Congress is in recess, and will be returning November 12th to finish its business. The IAFC believes that this is an excellent opportunity for first responders to voice their positions on several key issues of interest to the IAFC and the fire service. It urges first responders contact their elected federal legislators within the next two weeks to do so. Critical issues are outlined below outlined below.
要找到立法者，请致电202-224-3121与国会大厦总机板联系，或者可以找到以下信息：
U.S. Senate
华盛顿特区20510
http://www.senate.gov/senators/senator_by_state.cfm
美国众议院
华盛顿特区20515
http://www.house.gov/writerep
对消防员赠款计划的援助（消防法）
现状：参议院拨款委员会已批准2003财年的退伍军人事务，住房和城市发展和独立机构法案，该法案为FEMA提供了资金。该法案中包含的规定是为消防员赠款计划（Fire Act）提供的援助，该法律授权为9亿美元。这样可以使该程序分开，并且不会将其纳入政府的第一响应者计划，旨在通过各州。众议院拨款委员会已通过其版本的FEMA拨款，该拨款包含4.5亿美元的《消防法》。国会大厦将不得不通过其各自的法案，然后将其提交会议委员会来解决分歧。但是，国会山上的许多人都认为，综合拨款法案将代替所有尚未通行的拨款法案（13个中的11个）。我们可能预计《消防法》的最终金额在2003财年为450至9亿美元。
在PSOB下扩大LOD死亡益处
CURRENT STATUS: HR 5334 by Rep. Etheridge (D-NC) has passed the House Judiciary Committee on Oct. 9. We expect a floor vote in the House. The legislation would allow the families of public safety officers, including fire fighters, to receive benefits for line of duty deaths caused by heart attacks and strokes. Sen. Leahy (D-VT), with Senators Jeffords (I-VT) and Collins (R-ME) as cosponsors, recently introduced S 3114, a companion bill, which was referred to the Senate Judiciary Committee of which Sen. Leahy is chair.
额外的消防员
当前状态：IAFC总裁布鲁格曼（Bruegman）于10月2日在全室科学委员会作证，以支持HR 3992，这是《足够的火灾和紧急响应法》（SAFER）的配备人员。该法案今年不太可能退出委员会。参议院版本的《国土安全部法案》（Carnahan）（D-MO）和柯林斯（R-ME）赞助的一项修正案也包含了类似的法案。
国土安全部
CURRENT STATUS: The House has passed HR 5005 to create a new Department of Homeland Security. The Senate, however, has stalled the bill largely on personnel policy issues. IAFC is on the record in both the House and Senate in support of moving FEMA to the proposed new department.
700 MHz用于公共安全
当前状态：HR 3397（Harman，Weldon等）是一项法案，是设定2006年12月31日的法案，作为某些广播公司清除电视频道63、64、68和69的日期，以供公共安全使用，FCC已分配了该频道国会的要求。IAFC和国际警察局长协会由公共安全通信官员协会在9月25日举行的公共安全通信官员协会参加，以支持HR 3397的众议院商务委员会。
Medicare Ground Ambulance Provider Relief
现状：参议院推出了Medicare提供者救济计划（S 3018），其中包括为城市救护车服务提供商提供救济以及农村救护车服务提供商的额外救济年。该包装的语言要求三年的救济，分别增加了2％和5％的救济时间表，分别为城市和农村救护车服务提供商的全国费用计划率。
In June of this year, the House passed a Medicare provider relief package that would implement nine regional conversion factors instead of the national conversion during the phase-in of the Medicare ambulance fee schedule. Passage of the Senate bill means that the fire-based ambulance providers will be in a much stronger position to help develop compromise language should the Senate convene a conference committee with the House to resolve the differences between their respective legislation.
当第107届国会第二届会议终于休会正弦死亡（“直到下一个议会”） - 11月或12月的某个时候 - 所有立法未通过，不会被带到第108届国会，该国会将于1月开始其第一届会议2003。
