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 
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(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 
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(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.