Washington, D.C. – On July 25, the Senate Appropriations Committee approved the FY 2003 VA, HUD and Independent Agencies appropriations bill (S. 2797). In the bill, the Committee included funding at the fully-authorized $900 million level for the Assistance to Firefighters grant program next year, and has kept it as a stand-alone program.
The bill will be considered by the full Senate after it returns from August recess. The House has yet to take up its version of the bill.
The current Senate version of the FY 2003 VA/HUD Appropriations bill provides $1.5 billion for first responders, including:
- $900 million for the Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program
- $180 million for interoperable communications equipment
- $180 million for state and local emergency operations centers
- $75 million for search and rescue teams
- $75 million for state and local emergency planning grants
- $60 million for emergency responder training
- $15 million for community emergency response teams
- $15 million for state and local mutual aid agreements
