FASTER Act

This bill would require the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to give competitive, three-year grants directly to career, combination, and volunteer fire departments for programs that improve home safety and prevent falls among older adults. Grant money could pay for items such as lock boxes that let responders enter homes faster, smoke detectors, minor home changes like grab bars and hand rails, medication reviews, health information for responders, and staff for community paramedicine programs. The federal share of program costs would be capped at 75 percent in the first two years and 35 percent in the third year, and FEMA could waive some requirements for applicants facing economic hardship. The bill authorizes between $1 million and $7 million per year from fiscal year 2026 through 2035, and the program would end on September 30, 2036.

Full text and official record on Congress.gov

Sponsors

• Angus S. King, Jr. Independent sponsor
• 0 cosponsors