Washington Watch: July 18, 2025

📌 Fire Sprinkler Tax Incentives Included in Tax Bill. On July 4, 2025, the One Big Beautiful Bill Act was signed into law and included tax incentives for fire sprinklers. Specifically, the fire sprinklers continue to remain eligible as Section 179 property and the size of the deduction was increased. In addition, fire sprinklers remain eligible as Qualified Improvement Property (QIP) and the bill brought back 100% bonus depreciation for QIP properties for a period of time. To learn more, check out this fact sheet from the National Fire Sprinkler Association!

📌Appropriations Markups Continue. Appropriations season is in full swing as the House and Senate Appropriations Committees work through their markup calendar. This is a critical part of the annual appropriations process as it allows the public to see what has been proposed for the funding levels for federal agencies and programs. CFSI also looks to see how the levels match up with what we have requested for fire service priorities so we can adjust our advocacy strategy. To learn more about the markup process, see our infographic below.

To date, the markups have more or less reflected decent outcomes for fire service priorities, but critical bills have yet to be marked up including the Senate version of the Department of Homeland Security appropriations bill, which includes funding for AFG, SAFER, and USFA. Neither chamber has marked up their Labor-HHS bill, which funds health priorities including the National Firefighter Registry for cancer, Fire Fighter Fatality Investigation and Prevention Program (FFFIPP), and more.

Here’s how you can take action today:

✅ Visit CFSI’s Legislative Action Center for information reaching out to Congress.

✅ If your members of Congress are not on the Congressional Fire Services Caucus, ask them to join!

Stay engaged. Stay informed. And together, let’s keep making a difference.