Background and purpose.

§ 150.1 Background and purpose. The regulations in this part are issued under the authority of the Federal Fire Prevention and Control Act of 1974 (the Act), 15 U.S.C. 2201 et seq. The Act establishes two classes of honorary awards for public safety officers and directs the issuance of the necessary joint regulations by the Administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the Attorney General. The functions of the Secretary of Commerce were transferred by Reorganization Plan No. 3 of 1978 to the Administrator , FEMA. Since initial passage of the Act, civil defense functions which then were delegated to the Secretary of Defense have been delegated to theAdministrator, FEMA. Section 15 of the Act has been amended to delete the Secretary of Defense from participating in the granting of awards. See Public Law 98–241, 98 Stat. 95, 96 (1984). The Administrator , FEMA, and the Attorney General are issuing this regulation to implement the statutory provisions for FEMA and the Department of Justice.