I 

118TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 6997 

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. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

JANUARY 16, 2024 

Mr. LALOTA (for himself and Mr. PAPPAS) introduced the following bill; which 

was referred to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure 

A BILL 

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. 

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

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Disaster Contract Im5 provement Act’’. 

6 SEC. 2. OVERSIGHT ON DEBRIS REMOVAL. 

7 (a) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 


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1 (1) ADMINISTRATOR.—The term ‘‘Adminis2 trator’’ means the Administrator of the Federal 

3 Emergency Management Agency. 

4 (2) DEBRIS REMOVAL PROGRAM.—The term 

5 ‘‘debris removal program’’ means the program estab6 lished under section 407 of the Robert T. Stafford 

7 Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (42 

8 U.S.C. 5173). 

9 (b) ADVISORY WORKING GROUP.— 

10 (1) IN GENERAL.—The Administrator shall es11 tablish an advisory working group to encourage and 

12 foster collaborative efforts among individuals and en13 tities engaged in disaster recovery relating to debris 

14 removal. 

15 (2) MEMBERSHIP.—The advisory working 

16 group established under paragraph (1) shall be com17 prised of— 

18 (A) representatives from the Federal 

19 Emergency Management Agency; 

20 (B) representatives from the Army Corps 

21 of Engineers; 

22 (C) representatives from the Natural Re23 sources Conservation Service of the Department 

24 of Agriculture; 


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1 (D) representatives of States, Tribal gov2 ernments, and units of local government; and 

3 (E) subject matter experts in debris re4 moval, including not less than 1 representative 

5 from the debris services contractor industry. 

6 (c) GUIDANCE.—Not later than 1 year after the date 

7 of enactment of this Act, the Administrator, in consulta8 tion with the advisory working group established under 

9 subsection (b)(1), shall— 

10 (1) determine whether guidance and procedures 

11 in effect as of the date of enactment of this Act with 

12 respect to the oversight and cost of debris removal 

13 contracts entered into under the debris removal pro14 gram are sufficient; and 

15 (2) if the Administrator, in consultation with 

16 the advisory working group established under sub17 section (b)(1), determines that the guidance and 

18 procedures described in paragraph (1) are insuffi19 cient, develop and implement additional such guid20 ance and procedures, including— 

21 (A) a requirement that each State, Tribal 

22 government, and unit of local government re23 ceiving a grant under the debris removal pro24 gram take the primary role in the oversight 

25 function of debris removal; 


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1 (B) guidance for State, Tribal, and local 

2 debris monitors relating to debris removal oper3 ations, debris operations oversight, and con4 tractor oversight, including contractor moni5 toring; 

6 (C) guidance for streamlining the reim7 bursement of debris costs overall, including de8 bris management planning and support for re9 silience in debris removal operations; 

10 (D) checklists, job aids, eligibility require11 ments, contract requirements, debris manage12 ment planning guidance, sample bids, and other 

13 items, as determined necessary by the Adminis14 trator, for State and local debris monitors; 

15 (E) a list of the specific debris removal 

16 monitoring responsibilities expected to be com17 pleted by a State that receives a grant under 

18 the debris removal program; 

19 (F) a list of the specific debris removal 

20 monitoring responsibilities expected to be com21 pleted by recipients of a grant under the debris 

22 removal program; and 

23 (G) guidance for State and Tribal govern24 ments and units of local government to reduce 

25 duplication and inefficiency in debris removal 


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1 contracting across the Federal Government, 

2 State and Tribal governments, and units of 

3 local government. 

4 (d) TRAINING.—The Administrator shall conduct 

5 outreach to States, Tribal governments, and units of local 

6 government with respect to any guidance or support mate7 rials developed under this section. 

8 (e) GAO STUDY.—Not later than 1 year after the 

9 date of enactment of this Act, the Comptroller General 

10 of the United States shall conduct a study that— 

11 (1) studies the use and adoption rate of ad12 vance contracts for debris removal by selected 

13 States, Tribal governments, and units of local gov14 ernment; 

15 (2) identifies the benefits and challenges of ad16 vance contracts for debris removal; 

17 (3) with respect to the reporting and informa18 tion sharing processes, as of the date of enactment 

19 of this Act, for advance contracts for debris removal 

20 between States and units of local government and 

21 Federal partners— 

22 (A) assesses those processes; and 

23 (B) makes any necessary recommendations 

24 for those processes; 

25 (4) studies— 


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1 (A) the process for setting Federal reim2 bursement rates for the debris removal pro3 gram; 

4 (B) the use of penalties, as of the date of 

5 enactment of this Act, for violations of law and 

6 regulations relating to debris removal; and 

7 (C) fraud, waste, and abuse relating to the 

8 debris removal program, including case studies; 

9 and 

10 (5) makes any necessary recommendations for 

11 improvements to oversight and fraud prevention 

12 across the debris removal program. 

Æ 


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