The Firefighter Learning And Management Education Act, or FLAME Act, amends the Federal Fire Prevention and Control Act of 1974 to clarify and regulate the cancellation of training courses and programs by the National Academy for Fire Prevention and Control. This legislation aims to ensure transparency and accountability when the Academy, a vital institution for firefighter professional development, alters its educational offerings. It specifically grants the Administrator authority to implement large-scale cancellations while establishing strict notification requirements. For a large-scale cancellation action , defined as canceling at least 25% of planned courses in a fiscal year, the Administrator must provide Congress with 60 days' notice, detailing the affected courses, registered personnel, and justifications. Additionally, students and their fire chiefs must be informed at least 45 days before the intended start date. For other cancellations, the Superintendent must notify students and fire chiefs 30 days in advance. The bill also mandates that the FEMA Administrator reimburse fire departments for covered expenses , such as travel and backfill costs, incurred due to cancellations, unless the cancellation was for good cause like facility closure or instructor unavailability. Fire departments can submit an itemization of these expenses for reimbursement within 30 days of the cancelled course's intended start date. Finally, the Act directs the Comptroller General to conduct a study by March 30, 2026, examining the impact of any large-scale cancellations on fire department preparedness for national emergencies. This study will also assess the Academy's contribution to a common approach for emergency response and analyze student attendance data and in-demand courses.
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Timeline
Introduced in House
Referred to the House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology.
Introduced in House
Referred to the House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology.
Emergency Management
FLAME Act
USA119th CongressHR-5326| House
| Updated: 9/11/2025
The Firefighter Learning And Management Education Act, or FLAME Act, amends the Federal Fire Prevention and Control Act of 1974 to clarify and regulate the cancellation of training courses and programs by the National Academy for Fire Prevention and Control. This legislation aims to ensure transparency and accountability when the Academy, a vital institution for firefighter professional development, alters its educational offerings. It specifically grants the Administrator authority to implement large-scale cancellations while establishing strict notification requirements. For a large-scale cancellation action , defined as canceling at least 25% of planned courses in a fiscal year, the Administrator must provide Congress with 60 days' notice, detailing the affected courses, registered personnel, and justifications. Additionally, students and their fire chiefs must be informed at least 45 days before the intended start date. For other cancellations, the Superintendent must notify students and fire chiefs 30 days in advance. The bill also mandates that the FEMA Administrator reimburse fire departments for covered expenses , such as travel and backfill costs, incurred due to cancellations, unless the cancellation was for good cause like facility closure or instructor unavailability. Fire departments can submit an itemization of these expenses for reimbursement within 30 days of the cancelled course's intended start date. Finally, the Act directs the Comptroller General to conduct a study by March 30, 2026, examining the impact of any large-scale cancellations on fire department preparedness for national emergencies. This study will also assess the Academy's contribution to a common approach for emergency response and analyze student attendance data and in-demand courses.