Included in H.R. 3221, the Student Aid and Fiscal Responsibility Act, passed by the House Committee on Education and Labor by a vote of 30-17, is Section 351, the President's initiative for modernizing community colleges along with language written by the National Burglar & Fire Alarm Association (NBFAA) providing for the professional installation of fire and life safety alarms.

Specifically, the bill calls for: Compliance with fire, health, seismic and safety codes, including professional installation of fire and life safety alarms and modernizations, renovations and repairs that ensure that the community college facilities are prepared for emergencies, such as improving building infrastructure to accommodate security measures and installing or upgrading technology to ensure that the community college is able to respond to emergencies such as acts of terrorism, campus violence and natural disasters.

The $2.5 billion bill is authorized for fiscal year 2011, beginning October 1, 2010, and would award grants to states for construction of new community college facilities and modernizing, renovating and repairing existing facilities. The bill now is required to pass the House before being sent to the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee. For information, call 888-447-1689 or visitwww.alarm.org.