The Social Development Affairs Committee of the National People's Congress (NPC) has called on competent departments to conduct research and deliberation, and make necessary revisions to the fire protection law in response to the emerging issues and prominent problems in firefighting work in recent years, in accordance with related decisions and plans made by the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee.

The NPC Standing Committee inspected the enforcement of the fire protection law in 2021, and conducted follow-up supervision in 2022. In its report, the NPC Standing Committee highlighted existing problems in the enforcement of the law, and made suggestions on improving the laws and regulations on firefighting.

A motion was submitted during the fifth session of the 13th NPC in 2022 to call for the revisions to the fire protection law.

Underscoring the deficiencies in the current law in terms of prevention of fire accidents, firefighting and rescue, inspection of law enforcement, and clarifications of legal responsibilities, the motion said that it is necessary for competent departments to revise the law to better meet the needs for fire protection.

Amendments to the law should concentrate on addressing role ambiguity in firefighting administrative systems, clarifying legal responsibilities of fire protection, adding provisions on fire safety in new fields and forms of business, strengthening risk management of fire safety with digital methods, and  improving system of legal accountability.

The Ministry of Emergency Management said that it will fully implement the fire protection law, expand the reform of the law enforcement, improve supportive legal systems, and conduct research and deliberation in compliance with the principles of drafting the law on fire rescue teams and personnel.

The Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development noted that efforts will be made to intensify the inspections of the law enforcement, collect existing problems and difficulties in a timely manner, and translate them into revision proposals to relevant departments.

The Ministry of Justice said that it will closely cooperate with other relevant departments in the research and deliberation on the revisions.