II 

Calendar No. 621 

116TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION S. 4153 

[Report No. 116–318] 

To require the Federal Emergency Management Agency to evaluate the National Response Framework based on lessons learned from the COVID– 

19 pandemic, and for other purposes. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

JULY 2, 2020 

Mr. JOHNSON introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred 

to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs 

DECEMBER 14, 2020 

Reported by Mr. JOHNSON, with an amendment 

[Strike out all after the enacting clause and insert the part printed in italic] 

A BILL 

To require the Federal Emergency Management Agency to 

evaluate the National Response Framework based on 

lessons learned from the COVID–19 pandemic, and for 

other purposes. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 


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1 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

2 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘National Response 

3 Framework Improvement Act of 2020’’. 

4 SEC. 2. EVALUATION OF NATIONAL RESPONSE FRAME5 WORK. 

6 (a) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 1 year after the 

7 date of enactment of this Act, the Administrator of the 

8 Federal Emergency Management Agency (referred to in 

9 this Act as the ‘‘Administrator’’), acting through the Na10 tional Integration Center, shall conduct an initial evalua11 tion of the National Response Framework of the Depart12 ment of Homeland Security to determine whether there 

13 are any gaps or inefficiencies in the Framework based on 

14 the response to the COVID–19 pandemic. 

15 (b) REQUIREMENTS.—After conducting the evalua16 tion required under subsection (a), the Administrator 

17 shall— 

18 (1) in accordance with section 509(b)(2) of the 

19 Homeland Security Act of 2002 (6 U.S.C. 

20 319(b)(2)), update the National Response Frame21 work, in coordination with the heads of the primary 

22 and support agencies of the emergency support func23 tions, based on the gaps or inefficiencies identified 

24 through the evaluation; 


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1 (2) provide recommendations on actions rel2 evant agencies can take to address gaps identified 

3 through the evaluation; and 

4 (3) conduct an additional evaluation as part of 

5 the after-action review process of the Federal Emer6 gency Management Agency. 

7 SEC. 3. INTERAGENCY INFORMATION SHARING. 

8 (a) IN GENERAL.—The Administrator shall— 

9 (1) evaluate the processes for collecting and 

10 sharing information across the primary and support 

11 agencies of the emergency support functions during 

12 an incident for which the emergency support func13 tions are activated under the National Response 

14 Framework; 

15 (2) provide recommendations to the heads of 

16 the primary and support agencies of emergency sup17 port functions for how to improve processes under 

18 paragraph (1); and 

19 (3) update the National Response Framework 

20 to account for new information collection and shar21 ing processes that result from the evaluation and 

22 recommendations under paragraphs (1) and (2). 

23 (b) COORDINATION.—In evaluating the processes re24 quired under subsection (a)(1), the Administrator shall co25 ordinate with the head of each emergency support function 


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1 coordinator and the heads of primary and support agen2 cies of the emergency support functions. 

3 (c) MODIFICATIONS.—The Administrator may make 

4 modifications to the processes incorporated into the Na5 tional Response Framework under subsection (a)(3) dur6 ing an incident in which the emergency support functions 

7 are activated under the National Response Framework if 

8 the Administrator determines such modifications are nec9 essary to ensure efficient communication and information 

10 sharing. 

11 SEC. 4. TRAINING. 

12 (a) EVALUATION OF TRAINING PROGRAM.—Not later 

13 than 1 year after the date of enactment of this Act, the 

14 Administrator shall— 

15 (1) conduct an assessment of the training pro16 grams for primary and support agencies of the 

17 emergency support functions under the National Re18 sponse Network that are in effect on the date of en19 actment of this Act; and 

20 (2) provide recommendations to the heads of 

21 the primary and support agencies of emergency sup22 port functions for how to improve the training pro23 grams described in paragraph (1). 

24 (b) ANNUAL TRAINING.—The Administrator shall, on 

25 an annual basis and in coordination with the heads of priVerDate Sep 11 2014 00:11 Dec 15, 2020 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6401 E:\BILLS\S4153.RS S4153

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1 mary and support agencies of the emergency support func2 tions under the National Response Framework, provide 

3 training on enhancements or updates made to the Na4 tional Response Framework. 

5 SEC. 5. REQUIRED BRIEFING. 

6 (a) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 1 year after the 

7 date of enactment of this Act, the Administrator shall 

8 brief the Committee on Homeland Security and Govern9 mental Affairs of the Senate and the Committee on Home10 land Security of the House of Representatives on— 

11 (1) the evaluation conducted under section 2, 

12 including the updates made to the National Re13 sponse Framework and the recommendations re14 quired under section 2(b); 

15 (2) the evaluation and recommendations devel16 oped under paragraphs (1) and (2) of section 3(a); 

17 and 

18 (3) the training program required to be estab19 lished under section 4, including information relat20 ing to how frequently training is offered and the at21 tendance of the training by employees of relevant 

22 agencies. 

23 (b) NOTIFICATION.—The Administrator shall provide 

24 notice to Congress on any technology system updates that 

25 develop after the briefing required under subsection (a) 


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1 that may impact information sharing efforts across the 

2 emergency support functions. 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘National Response 

5 Framework Improvement Act of 2020’’. 

6 SEC. 2. ROLLING SUMMARIES OF NATIONAL RESPONSE 

7 FRAMEWORK. 

8 (a) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 180 days after the 

9 date of enactment of this Act, and as frequently thereafter 

10 as the Administrator of the Federal Emergency Manage11 ment Agency (referred to in this Act as the ‘‘Adminis12 trator’’) determines appropriate until the date on which the 

13 first biennial evaluation required under subparagraph (D) 

14 of section 509(b)(2) of the Homeland Security Act of 2002 

15 (6 U.S.C. 319(b)(2)), as added by section 4 of this Act, is 

16 submitted, the Administrator shall provide not less than 1 

17 summary on any gaps or inefficiencies in the National Re18 sponse Framework of the Department of Homeland Security 

19 based on the response to the COVID–19 pandemic to— 

20 (1) the Committee on Homeland Security and 

21 Governmental Affairs of the Senate; and 

22 (2) the Committee on Homeland Security of the 

23 House of Representatives. 

24 (b) REQUIREMENTS.—After the end of the COVID-19 

25 pandemic, as part of the after-action review process of the 


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1 COVID–19 pandemic by the Federal Emergency Manage2 ment Agency, the Administrator shall conduct an evalua3 tion of the National Response Framework, which shall in4 clude— 

5 (1) any updates, as determined necessary by the 

6 Administrator, to the National Response Framework, 

7 in coordination with the heads of the primary and 

8 support agencies of the emergency support functions, 

9 based on the gaps or inefficiencies identified through 

10 the evaluation; and 

11 (2) recommendations on actions relevant agen12 cies can take to address gaps identified through the 

13 evaluation. 

14 SEC. 3. REQUIRED BRIEFINGS. 

15 The Administrator shall brief the Committee on Home16 land Security and Governmental Affairs of the Senate and 

17 the Committee on Homeland Security of the House of Rep18 resentatives on each summary required to be provided under 

19 section 2(a) not later than 1 year after the date on which 

20 the summary is provided. 

21 SEC. 4. BIENNIAL EVALUATIONS. 

22 (a) IN GENERAL.—Section 509(b) of the Homeland Se23 curity Act of 2002 (6 U.S.C. 319(b)) is amended— 

24 (1) in paragraph (2)— 


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1 (A) in subparagraph (B), by striking ‘‘and’’ 

2 at the end; 

3 (B) in subparagraph (C), by striking the 

4 period at the end and inserting ‘‘; and’’; and 

5 (C) by adding at the end the following: 

6 ‘‘(D) not less frequently than once every 2 

7 years— 

8 ‘‘(i) evaluating potential gaps and in9 efficiencies in the National Response 

10 Framework, including by evaluating the 

11 processes for collecting and sharing infor12 mation across the emergency support func13 tion coordinators, primary agencies, and 

14 support agencies during an incident for 

15 which the emergency support functions are 

16 activated under the National Response 

17 Framework; 

18 ‘‘(ii) providing recommendations to the 

19 heads of the emergency support function co20 ordinators, primary agencies, and support 

21 agencies for how to improve processes de22 scribed in clause (i); 

23 ‘‘(iii) updating the National Response 

24 Framework to account for new information 

25 collection and sharing processes that result 


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1 from the evaluation and recommendations 

2 under clauses (i) and (ii), including by 

3 modifying any previously incorporated 

4 processes if the Administrator determines 

5 such modifications are necessary to ensure 

6 efficient communication and information 

7 sharing; 

8 ‘‘(iv) conducting an assessment of the 

9 training programs for emergency support 

10 function coordinators, primary agencies, 

11 and support agencies; and 

12 ‘‘(v) providing recommendations to the 

13 heads of the emergency support function co14 ordinators, primary agencies, and support 

15 agencies of emergency support functions for 

16 how to improve the training programs de17 scribed in clause (iv).’’; and 

18 (2) by adding at the end the following: 

19 ‘‘(3) CONGRESSIONAL NOTIFICATION.—Not later 

20 than 30 days after the date on which the Adminis21 trator, acting through the National Integration Cen22 ter, completes an evaluation required under para23 graph (2)(D), the Administrator shall provide written 

24 notice to the appropriate congressional committees.’’. 


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1 (b) AFTER-ACTION EVALUATION.—For purposes of the 

2 biennial evaluation required under subparagraph (D) of 

3 section 509(b)(2) of the Homeland Security Act of 2002 (6 

4 U.S.C. 319(b)(2)), as added by subsection (a) of this section, 

5 if the evaluation required under section 2(b)(3) of this Act 

6 is completed during the 2-year period following the date of 

7 enactment of this Act, the evaluation shall be considered to 

8 fulfill the biennial evaluation requirement in subparagraph 

9 (D) of such section 509(b)(2) for the first 2-year period after 

10 the date of enactment of this Act. 


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Calendar No. 621 

116TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION S. 4153 

[Report No. 116–318] 

A BILL 

To require the Federal Emergency Management 

COVID–19 pandemic, and for other purposes. Framework based on lessons learned from the Agency to evaluate the National Response 

DECEMBER 14, 2020 

Reported with an amendment 


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