Official Summary

1/29/2008--Introduced.Fire-Safe Communities Act - Requires the Director of the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) to publish a federal model ordinance for municipalities at risk (subdivisions located in a fire hazard area) that includes specified elements regarding fire

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Official Summary

1/29/2008--Introduced.
Fire-Safe Communities Act - Requires the Director of the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) to publish a federal model ordinance for municipalities at risk (subdivisions located in a fire hazard area) that includes specified elements regarding fire prevention and management, such as:
(1) specifications for construction materials and techniques for use in such communities; and
(2) standards for roads, culverts, and bridges. Authorizes the Administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to modify, for a municipality at risk, the requirements of the Fire Management Assistance Grant Program related to the provision of a non-federal share of funds, so that if such a municipality has adopted an applicable model ordinance and is making significant progress toward implementing it, the Administrator may reduce the required non-federal share to 10% of the grant amount. Directs the Administrator to provide grants to:
(1) municipalities at risk to encourage responsible development in state-identified fire-prone regions and to mitigate the catastrophic effects of fires; and
(2) states to create or update fire-hazard assessment maps. Amends the Cooperative Forestry Assistance Act of 1978 to:
(1) include as a purpose of the Community and Private Land Fire Assistance Program to enhance the capacity of local governments to integrate fire-resistant community and home design into local planning, zoning, building code, and brush clearing ordinances; and
(2) authorize a pilot program to assess the feasibility and advisability of providing assistance to fire-safe communities located near federal land.


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