TITLE I—DISASTER RESPONSE 
AND RECOVERY 
SEC. 101. OFFICE OF DISASTER RESPONSE; OFFICE OF DIS-
ASTER RECOVERY; OFFICE OF LONG-TERM 
RECOVERY. 
(a) ESTABLISHMENT.—Not later than 1 year after 
the date of enactment of this Act, the Administrator shall 
take such actions as are necessary to ensure that the Of-
fice of Response and Recovery of the Agency is divided 
into an Office of Disaster Response and an Office of Dis-
aster Recovery, subject to the requirements of this section. 
(b) OFFICE OF DISASTER RESPONSE.— 
(1) DUTIES.—The duties of the Office of Dis-
aster Response shall be as follows: 
(A) Lead Federal disaster response. 
(B) Prepare for, coordinate, and facilitate 
Federal support for State managed and locally 
executed multi-stakeholder engagement in plan-
ning and coordinating of disaster response. 
(C) Coordinate and manage Federal Emer-
gency Management Agency assigned staff and 
maintain awareness of other Federal agency 
disaster response assigned staff or other per-
sonnel deployments to Tribal and Territorial, 
State, or local government offices to better col-
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laborate and coordinate Federal efforts in sup-
port of State managed and locally executed dis-
aster preparedness and response activities. 
(D) Conduct public education on the dis-
aster response roles of Federal, Tribal and Ter-
ritorial, State, and local governments. 
(E) Any other duty determined appropriate 
by the Administrator. 
(2) OFFICERS.—Not later than 1 year after the 
date of enactment of this Act, the Administrator 
shall appoint an Associate Administrator of the Of-
fice of Disaster Response and deputy associate ad-
ministrators, as determined appropriate. 
(3) ADDITIONAL
POSITIONS.—The Adminis-
trator may create, and appoint individuals to, such 
positions as are considered necessary by the Admin-
istrator, including— 
(A) a military liaison officer to work with 
the defense coordinating officer; and 
(B) a Liaison Officer for Asset Acquisition 
and Deployment in Federal supported, State 
managed, and locally executed plan to support 
the delivery of funds, equipment, and resources 
to local jurisdictions in advance of pending dis-
asters by facilitating engagement by the private 
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sector with Tribal and Territorial and State 
and local governments in support of meeting 
the pending disaster response needs. 
(c) OFFICE OF DISASTER RECOVERY.— 
(1) DUTIES.—The duties of the Office of Dis-
aster Recovery shall be as follows: 
(A) Assess recovery following a disaster 
and make recommendations on the estimated 
time for recovery. 
(B) Provide definitions of what constitutes 
a short-term recovery and a long-term recovery, 
and how this determination shall be made in as-
sessing post disaster recovery periods. 
(C) Coordinate and manage Federal as-
signed staff from the Federal Emergency Man-
agement Agency to be sent to work in Tribal 
and Territorial and State or local government 
agencies. 
(D) Carry out the accurate collection, re-
tention, and reporting of data related to Fed-
eral disaster recovery and shall act as a re-
source on post-disaster recovery efforts. 
(E) Submit to the Committee on Oversight 
and Government Reform of the House of Rep-
resentatives and the Committee on Homeland 
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Security and Governmental Affairs of the Sen-
ate an annual report on the status of all recov-
ery projects during the prior year, including 
whether Federal projects are on time, within 
cost, and meeting the needs and objectives of 
recovery. 
(F) Provide for civil engineers that make 
recommendations to the Administrator and 
partnering Federal agencies on the scope and 
severity of damage, projections on rehabilita-
tion, demolition, repair, and reconstruction of 
critical infrastructure deemed essential to Fed-
eral, Tribal and Territorial, State, and local 
government, accessing impacted areas, or 
achieving stability in the recovery process. 
(G) Any other duty determined appropriate 
by the Administrator. 
(2) OFFICERS.—Not later than 1 year after the 
date of enactment of this Act, the Administrator 
shall appoint an Associate Administrator of the Of-
fice of Disaster Recovery and deputy associate ad-
ministrators, as determined appropriate. 
(3) ADDITIONAL
POSITIONS.—The Adminis-
trator may create, and appoint individuals to, such 
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positions as are considered necessary by the Admin-
istrator. 
(d) OMBUDSMAN.— 
(1) ESTABLISHMENT.—The Office of Disaster 
Response and the Office of Disaster Recovery shall 
each establish an office of a Federal ombudsman 
that shall be an independent and impartial office 
that examines complaints that arise from disaster 
response or disaster assistance provided to individ-
uals, organizations, or local, State, Tribal or Terri-
torial governments the activities of which are funded 
by the Federal Government. 
(2) ANNUAL REPORT.—Not later than 360 days 
after the date of enactment of this Act, and annually 
thereafter, the ombudsman of each office described 
in paragraph (1) shall submit to Congress a report 
on the activities of the office, including— 
(A) the number of complaints submitted to 
the office; 
(B) a description of any investigation con-
ducted pursuant to such complaints; 
(C) the resolution of any such investiga-
tion; 
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