I 
115TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 6103 
To establish a national commission on the Federal response to the 2017 
natural disasters in Puerto Rico, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JUNE 14, 2018 
Ms. VELA´ZQUEZ (for herself, Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi, Ms. DELAURO, 
Mr. GRIJALVA, Mr. SERRANO, Mr. CICILLINE, Mr. CUMMINGS, Mr. PAS-
CRELL, Mr. GUTIE´RREZ, Mr. ESPAILLAT, Mr. CROWLEY, Mr. SOTO, Mr. 
PAYNE, Mr. GALLEGO, Ms. ESHOO, and Mr. BRENDAN F. BOYLE of 
Pennsylvania) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure 
A BILL 
To establish a national commission on the Federal response 
to the 2017 natural disasters in Puerto Rico, and for 
other purposes. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘National Commission 
of the Federal Response to Natural Disasters in Puerto 
Rico Act of 2018’’. 
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SEC. 2. ESTABLISHMENT AND PURPOSE. 
(a) ESTABLISHMENT.—There is established a Na-
tional Commission of the Federal Response to Natural 
Disasters in Puerto Rico (in this Act referred to as the 
‘‘Commission’’). 
(b) PURPOSE.—The purpose of the Commission is to 
examine the Federal preparedness, response, and recovery 
to the 2017 natural disasters in Puerto Rico, including 
the Federal Government’s consideration of the following 
aspects: 
(1) Federal preparedness activities prior to 
Hurricanes Irma and Maria, including Federal plans 
for the 2017 hurricane season and decisionmaking 
regarding prepositioning contracts and supplies. 
(2) Federal response activities during Hurri-
canes Irma and Maria, including Federal coordina-
tion, distribution of assistance, and contracting. 
(3) Federal recovery activities after Hurricanes 
Irma and Maria, including Federal efforts to obtain 
accurate accounting of the death toll, damage im-
pacts, and long-term rebuilding assistance for sur-
vivors. 
SEC. 3. CONSIDERATIONS. 
To carry out its examination, the Commission shall 
take into consideration the Federal preparedness, re-
sponse, and recovery efforts in Puerto Rico as compared 
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to other jurisdictions that were impacted by the 2017 hur-
ricane season, as well as the following issues: 
(1) The impact and destruction of Hurricane 
Irma, Hurricane Maria, the resulting landslides, and 
flooding. 
(2) The adequacy of the death toll methodology 
and processes, and whether previous death counts 
and mortality estimates slowed or otherwise affected 
Federal response efforts. 
(3) The Federal emergency and contingency 
plans in place before the 2017 hurricane season. 
(4) The Federal preparedness guidelines issued 
ahead of the 2017 hurricane season. 
(5) The vulnerability of Puerto Rico’s economic 
situation on Federal preparedness. 
(6) The implications of Puerto Rico’s reliance 
on imported oil for power generation. 
(7) The adequacy of the telecommunications 
network in Puerto Rico. 
(8) The capacity of the local government and 
Federal Government to quickly mobilize and respond 
to disasters and emergencies in Puerto Rico. 
(9) The impact of the uncertainty in long-term 
Federal health care funding on medical and emer-
gency readiness. 
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(10) The implication of Puerto Rico’s treatment 
under the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 and its 
impact on readiness. 
(11) The adequacy of available data and its ef-
fects on the Federal response. 
(12) The geographic, ecological, and infrastruc-
ture issues that could have affected response efforts. 
(13) A comparison of response efforts in other 
United States jurisdictions vis-a-vis efforts in Puerto 
Rico for the 2017 hurricane season. 
SEC. 4. COMPOSITION AND COMPENSATION OF COMMIS-
SION. 
(a) MEMBERS.—The Commission shall be composed 
of 8 members, of whom two shall be appointed by the 
Speaker of the House of Representatives, two shall be ap-
pointed by the Majority Leader of the Senate, two shall 
be appointed by the Minority Leader of the House of Rep-
resentatives, and two shall be appointed by the Minority 
Leader of the Senate. 
(b) CHAIR AND VICE CHAIR.—The Commission, by 
majority vote, shall choose a Chair and Vice Chair. 
(c) QUALIFICATIONS AND RESTRICTIONS.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—Individuals shall be selected 
for appointment on the Commission solely on the 
basis of their professional qualifications, experience, 
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and expertise in relevant fields, including disaster re-
sponse and emergency preparedness. 
(2) RESTRICTIONS.—Individuals may not be an 
officer or employee of the Federal Government or 
any State, or a current elected official of the local 
government. 
(d) APPOINTMENT.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—All members of the Commis-
sion shall be appointed not later than 30 days after 
the date of the enactment of this Act. 
(2) PRESIDENTIAL AUTHORITY.—The President 
shall have no authority to terminate the appointment 
of any member of the commission. 
(e) VACANCIES.—Any vacancy in the Commission 
shall not affect its powers, but shall be filled in the same 
manner in which the original appointment was made not 
later than 60 days after the date on which the vacancy 
occurs. 
(f) COMPENSATION.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—Members of the Commission 
may be compensated for travel expenses necessary to 
conduct the work and services for the Commission. 
(2) TRAVEL
EXPENDITURES.—Members shall 
be allowed travel expenditures, including per diem in 
lieu of subsistence, in the same manner as persons 
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employed intermittently in the Government service 
are allowed expenses under section 5703 of title 5, 
United States Code. 
(g) STAFF.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—With a majority vote of the 
Commission, members may recruit personnel to as-
sist with the Commission’s work, including the cre-
ation of the report. 
(2) PERSONNEL.—Any such personnel may in-
clude private citizens, employees or detailees of the 
Federal Government, or employees of the territorial 
government. 
SEC. 5. FUNCTIONS AND POWERS OF THE COMMISSION. 
(a) QUORUM.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 60 days after 
the date on which all members of the Commission 
have been appointed, the Commission shall meet and 
begin the operations of the Commission. 
(2) SUBSEQUENT MEETINGS.—Each subsequent 
meeting shall occur upon the call of the Chair or a 
majority of its members. 
(3) QUORUM.—A majority of the members of 
the Commission shall constitute a quorum, but a 
lesser number may hold meetings. 
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(b) PUBLIC MEETINGS.—The Commission shall host 
not less than 10 public meetings in locations that are ac-
cessible to individuals of every municipality with elected 
officials, local community leaders, academic institutions, 
for-profit and non-for-profit organizations, and individuals 
in Puerto Rico to the extent appropriate. 
(c) WRITTEN INPUT.—The Commission shall allow 
participants both in Puerto Rico and the mainland to pro-
vide written input to be included in an appendix of the 
final report. 
(d) HEARINGS.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—The Commission may hold 
hearings, take testimony, and receive evidence for its 
investigation. 
(2) PROTECTION OF INFORMATION.—Any pub-
lic hearings of the Commission shall be conducted in 
a manner consistent with the protection of informa-
tion provided to or developed for or by the Commis-
sion as required by any applicable statute, regula-
tion, or Executive order. 
(e) SUBPOENAS.—The Commission may issue sub-
poenas requiring the attendance and testimony of wit-
nesses, and requiring the submission of data, books, 
records, correspondence, memoranda, papers, documents, 
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electronic files, metadata, tapes, and materials of any na-
ture relating to any matter under investigation. 
(f) INFORMATION FROM AGENCIES.—The Commis-
sion may secure directly from any executive department, 
bureau, agency, board, commission, office, independent es-
tablishment, or instrumentality of the Government, infor-
mation, suggestions, estimates, and statistics. 
(g) GSA SERVICES.—The Administrator of General 
Services shall provide to the Commission on a reimburs-
able basis administrative support and other services for 
the performance of the Commission’s functions. 
(h) FEDERAL ASSISTANCE FROM OTHER AGEN-
CIES.—Departments and agencies of the United States 
may provide to the Commission such services, funds, facili-
ties, staff, and other support services as they may deter-
mine advisable and as may be authorized by law. 
(i) 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 United States. 
SEC. 6. REPORTS OF COMMISSION. 
(a) REPORT.—Not later than 12 months after the 
date of the enactment of this Act, the Commission shall 
submit to the President and Congress a final report on 
the causes and circumstances surrounding the natural dis-
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asters in Puerto Rico, including preparedness and imme-
diate response, and providing recommendations to guard 
against future natural disasters outside of the continental 
United States, which shall contain findings, conclusions, 
and recommendations as have been agreed to by a major-
ity of Commission members and shall— 
(1) be made available to the public in the 
English and Spanish languages; 
(2) include findings for the issues described in 
section 2; and 
(3) include— 
(A) the number and nature of complaints 
filed to the Inspectors General for Federal 
agencies responsible in the aftermath of the 
2017 natural disasters; 
(B) details on Federal procurement and 
acquisition practices in the aftermath of the 
2017 natural disasters; 
(C) details on disaster mitigation protocols 
given cultural and language differences; and 
(D) disaster response processes taking into 
account demographics (age, race, gender, in-
come) and the impact on segments of the popu-
lation with disabilities. 
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