IV
103D CONGRESS
1ST SESSION
H. RES. 42
Establishing a Select Committee on Disaster Preparedness and Response.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
JANUARY 25, 1993
Mr. WELDON (for himself and Mr. ANDREWS of New Jersey) submitted the
following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Rules
RESOLUTION
Establishing a Select Committee on Disaster Preparedness
and Response.
Resolved,
SECTION 1. ESTABLISHMENT.
There is established in the House of Representatives
a select committee to be known as the Select Committee
on Disaster Preparedness and Response.
SEC. 2. FUNCTIONS.
The select committee shall—
(1) conduct a comprehensive assessment of pro-
grams and activities of the Federal Emergency Man-
agement Agency relating to disasters since the es-
tablishment of the agency;
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(2) study the roles of the Federal, State, and
local governments in disaster preparedness, re-
sponse, and mitigation and the coordination by the
governments of such functions;
(3) study Federal programs relating to disaster
preparedness, response, and mitigation;
(4) study specific examples of disaster response
that have occurred during the 5-year period termi-
nating on the date of the adoption of this resolution
and any problems associated with the examples; and
(5) recommend to the appropriate committees
of the House any legislation or other action that the
select committee considers necessary with respect to
programs or policies affecting disaster preparedness,
response, and mitigation.
SEC. 3. APPOINTMENT AND MEMBERSHIP.
(a) MEMBERS.—The select committee shall be com-
posed of 35 Members of the House, who shall be appointed
by the Speaker.
(b) VACANCY.—Any vacancy occurring in the mem-
bership of the select committee shall be filled in the same
manner in which the original appointment was made.
(c) CHAIRPERSON.—The Speaker shall designate 1
member of the select committee to be its chairperson.
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SEC. 4. AUTHORITY AND PROCEDURES.
(a) AUTHORITY.—For purposes of carrying out this
resolution, the select committee (or any subcommittee of
the select committee authorized to hold hearings) may sit
and act during the present Congress at any time or place
within the United States, or elsewhere, whether the House
is in session, has recessed, or has adjourned, and may hold
such hearings as it considers necessary.
(b) RULES
OF
PROCEDURE.—The provisions of
clauses 1, 2, and 3 of rule XI of the Rules of the House
shall apply to the select committee.
(c) PROHIBITION AGAINST MEETING AT CERTAIN
TIMES.—Subsection (a) may not be construed to limit the
applicability of clause 2(i) of rule XI of the Rules of the
House to the select committee.
SEC. 5. ADMINISTRATIVE PROVISIONS.
(a) EXPENSES.—Subject to the adoption of expense
resolutions as required by clause 5 of rule XI of the Rules
of the House, the select committee may incur expenses in
connection with its functions under this resolution.
(b) STAFF AND TRAVEL.—In carrying out its func-
tions under this resolution, the select committee may—
(1) appoint, either on a permanent basis or as
experts or consultants, any staff that the select com-
mittee considers necessary;
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(2) prescribe the duties and responsibilities of
the staff;
(3) fix the compensation of the staff at a single
per annum gross rate that does not exceed the maxi-
mum rate of pay, as in effect from time to time, pro-
vided under clause 6(c) of rule XI of the Rules of
the House;
(4) terminate the employment of any such staff
as the select committee considers appropriate; and
(5) reimburse members of the select committee
and of its staff for travel, subsistence, and other
necessary expenses incurred by them in the perform-
ance of their functions for the select committee,
other than expenses in connection with any meeting
of the select committee, or a subcommittee thereof,
held in the District of Columbia.
SEC. 6. REPORTS AND RECORDS.
(a) FINAL REPORT.—Not later than January 3,
1995, the select committee shall submit to the House a
final report setting forth its findings and recommenda-
tions.
(b) FILING OF REPORTS.—Any report made by the
select committee when the House is not in session shall
be filed with the Clerk of the House.
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(c) REFERRAL OF REPORTS.—Any report made by
the select committee shall be referred to the committee
or committees that have jurisdiction over the subject mat-
ter of the report.
(d) RECORDS, FILES, AND MATERIALS.—Following
the termination of the select committee, the records, files,
and materials of the select committee shall be transferred
to the Clerk of the House.
SEC. 7. DEFINITIONS.
For purposes of this resolution:
(1) DISASTER.—The term ‘‘disaster’’ means a
natural catastrophe or, regardless of cause, a fire,
flood, explosion, collapse of a structure, or radiologi-
cal accident in the United States for which Federal
assistance is needed to save lives, to protect prop-
erty, or to protect public health and safety.
(2) MEMBER
OF
THE
HOUSE.—The term
‘‘Member of the House’’ means any Representative
in, or Delegate or Resident Commissioner to, the
House of Representatives.
(3) NATURAL CATASTROPHE.—The term ‘‘natu-
ral catastrophe’’ includes any hurricane, tornado,
storm, high water, winddriven water, tidal wave, tsu-
nami, earthquake, volcanic eruption, landslide,
mudslide, snowstorm, or drought.
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(4) RADIOLOGICAL ACCIDENT.—The term ‘‘ra-
diological accident’’ includes radiological accidents at
fixed nuclear facilities and transportation accidents
involving radioactive materials.
(5) SELECT
COMMITTEE.—The term ‘‘select
committee’’ means the Select Committee on Disaster
Preparedness and Response.
(6) 
UNITED
STATES.—The 
term 
‘‘United
States’’ means the several States, the District of Co-
lumbia, the Virgin Islands, the Commonwealth of
Puerto Rico, Guam, American Samoa, the Common-
wealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, the Repub-
lic of the Marshall Islands, the Federated States of
Micronesia, and Palau.
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