NCJ Number
82215
Date Published
1980
Length
144 pages
Annotation
A hearing before the Senate Subcommittee on Criminal Justice receives testimony on S. 252, the Anti-Arson Act of 1979.
Abstract
S. 252 would create a 2-year antiarson interagency committee of representatives of nine Federal agencies concerned with arson to establish and coordinate prevention, training, detection, and community awareness programs. It also makes arson a part 1 crime in the Uniform Crime Reports of the FBI. This means that local law enforcement agencies will use a common definition of arson, treat it as a major offense, and record the volume, trend, rate clearance, and profile of persons arrested. The bill will also compel applicants seeking insurance for property in high-risk neighborhoods to enumerate all instances within the last 10 years where property they owned was destroyed by fire. Also, under certain conditions, insurers can establish procedures to cancel or not renew coverage of any risk eligible under the fair plan. Further, insurers would be immune from State statutes which prohibit the release of confidential information by insurance companies to other companies and law enforcement agencies about fair plan applicants who are suspected arsonists. Testimony from firefighter representatives, insurance officials, and State and Federal officials involved in countering arson generally favors the bill.