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[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 10134 Introduced in House (IH)]

<DOC>

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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