to issue such report.
“(d) Discretionary authority.—In addition to a fire safety investigation conducted pursuant to subsection (a), provided doing so would not have a negative impact on a potential or ongoing criminal investigation, the Administrator may send fire investigators to conduct a fire safety investigation at the site of any fire with unusual or remarkable context that results in losses less severe than those occurring as a result of a major fire, in coordination and cooperation with the appropriate Federal, State, local, Tribal, and territorial authorities, including Federal agencies that are authorized to investigate the fire.
“(e) Construction.—Nothing in this section shall be construed to—
“(2) grant the Administrator authority to investigate a major fire for the purpose of an enforcement action or criminal prosecution; or
“(3) require the Administrator to send investigators or issue a report for a major fire when the Administrator, in coordination and cooperation with the appropriate Federal, State, local, Tribal, and territorial authorities, determine that it may compromise a potential or ongoing criminal investigation.
Attest:
Secretary
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