Sponsors (2)
The bill improves dormitory fire safety and public transparency through federal standards and assessments, but it imposes potentially significant compliance costs and reputational risks on institutions—especially small or rural colleges—which may be passed on to students or result in reduced campus services.
Students living in campus housing and other resident campus populations will face lower fire risk because dormitory fire-suppression systems must meet federal standards and undergo periodic assessments.
Colleges and universities will receive federal technical assistance and guidance to meet the new standards, reducing implementation and compliance burdens for institutions.
Parents, students, and the public gain access to campus fire-safety assessment results, increasing transparency about which campuses meet federal safety standards.
Colleges and universities may incur significant costs to retrofit or upgrade suppression systems to meet the federal standards, which could lead to higher tuition or diversion of funds from other services.
Smaller and rural colleges may face disproportionate financial and administrative burdens to complete certified assessments and upgrades, increasing risk of program cuts, reduced services, or closures at those institutions.
Public 'Not Federally Recognized Fire-Safe Campus' designations could damage an institution's reputation and enrollment even though Title IV eligibility is not removed, harming revenue and student options.
Based on analysis of 2 sections of legislative text.
Introduced January 21, 2026 by Thomas Kean · Last progress January 21, 2026
Requires the Secretary of Education, working with NIST and experts, to create, publish, and periodically update national standards for fire suppression systems in dormitories and other student residential facilities at institutions of higher education that receive federal funds. It requires covered institutions to obtain third‑party‑validated compliance assessments, submit them to the Department of Education, and be publicly designated as either "Federally Recognized Fire-Safe Campus" or "Not Federally Recognized Fire-Safe Campus." The Secretary must finalize standards within two years, submit recommendations to Congress within three years, and update standards every ten years.