URGENT: TAKE ACTION: The Senate Considers Legislation to Reauthorize the AFG and SAFER Grant Programs Starting Tomorrow (Wednesday)

Please contact your Senators and ask them to vote for S. 870, the Fire Grants and Safety Act, without any amendments.

Starting on Wednesday, March 29, the U.S. Senate will be considering legislation to reauthorize the Assistance to Firefighters Grant (AFG) program; the Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) program; and the U.S. Fire Administration (USFA). This legislation would:

• Extend the authorization of funding for the AFG, SAFER and USFA programs through Fiscal Year (FY) 2030.
• Increase the authorization for the USFA to $95 million.
• USFA was authorized at $76.49 million in FY 2023, so that is an almost $20 million increase.
• Delay the termination date for the AFG and SAFER programs to September 30, 2032.

Some Senators are expected to offer “poison pill” or unrelated amendments to the bill.

Please ask your Senators to vote for S. 870 without amendment.

You can contact your Senators in two ways:

• Use the IAFC Legislative Action Center to send a message to your Senators. It takes five minutes or less.
• Call your Senators’ offices. You can find your Senators’ phone numbers using the Senate web page.

The AFG and SAFER programs face a termination date on September 30, 2024. So, now is the time to take action to protect these programs.