I 
110TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 6425 
To amend the Homeland Security Act of 2002 to direct the Secretary of 
Homeland Security to maintain a Response and Recovery Corps to per-
form functions related to the collective response to acts of terrorism, 
natural disasters, and other emergencies, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JUNE 26, 2008 
Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi introduced the following bill; which was referred 
to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, and in addition 
to the Committee on Homeland Security, for a period to be subsequently 
determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provi-
sions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned 
A BILL 
To amend the Homeland Security Act of 2002 to direct 
the Secretary of Homeland Security to maintain a Re-
sponse and Recovery Corps to perform functions related 
to the collective response to acts of terrorism, natural 
disasters, and other emergencies, 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 ‘‘Homeland Security 
Relief Corps Act of 2008’’. 
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SEC. 2. RESPONSE AND RECOVERY CORPS. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Title V of the Homeland Security 
Act of 2002 (6 U.S.C. 311 et seq.) is amended by adding 
at the end the following: 
‘‘SEC. 525. RESPONSE AND RECOVERY CORPS. 
‘‘(a) ESTABLISHMENT.—The Secretary shall main-
tain within the Department a Response and Recovery 
Corps (in this section referred to as the ‘Corps’). 
‘‘(b) PURPOSE.—The purpose of the Corps shall be 
to perform functions related to the collective response to 
acts of terrorism, natural disasters, and other emer-
gencies. 
‘‘(c) PARTICIPANTS.—The Corps shall consist of indi-
viduals appointed to the Corps by the Secretary (in this 
section referred to as ‘Corps members’), each of whom— 
‘‘(1) does not ordinarily have the duties of a 
full-time officer or employee of the Department; but 
‘‘(2) is able to assume duties when the Sec-
retary so requires. 
‘‘(d) TRAINING.—The Secretary shall ensure that 
each Corps member receives core training in functions re-
lating to emergency response or post-incident recovery and 
rebuilding efforts, or both. 
‘‘(e) PROJECTS.—The Corps shall be responsible for 
working on projects, as determined by the Secretary, that 
support the function of responding collectively to acts of 
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terrorism, natural disasters, and other emergencies and 
rebuilding impacted areas. 
‘‘(f) GEOGRAPHIC DISTRIBUTION.—In any case in 
which the Secretary directs the Corps to carry out a 
project, the Secretary shall ensure that at least 30 percent 
of the Corps members assigned to carry out the project 
reside, or resided prior to an act of terrorism, natural dis-
aster, or other emergency, in the region in which the 
project is conducted. 
‘‘(g) DUTIES.—The Secretary shall— 
‘‘(1) identify response and recovery projects 
that warrant support from the Corps; 
‘‘(2) direct and oversee the activities of the 
Corps; 
‘‘(3) govern the selection of Corps members 
using the criteria contained in subsection (c); and 
‘‘(4) formulate and administer a system of uni-
form periodic reports on the number of individuals 
employed by the Corps and the number of individ-
uals and households receiving relief from the Corps. 
‘‘(h) APPOINTMENT INTO FEDERAL SERVICE.— 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—In addition to the exercise 
of any other authorities under this section, the Sec-
retary may appoint a Corps member into Federal 
service for the purpose of participation in the activi-
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ties of the Corps without regard to the provisions of 
title 5, United States Code, governing appointments 
in the competitive service. 
‘‘(2) EMPLOYMENT STATUS.—Regardless of any 
other employment status, a Corps member who is 
appointed into Federal service pursuant to this sub-
section is deemed an employee of a Federal agency 
for all purposes except— 
‘‘(A) subchapter III of chapter 83 of title 
5, United States Code, pertaining to labor 
grievances, appeal and review, or any applicable 
retirement system; 
‘‘(B) chapter 87 of title 5, United States 
Code, pertaining to life insurance; and 
‘‘(C) chapter 89 of title 5, United States 
Code, pertaining to health insurance, or other 
applicable health benefits system, unless the 
Corps member’s appointment results in the loss 
of coverage in a group health benefits plan the 
premium of which has been paid in whole or in 
part by a State or local government contribu-
tion. 
‘‘(3) PAY.—During a period of appointment 
into Federal service pursuant to this subsection, 
Corps members shall receive pay at rates to be es-
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tablished by the Secretary without regard to the pro-
visions of chapter 51 and subchapter III of chapter 
53 of title 5, United States Code, relating to classi-
fication and General Schedule pay rates. 
‘‘(4) PERSONAL INJURY, ILLNESS, DISABILITY, 
OR DEATH.— 
‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—A Corps member who 
is appointed into Federal service pursuant to 
this subsection and who suffers personal injury, 
illness, disability, or death as a result of per-
sonal injury sustained while in the performance 
of the member’s duty during the appointment 
into Federal service shall, for the purposes of 
subchapter I of chapter 81 of title 5, United 
States Code, be treated as though the member 
were an employee (as defined by section 8101 
of such title) who had sustained the injury in 
the performance of duty. 
‘‘(B) ELECTION OF BENEFITS.—When a 
Corps member (or, in the case of the death of 
the Corps member, the Corps member’s depend-
ent) is entitled by reason of injury, illness, dis-
ability, or death to benefits under subchapter I 
of chapter 81 of title 5, United States Code, 
and is also entitled to benefits from a State or 
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local government for the same injury, illness, 
disability, or death, the Corps member (or such 
dependent) shall elect which benefits the Corps 
member will receive. The election shall be made 
not later than 1 year after the injury, illness, 
disability or death, or such further time as the 
Secretary of Labor may allow for reasonable 
cause shown. When made, the election is irrev-
ocable unless otherwise provided by law. 
‘‘(C) REIMBURSEMENT
FOR
STATE
OR 
LOCAL BENEFITS.—In the event that a Corps 
member elects benefits from a State or local 
government under subparagraph (B), the Sec-
retary may reimburse that State or local gov-
ernment for the value of those benefits. 
‘‘(5) LIABILITY.—A Corps member appointed 
into Federal service pursuant to this subsection is 
deemed an employee of the Department for the pur-
poses of the Federal Tort Claims Act and any other 
Federal third party liability statute. 
‘‘(6) 
EMPLOYMENT
AND
REEMPLOYMENT 
RIGHTS.—The following apply with respect to a 
Corps member during periods of appointment to 
Federal service pursuant to this subsection: 
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‘‘(A) Service as a Corps member shall be 
deemed ‘service in the uniformed services’ for 
purposes of chapter 43 of title 38, United 
States Code, pertaining to employment and re-
employment rights of individuals who have per-
formed service in the uniformed services (re-
gardless of whether the individual receives com-
pensation for such participation). All rights and 
obligations of such persons and procedures for 
assistance, enforcement, and investigation shall 
be as provided for in chapter 43 of title 38, 
United States Code. 
‘‘(B) Preclusion of giving notice of service 
by necessity of appointment under this section 
shall be deemed preclusion by ‘military neces-
sity’ for purposes of section 4312(b) of title 38, 
United States Code, pertaining to giving notice 
of absence from a position of employment. A 
determination of such necessity shall be made 
by the Secretary. 
‘‘(C) Subject to the availability of appro-
priations, the Secretary may recognize employer 
support of the deployment of Corps members 
and their cooperation to allow Corps members 
to receive authorized training. 
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‘‘(i) GULF COAST RECOVERY AND REBUILDING EF-
FORTS.— 
‘‘(1) PLAN.—The Secretary shall develop a plan 
for directing the Corps to assist in recovery and re-
building efforts for the Gulf Coast region in the 
wake of Hurricane Katrina. 
‘‘(2) REPORT.—Not later than 120 days after 
the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary 
shall submit to the Committee on Homeland Secu-
rity of the House of Representatives and the Com-
mittee on Homeland Security and Governmental Af-
fairs of the Senate a report containing the plan de-
veloped under paragraph (1). 
‘‘(j) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There 
are authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section 
such sums as may be necessary for fiscal years 2009 and 
2010.’’. 
(b) CONFORMING AMENDMENT.—The table of con-
tents contained in section (1)(b) of such Act (6 U.S.C. 
101 et seq.) is amended by adding at the end of the items 
relating to title V the following: 
‘‘Sec. 525. Response and Recovery Corps.’’. 
Æ 
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