[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 310 Enrolled Bill (ENR)]
S.310
One Hundred Eighteenth Congress
of the
United States of America
AT THE SECOND SESSION
Begun and held at the City of Washington on Wednesday,
the third day of January, two thousand and twenty four
An Act
To establish an advisory group to encourage and foster collaborative
efforts among individuals and entities engaged in disaster recovery
relating to debris removal, 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 ``Disaster Contract Improvement Act''.
SEC. 2. OVERSIGHT ON DEBRIS REMOVAL.
(a) Definitions.--In this section:
(1) Administrator.--The term ``Administrator'' means the
Administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
(2) Debris removal program.--The term ``debris removal
program'' means the program established under section 407 of the
Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (42
U.S.C. 5173).
(b) Advisory Working Group.--
(1) In general.--The Administrator shall establish an advisory
working group to encourage and foster collaborative efforts among
individuals and entities engaged in disaster recovery relating to
debris removal.
(2) Membership.--The advisory working group established under
paragraph (1) shall be comprised of--
(A) representatives from the Federal Emergency Management
Agency;
(B) representatives from the Army Corps of Engineers;
(C) representatives from the Natural Resources Conservation
Service of the Department of Agriculture;
(D) representatives of States, Tribal governments, and
units of local government; and
(E) subject matter experts in debris removal, including not
less than 1 representative from the debris services contractor
industry.
(c) Guidance.--Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of
this Act, the Administrator, in consultation with the advisory working
group established under subsection (b)(1), shall--
(1) determine whether guidance and procedures in effect as of
the date of enactment of this Act with respect to the oversight and
cost of debris removal contracts entered into under the debris
removal program are sufficient; and
(2) if the Administrator, in consultation with the advisory
working group established under subsection (b)(1), determines that
the guidance and procedures described in paragraph (1) are
insufficient, develop and implement additional such guidance and
procedures, including--
(A) a requirement that each State, Tribal government, and
unit of local government receiving a grant under the debris
removal program take the primary role in the oversight function
of debris removal;
(B) guidance for State, Tribal, and local debris monitors
relating to debris removal operations, debris operations
oversight, and contractor oversight, including contractor
monitoring;
(C) guidance for streamlining the reimbursement of debris
costs overall, including debris management planning and support
for resilience in debris removal operations;
(D) checklists, job aids, eligibility requirements,
contract requirements, debris management planning guidance,
sample bids, and other items, as determined necessary by the
Administrator, for State and local debris monitors;
(E) a list of the specific debris removal monitoring
responsibilities expected to be completed by a State that
receives a grant under the debris removal program;
(F) a list of the specific debris removal monitoring
responsibilities expected to be completed by recipients of a
grant under the debris removal program; and
(G) guidance for State and Tribal governments and units of
local government to reduce duplication and inefficiency in
debris removal contracting across the Federal Government, State
and Tribal governments, and units of local government.
(d) Training.--The Administrator shall conduct outreach to States,
Tribal governments, and units of local government with respect to any
guidance or support materials developed under this section.
(e) GAO Study.--Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment
of this Act, the Comptroller General of the United States shall conduct
a study that--
(1) studies the use and adoption rate of advance contracts for
debris removal by selected States, Tribal governments, and units of
local government;
(2) identifies the benefits and challenges of advance contracts
for debris removal;
(3) with respect to the reporting and information sharing
processes, as of the date of enactment of this Act, for advance
contracts for debris removal between States and units of local
government and Federal partners--
(A) assesses those processes; and
(B) makes any necessary recommendations for those
processes;
(4) studies--
(A) the process for setting Federal reimbursement rates for
the debris removal program;
(B) the use of penalties, as of the date of enactment of
this Act, for violations of law and regulations relating to
debris removal; and
(C) fraud, waste, and abuse relating to the debris removal
program, including case studies; and
(5) makes any necessary recommendations for improvements to
oversight and fraud prevention across the debris removal program.
Speaker of the House of Representatives.
Vice President of the United States and
President of the Senate.