WASHINGTON, D.C. — Senator Bob Torricelli (D-NJ) introduced the Campus Fire Safety Right to Know Act (S. 773) in April. The bill, a companion to that introduced in the House of Representatives by Congressman Bill Pascrell (D-NJ) in February (H.R. 471), would require disclosure of fire safety standards and measures with respect to campus buildings. The House bill was referred to the Subcommittee on 21st Century Competitiveness in March. The Senate bill was referred to the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee in April.
Among the bill�s requirements are that each institution distribute an annual fire safety report containing information on the following: fire sprinkler or other campus building fire safety systems; statistics concerning the occurrence of fires and false fire alarms in student housing; and information on injuries, deaths, and structural damage caused by fire. The statistics would be submitted to the Secretary of Education, who would then submit a report to Congress within a year.