[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 10134 Introduced in House (IH)]
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118th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. R. 10134
To establish a Commission on Federal Natural Disaster Resilience and
Recovery to examine and recommend reforms to improve the efficiency and
effectiveness of the Federal Government's approach to natural disaster
resilience and recovery, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
November 15, 2024
Mr. Higgins of Louisiana introduced the following bill; which was
referred to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To establish a Commission on Federal Natural Disaster Resilience and
Recovery to examine and recommend reforms to improve the efficiency and
effectiveness of the Federal Government's approach to natural disaster
resilience and recovery, and for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Natural Disaster Resilience and
Recovery Accountability Act''.
SEC. 2. COMMISSION ON FEDERAL NATURAL DISASTER RESILIENCE AND RECOVERY.
(a) Establishment.--There is established within the Office of
Management and Budget a Commission on Federal Natural Disaster
Resilience and Recovery.
(b) Duties.--The duties of the Commission shall be to examine and
recommend administrative and legislative reforms to improve the
efficiency, effectiveness, and budget funding of Federal agency
programs and activities supporting natural disaster resilience and
recovery.
(c) Membership.--
(1) In general.--The Commission shall be composed of 15
members, appointed by the Director of the Office. One such
member shall be an employee of the Office. Each other member
shall, to the extent practicable, be an official, emergency
manager, or emergency response provider from State, local, and
Tribal governments, the private sector, and nongovernmental
organizations, representing multiple geographic (including
urban and rural) areas, including--
(A) individuals from the emergency management field
and emergency response providers, including fire
service, law enforcement, hazardous materials response,
emergency medical services, and emergency management
personnel, or organizations representing such
individuals;
(B) health scientists, emergency and inpatient
medical providers, and public health professionals;
(C) experts from Federal, State, local, and Tribal
governments, and the private sector, representing
standards-setting and accrediting organizations,
including representatives from the voluntary consensus
codes and standards development community, particularly
those with expertise in the emergency preparedness and
response field;
(D) State, local, and Tribal government officials
with expertise in preparedness, protection, response,
recovery, and mitigation, including Adjutants General;
(E) elected State, local, and Tribal government
executives;
(F) experts in public and private sector
infrastructure protection, cybersecurity, and
communications;
(G) representatives of individuals with
disabilities and other populations with special needs;
and
(H) such other individuals as the Director
determines to be appropriate.
(2) Expertise.--In making appointments under paragraph (1),
the Director shall give consideration to individuals with
expertise in--
(A) natural disaster resilience and recovery;
(B) emergency management at the Federal, State,
local, territorial or Tribal level;
(C) critical infrastructure;
(D) transportation;
(E) housing; and
(F) intergovernmental relations.
(3) Appointment deadline.--All appointments to the
Commission shall be made not later than 120 days after the date
of enactment of this Act.
(4) Chair and vice chair.--The Commission shall have a
chair and vice-chair. The chair shall be a member of the
Commission elected by an affirmative vote of at least eight
members of the Commission and the vice chair shall be the
Commission member who is an employee of the Office.
(5) Compensation.--
(A) In general.--A member of the Commission who is
not an officer or employee of the Federal Government--
(i) shall not be considered a Federal
employee for any purpose other than for
purposes of chapter 81 of title 5, United
States Code, (relating to compensation for
injury) and sections 2671 through 2680 of title
28, United States Code, (relating to tort
claims); and
(ii) shall be allowed travel expenses,
including per diem in lieu of subsistence, at
rates authorized for employees of agencies
under subchapter I of chapter 57 of such title
5 while away from their homes or regular places
of business in the performance of services for
the Commission.
(B) Federal employees.--A member of the Commission
who is an officer or employee of the Federal Government
shall not receive any additional compensation for
service as such a member.
(d) Administration.--
(1) Meetings.--
(A) First meeting.--The Commission shall first meet
not later than 240 days after the date of the enactment
of this Act.
(B) Other matters.--The Commission may, for the
purpose of carrying out this Act, meet virtually or in-
person to hold hearings, sit and act at times and
places, take testimony, and receive evidence as the
Commission considers appropriate.
(2) Executive branch assistance.--The heads of the
following agencies shall advise and consult with the Commission
on matters within their respective areas of responsibility:
(A) The Small Business Administration.
(B) The Department of Agriculture.
(C) The Department of Homeland Security.
(D) The Department of Labor.
(E) The Department of the Interior.
(F) The Department of Energy.
(G) The Department of Transportation.
(H) The Department of Housing and Urban
Development.
(I) The Environmental Protection Agency.
(J) The Department of Justice.
(K) The Federal Emergency Management Agency.
(L) The United States Army Corps of Engineers.
(M) The Corporation for National and Community
Service.
(N) The Department of Commerce.
(O) The Department of the Treasury.
(P) The Office of Management and Budget.
(Q) Any other agency, as determined by the
Commission.
(3) Information from federal agencies.--The Commission may
request from any Federal agency such information as the
Commission considers necessary to carry out its duties. Upon
request of the Chairperson of the Commission, the head of a
Federal agency shall furnish such information to the
Commission.
(4) Postal services.--The Commission may use the United
States mails in the same manner and under the same conditions
as other departments and agencies of the Federal Government.
(5) Rules of procedure.--The chair and vice chair shall,
with an affirmative vote of at least eight members of the
Commission, establish written rules of procedure for the
Commission, which shall include a quorum requirement to conduct
official business.
(6) Staff.--
(A) In general.--The chair of the Commission may,
without regard to the civil service laws and
regulations, appoint and terminate support personnel as
may be necessary to enable the Commission to perform
its duties.
(B) Executive director.--The Commission, by an
affirmative vote of at least eight members of the
Commission, shall appoint an executive director of the
Commission.
(C) Compensation.--The chair of the Commission may
fix the compensation of the executive director and
other personnel without regard to chapter 51 and
subchapter III of chapter 53 of title 5, United States
Code, relating to classification of positions and
General Schedule pay rates, except that the rate of pay
for the executive director and other personnel may not
exceed the rate payable for level V of the Executive
Schedule under section 5316 of such title.
(D) Detail of government employees.--A Federal
Government employee may be detailed to the Commission,
without reimbursement, and such detail shall be without
interruption or loss of civil service status or
privilege.
(e) Reports.--
(1) Final report.--Not later than 2 years after the date of
the first meeting of the Commission, the Commission shall
submit, to the Committee on Oversight and Accountability of the
House of Representatives and the Committee on Homeland Security
and Governmental Affairs of the Senate, a report describing
recommendations to improve the Federal Government's approach to
natural disaster resilience and recovery. Such report shall
include the following:
(A) Specific and actionable policy recommendations,
including legislative recommendations, as applicable,
to improve the effectiveness of the Federal approach to
natural disaster resilience and recovery, including
consideration of the 11 options presented in the
Government Accountability Office report titled
``Disaster Recovery: Actions Needed to Improve the
Federal Approach'', issued on November 15, 2022 (GAO-
23-104956).
(B) A comprehensive review all federally funded
activities, Federal financial assistance and grant, and
agency programs related to natural disaster resilience
and recovery using, to the extent practical, data
systems and metrics consistently across the Federal
agencies, including budget information and the Federal
Program Inventory established under section 9601 of
Public Law 116-283 and section 1122 of title 31, United
States Code, in order to evaluate the effectiveness of
such activities and programs to meet established goals
and statutory requirements.
(C) A complete list of all federally funded natural
disaster resilience and recovery programs and
activities along with prior funding information,
program goals, statutory authority of such programs and
activities with relevant law citations, and reference
to related financial assistance and grant programs.
(D) Consideration of potential administrative
changes to the roles and responsibilities of the
various Federal agencies involved in natural disaster
resilience and recovery.
(E) Policies that aim to improve the efficiency and
effectiveness of the Federal Government's approach to
natural disaster resilience and recovery, to increase
the access and efficacy of respective Federal programs
to all impacted individuals and entities, and to
recommend appropriate investments in natural disaster
resilience to reduce duplication and inefficiency.
(F) Other areas of natural disaster resilience and
recovery that are not outlined in this Act, as
determined by the Commission.
(2) Specific policy recommendations.--To the maximum extent
practicable, the report under paragraph (1) shall include
specific short- and long-term legislative and administrative
policy recommendations.
(3) Interim reports.--Not later than 6 months after the
date of the enactment of this Act and every 6 months
thereafter, the Commission shall submit to the Committee on
Oversight and Accountability of the House of Representatives
and the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs
of the Senate interim reports relating to any matter described
in paragraph (1).
(f) Termination.--The Commission shall terminate on the date that
is 60 days after the date on which the Commission submits its final
report to Congress pursuant to subsection (e)(1).
(g) Authorization of Appropriations.--Amounts authorized to be
appropriated to carry out this Act shall be derived solely from amounts
otherwise appropriated for the Office, and no additional funds are
authorized to be appropriated to carry out this Act.
(h) Definitions.--In this Act--
(1) the term ``Commission'' means the Commission on Federal
Natural Disaster Resilience and Recovery established under
subsection (a);
(2) the term ``natural disaster'' means a weather event
(relating to cold or hot weather), flood, earthquake, tornado,
hurricane, or ice storm, or an event meeting such other
criteria as the Commission may determine to be appropriate; and
(3) the term ``Office'' means the Office of Management and
Budget.
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