Sponsors (24)
The bill improves transparency and enables more targeted oversight and support for fire training—especially helping volunteer and rural departments—while imposing administrative burdens and potential reputational/privacy risks that could divert resources from training delivery.
Congress, taxpayers, state and local governments, and fire departments will receive annual, disaggregated reports (by State, department, career vs. volunteer) on Academy training attendance, course cancellations, capacity, and student awards—improving transparency and enabling better congressional oversight and funding decisions.
Fire departments and firefighters—especially volunteer and rural departments—will be better positioned to obtain tailored support and resources because reported attendance and awards data are disaggregated, allowing programs and funding to be targeted to different needs.
FEMA and the Academy will face additional administrative costs and staff time to prepare the detailed annual reports, which could divert resources away from training operations and program delivery.
If reporting requirements are onerous, the Academy may reallocate staff and funds toward compliance or reduce program offerings, diminishing available training for firefighters and students.
Public, department-level reporting could create privacy or reputational harms for small or rural departments with low attendance or cancelled courses, potentially discouraging participation or stigmatizing those departments.
Based on analysis of 2 sections of legislative text.
Requires FEMA to send Congress an annual report listing National Fire Academy courses, participating departments and attendees, course counts/cancellations, and related award amounts.
Introduced July 23, 2025 by April McClain Delaney · Last progress July 23, 2025
Requires FEMA to send Congress an annual report about National Fire Academy courses and programs. The report, due each November 30 starting the first full year after enactment, must list which fire departments had personnel attend, counts of career and volunteer attendees, totals of courses offered and canceled, and amounts of certain training awards.