[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 270 Introduced in Senate (IS)]
<DOC>
119th CONGRESS
1st Session
S. 270
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 SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
January 28, 2025
Mr. Lankford introduced the following bill; which was read twice and
referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs
_______________________________________________________________________
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) Definitions.--In this section:
(1) Commission.--The term ``Commission'' means the
Commission on Federal Natural Disaster Resilience and Recovery
established under subsection (b).
(2) Director.--The term ``Director'' means the Director of
the Office.
(3) Natural disaster.--The term ``natural disaster''
means--
(A) a weather event relating to cold or hot
weather, flood, earthquake, tornado, hurricane, or ice
storm; and
(B) an event meeting such other criteria as the
Commission may determine appropriate.
(4) Office.--The term ``Office'' means the Office of
Management and Budget.
(b) Establishment.--There is established within the Office a
Commission on Federal Natural Disaster Resilience and Recovery.
(c) 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 programs and
activities of Federal agencies supporting natural disaster resilience
and recovery.
(d) Membership.--
(1) In general.--The Commission shall be composed of 15
members appointed by the Director--
(A) of which 1 shall be an employee of the Office;
and
(B) the remainder of which, to the extent
practicable--
(i) shall be an official, emergency
manager, or emergency response provider from a
State, local, or Tribal government, the private
sector, or a nongovernmental organization;
(ii) shall represent multiple geographic
(including urban and rural) areas; and
(iii) may include--
(I) 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;
(II) health scientists, emergency
and inpatient medical providers, and
public health professionals;
(III) experts from the Federal
Government and State, local, and Tribal
governments and the private sector that
represent standards-setting and
accrediting organizations, including
representatives from the voluntary
consensus codes and standards
development community, particularly
individuals with expertise in the
emergency preparedness and response
field;
(IV) State, local, and Tribal
governmental officials with expertise
in preparedness, protection, response,
recovery, and mitigation, including
adjutants general;
(V) elected State, local, and
Tribal governmental executives;
(VI) experts in public and private
sector infrastructure protection,
cybersecurity, and communications;
(VII) representatives of
individuals with disabilities and other
populations with special needs; and
(VIII) such other individuals as
the Director determines 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 not less than 8
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--
(I) chapter 81 of title 5, United
States Code (relating to compensation
for injury); and
(II) 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 title 5,
United States Code, 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.
(e) 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 Federal agencies shall advise and consult with the
Commission on matters within the respective areas of
responsibility of the Federal agency:
(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.
(Q) Any other Federal 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 chair 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 of the
Commission shall, with an affirmative vote of not less than 8
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
the duties of the Commission.
(B) Executive director.--The Commission, by an
affirmative vote of not less than 8 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.
(f) 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 Homeland Security and Governmental
Affairs of the Senate and the Committee on Oversight and
Government Reform of the House of Representatives 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 report
of the Government Accountability Office entitled
``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 grants,
and Federal 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
1122(a)(2)(B)(i) 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 and 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 described in this section, as
determined by the Commission.
(2) Specific policy recommendations.--To the maximum extent
practicable, the report under paragraph (1) shall include
specific short-term and long-term legislative and
administrative policy recommendations.
(3) Interim reports.--Not later than 180 days after the
date of enactment of this Act, and every 180 days thereafter,
the Commission shall submit to the Committee on Homeland
Security and Governmental Affairs of the Senate and the
Committee on Oversight and Government Reform of the House of
Representatives an interim report relating to any matter
described in paragraph (1).
(g) Termination.--The Commission shall terminate on the date that
is 60 days after the date on which the Commission submits the report
required under subsection (f)(1).
(h) Use of Appropriations.--Amounts used to carry out this section
shall be derived solely from amounts otherwise appropriated to the
Office, and no additional funds are authorized to be appropriated to
carry out this Act.
<all>