Page:United States Statutes at Large Volume 114 Part 4.djvu/238

 114 STAT. 2300 PUBLIC LAW 106-503—NOV. 13, 2000 the performance plans and reports of the Federal Emergency Management Agency; (11)(A) a description of the current and planned use of the Internet for the delivery of training courses by the National Fire Academy, including a listing of the types of courses and a description of each course's provisions for real time interaction between instructor and students, the number of students enrolled, and the geographic distribution of students, for the most recent fiscal year; (B) an assessment of the availability and actual use by the National Fire Academy of Federal facilities suitable for distance education applications, including facilities with teleconferencing capabilities; and (C) an assessment of the benefits and problems associated with delivery of instructional courses using the Internet, including limitations due to network bandwidth at training sites, the availability of suitable course materials, and the effectiveness of such courses in terms of student performance; (12) timeline for implementing the plan; and (13) the expected costs for implementing the plan. SEC. 104, RESEARCH AGENDA. Deadline. (a) REQUIREMENT.—Not later than 120 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Administrator of the United States Fire Administration, in consultation with the Director of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the Director of the National Institute of Standards and Technology, representatives of trade, professional, and non-profit associations. State and local firefighting services, any other appropriate entities, shall prepare and transmit to the Committee on Science of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate a report describing the United States Fire Administration's research agenda and including a plan for implementing that agenda. (b) CONTENTS OF REPORT. —The report required by subsection (a) shall— (1) identify research priorities; (2) describe how the proposed research agenda will be coordinated and integrated with the programs and capabilities of the National Institute of Standards and Technology, the Department of Defense, and other Federal agencies; (3) identify potential roles of academic, trade, professional, and non-profit associations, and other research institutions in achieving the research agenda; (4) provide cost estimates, anticipated personnel needs, and a schedule for completing the various elements of the research agenda; (5) describe ways to leverage resources through partnerships, cooperative agreements, and other means; and (6) discuss how the proposed research agenda will enhance training, improve State and local firefighting services, impact standards and codes, increase firefighter and public safety, and advance firefighting techniques. (c) USE IN PREPARING STRATEGIC PLAN. —The research agenda prepared under this section shall be used in the preparation of the strategic plan required by section 103.

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