Fraud Accountability in Emergency Response Act of 2006

Bill: 109-hr-5943
Sponsor: Rep. McCaul, Michael T. [R-TX-10]
Introduced: 2006-07-27 in the House
Policy area: Emergency Management
Subjects: Alcohol
Armed Forces and National Security
Auditing
Cigarettes
Commerce
Competitive bidding
Congress
Congressional oversight
Congressional reporting requirements
Crime and Law Enforcement
Data banks
Debit cards
Department of Homeland Security
Disabled
Disaster loans
Disaster relief
Drug abuse
Economics and Public Finance
Employee training
Employment of the disabled
Executive reorganization
Federal Emergency Management Agency
Federal-Indian relations
Federal-local relations
Federal-state relations
Finance and Financial Sector
Fraud
Gambling
Government Operations and Politics
Government contractors
Government lending
Government paperwork
Government publicity
Governmental investigations
Identification devices
Informers
Inspectors general
Labor and Employment
Law
Local employees
Minorities
Minority business enterprises
Native Americans
Pawnbroking
Pornography
Science, Technology, Communications
September 11, 2001
Small business
Social Welfare
Sports and Recreation
State employees
Terrorism
Veterans' employment
Volunteer workers
Waste in government spending
Women
Women in business

Summary:
action_date: 2006-07-27
text: 
Fraud Accountability in Emergency Response Act of 2006 - Amends the Homeland Security Act of 2002 to direct the Secretary of Homeland Security, acting through the Director of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), to ensure that: (1) all FEMA programs administering assistance develop and maintain proper internal management controls to prevent and detect waste, fraud, and abuse (waste); (2) application databases used by FEMA to collect information on eligible recipients record disbursements; (3) such tracking is designed to identify ineligible applications; and (4) such databases are integrated with disbursements and payment records.
 
Requires the Director to: (1) establish and implement a system for recording and tracking benefits disbursed by FEMA; (2) ensure that debit cards used to disburse assistance are equipped with an electronic feature that prohibits their use for ineligible expenses; and (3) assess the role of independent private sector inspectors general. Authorizes the Director to enter into contracts for the delivery of necessary goods or services relating to the response to or recovery from emergencies, giving preference to small businesses.
 
Requires the Secretary to: (1) ensure that any existing database for federal assistance programs administered by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) undergoes a review by DHS's Inspector General; (2) annually certify that internal controls are in place and operational before a database may be used to disburse assistance; (3) establish and maintain a database that contains information about small businesses for purposes of federal contracting relating to assistance activities conducted in response to and recovery from emergencies; and (4) develop and implement a training program on the prevention of waste and ways to identify potential waste. Requires a DHS component to consult the database before awarding federal contracts for disaster-related activity.
 
Sets forth requirements regarding reports on expenditures and efforts to confirm the identity and eligibility of applicants for assistance. Establishes within the Inspector General's office the position of Deputy Inspector General for Response and Recovery.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2006-08-10
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Management, Integration, and Oversight.
action_date: 2006-07-28
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Economic Development, Public Buildings and Emergency Management.
action_date: 2006-07-27
text: Referred to the Committee on Homeland Security, and in addition to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
action_date: 2006-07-27
text: Referred to the Committee on Homeland Security, and in addition to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
action_date: 2006-07-27
text: Referred to the Committee on Homeland Security, and in addition to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
action_date: 2006-07-27
text: Introduced in House
action_date: 2006-07-27
text: Introduced in House