Rebuild With Respect Act

Bill: 109-s-1925
Sponsor: Sen. Kennedy, Edward M. [D-MA]
Introduced: 2005-10-26 in the Senate
Policy area: Labor and Employment
Subjects: Administrative procedure
Affirmative action programs
Alabama
Chemical industries
Civil Rights and Liberties, Minority Issues
Commerce
Competitive bidding
Congress
Congressional reporting requirements
Construction industries
Construction workers
Disaster relief
Dislocated workers
Displaced persons
Economics and Public Finance
Emergency Management
Emergency medicine
Employee training
Environmental Protection
Environmental health
Epidemiology
Federal preemption
Federal-local relations
Federal-state relations
Fire fighters
Floods
Florida
Government Operations and Politics
Government contractors
Government publicity
Grants-in-aid
Hazardous wastes
Health
Health education
Health information systems
Health planning
Health surveys
Hurricane aftermath legislation
Hurricanes
Law
Law enforcement officers
Local laws
Louisiana
Medical personnel
Medical research
Medical statistics
Mental health
Mental health services
Minimum wages
Mississippi
Occupational health and safety
Office of Management and Budget
Oil pollution
Petroleum refineries
Physical examinations
Police
Preventive medicine
Rescue work
Respiratory diseases
Science, Technology, Communications
Small business
Social Welfare
State laws
Subcontractors
Unemployment
Unemployment insurance
Vaccination
Volunteer workers
Wages

Summary:
action_date: 2005-10-26
text: 
Rebuild with Respect Act - Sets forth employment requirements for workers and businesses during the response to Hurricane Katrina and Hurricane Rita (Gulf hurricanes).

Reinstates the application of the prevailing wage requirements of the Davis-Bacon Act to all federal contracts in connection with Gulf hurricanes reconstruction efforts in the localities involved, notwithstanding the President's proclamation dated September 8, 2005, or any other provision of law.

Reinstates the application of affirmative action requirements to all federal contracts to provide Gulf hurricanes relief, notwithstanding a specified Department of Labor memorandum.
 
Prohibits the heads of federal executive agencies from awarding contracts or grants to procure disaster relief property or services in connection with Gulf hurricanes reconstruction efforts unless the contractors, subcontractors, and grant recipients employ workers affected by Gulf hurricanes as at least 50 percent of the workforce to provide such property or perform such services. Provides for a preference in the award of such contract for organizations, firms, or individuals residing or doing business primarily in an area affected by Gulf hurricanes.
 
Extends the duration of disaster unemployment assistance benefits to up to 52 weeks for eligible workers based on the Gulf hurricanes disasters. Provides for eligible workers in qualified states an increased benefit amount of regular unemployment compensation and emergency extended unemployment compensation.
 
Establishes programs of medical monitoring for individuals working or living in areas affected by Gulf hurricanes. Directs the Secretary of Labor to carry out specified occupational safety and health activities for workers in such areas.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2005-10-26
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
action_date: 2005-10-26
text: Introduced in Senate