First Responder Access to Innovative Technologies Act

Bill: 115-hr-687
Sponsor: full_name: Rep. Payne, Donald M., Jr. [D-NJ-10]
Introduced: 2017-01-24
Policy area: Emergency Management
Subjects: Congressional oversight

Emergency planning and evacuation

First responders and emergency personnel

Government studies and investigations

Homeland security
Latest action: action_date: 2017-02-01
text: Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs.

Summaries:
action_date: 2017-01-24
action_desc: Introduced in House
text: <p><strong>First Responder Access to Innovative Technologies Act</strong></p> <p>This bill amends the Homeland Security Act of 2002 to direct the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to implement a uniform process for reviewing applications that contain explanations to use grants provided under the Urban Area Security Initiative or the State Homeland Security Grant Program to purchase equipment or systems that do not meet or exceed any applicable national voluntary consensus standards developed under the Post-Katrina Emergency Management Reform Act of 2006.</p> <p> FEMA must consider:</p> <ul> <li>current or past use of proposed equipment or systems by federal agencies or the Armed Forces;</li> <li>the absence of a national voluntary consensus standard for such equipment or systems;</li> <li>the existence of an international consensus standard for such equipment or systems and whether such equipment or systems meets such standard;</li> <li>the nature of the capability gap identified by the applicant and how such equipment or systems will address such gap; and</li> <li>the degree to which such equipment or systems will serve the needs of the applicant better than equipment or systems that meet or exceed existing consensus standards.</li> </ul> <p>FEMA shall implement a uniform process for reviewing applications to use such grants to purchase equipment or systems not included on the Authorized Equipment List maintained by FEMA.</p> <p>The Inspector General of the Department of Homeland Security shall submit to specified congressional committees a report assessing the implementation of such review process, including information on the number of requests to purchase equipment or systems that do not meet or exceed any applicable consensus standard, the capability gaps identified by applicants, the number of such requests granted and denied, and the processing time for the review of such requests.</p>

action_date: 2017-01-31
action_desc: Passed House without amendment
text: <p>(This measure has not been amended since it was introduced. The summary has been expanded because action occurred on the measure.)</p> <p><strong>First Responder Access to Innovative Technologies Act</strong></p> <p>(Sec. 2) This bill amends the Homeland Security Act of 2002 to direct the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to implement a uniform process for reviewing applications that contain explanations to use grants provided under the Urban Area Security Initiative or the State Homeland Security Grant Program to purchase equipment or systems that do not meet or exceed any applicable national voluntary consensus standards developed under the Post-Katrina Emergency Management Reform Act of 2006.</p> <p> FEMA must consider:</p> <ul> <li>current or past use of proposed equipment or systems by federal agencies or the Armed Forces;</li> <li>the absence of a national voluntary consensus standard for such equipment or systems;</li> <li>the existence of an international consensus standard for such equipment or systems and whether such equipment or systems meets such standard;</li> <li>the nature of the capability gap identified by the applicant and how such equipment or systems will address such gap; and</li> <li>the degree to which such equipment or systems will serve the needs of the applicant better than equipment or systems that meet or exceed existing consensus standards.</li> </ul> <p>FEMA shall implement a uniform process for reviewing applications to use such grants to purchase equipment or systems not included on the Authorized Equipment List maintained by FEMA.</p> <p>The Inspector General of the Department of Homeland Security shall submit to specified congressional committees a report assessing the implementation of such review process, including information on the number of requests to purchase equipment or systems that do not meet or exceed any applicable consensus standard, the capability gaps identified by applicants, the number of such requests granted and denied, and the processing time for the review of such requests.</p>

tv_txt: I 115th CONGRESS 1st Session H. R. 687 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES AN ACT To amend the Homeland Security Act of 2002 to establish a process to review applications for certain grants to purchase equipment or systems that do not meet or exceed any applicable national voluntary consensus standards, and for other purposes.

1. Short title This Act may be cited as the First Responder Access to Innovative Technologies Act . 2. Approval of certain equipment (a) In general Section 2008 of the Homeland Security Act of 2002 ( 6 U.S.C. 609 ) is amended— (1) in subsection (f)— (A) by striking If an applicant and inserting the following: (1) Application requirement If an applicant ; and (B) by adding at the end the following new paragraphs: (2) Review process The Administrator shall implement a uniform process for reviewing applications that, in accordance with paragraph (1), contain explanations to use grants provided under section 2003 or 2004 to purchase equipment or systems that do not meet or exceed any applicable national voluntary consensus standards developed under section 647 of the Post-Katrina Emergency Management Reform Act of 2006. (3) Factors In carrying out the review process under paragraph (2), the Administrator shall consider the following: (A) Current or past use of proposed equipment or systems by Federal agencies or the Armed Forces. (B) The absence of a national voluntary consensus standard for such equipment or systems. (C) The existence of an international consensus standard for such equipment or systems, and whether such equipment or systems meets such standard. (D) The nature of the capability gap identified by the applicant and how such equipment or systems will address such gap. (E) The degree to which such equipment or systems will serve the needs of the applicant better than equipment or systems that meet or exceed existing consensus standards. (F) Any other factor determined appropriate by the Administrator. ; and (2) by adding at the end the following new subsection: (g) Review process The Administrator shall implement a uniform process for reviewing applications to use grants provided under section 2003 or 2004 to purchase equipment or systems not included on the Authorized Equipment List maintained by the Administrator. . (b) Inspector General report Not later than 3 years after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Inspector General of the Department of Homeland Security shall submit to the Committee on Homeland Security of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs of the Senate a report assessing the implementation of the review process established under paragraph (2) of subsection (f) of section 2008 of the Homeland Security Act of 2002 (as added by subsection (a) of this section), including information on the following: (1) The number of requests to purchase equipment or systems that do not meet or exceed any applicable consensus standard evaluated under such review process. (2) The capability gaps identified by applicants and the number of such requests granted or denied. (3) The processing time for the review of such requests.

Passed the House of Representatives January 31, 2017. Karen L. Haas, Clerk.

tv_txt: I 115th CONGRESS 1st Session H. R. 687 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES January 24, 2017 Mr. Payne (for himself, Mr. Thompson of Mississippi , and Mr. Donovan ) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Homeland Security A BILL To amend the Homeland Security Act of 2002 to establish a process to review applications for certain grants to purchase equipment or systems that do not meet or exceed any applicable national voluntary consensus standards, and for other purposes.

1. Short title This Act may be cited as the First Responder Access to Innovative Technologies Act . 2. Approval of certain equipment (a) In general Section 2008 of the Homeland Security Act of 2002 ( 6 U.S.C. 609 ) is amended— (1) in subsection (f)— (A) by striking If an applicant and inserting the following: (1) Application requirement If an applicant ; and (B) by adding at the end the following new paragraphs: (2) Review process The Administrator shall implement a uniform process for reviewing applications that, in accordance with paragraph (1), contain explanations to use grants provided under section 2003 or 2004 to purchase equipment or systems that do not meet or exceed any applicable national voluntary consensus standards developed under section 647 of the Post-Katrina Emergency Management Reform Act of 2006. (3) Factors In carrying out the review process under paragraph (2), the Administrator shall consider the following: (A) Current or past use of proposed equipment or systems by Federal agencies or the Armed Forces. (B) The absence of a national voluntary consensus standard for such equipment or systems. (C) The existence of an international consensus standard for such equipment or systems, and whether such equipment or systems meets such standard. (D) The nature of the capability gap identified by the applicant and how such equipment or systems will address such gap. (E) The degree to which such equipment or systems will serve the needs of the applicant better than equipment or systems that meet or exceed existing consensus standards. (F) Any other factor determined appropriate by the Administrator. ; and (2) by adding at the end the following new subsection: (g) Review process The Administrator shall implement a uniform process for reviewing applications to use grants provided under section 2003 or 2004 to purchase equipment or systems not included on the Authorized Equipment List maintained by the Administrator. . (b) Inspector General report Not later than three years after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Inspector General of the Department of Homeland Security shall submit to the Committee on Homeland Security of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs of the Senate a report assessing the implementation of the review process established under paragraph (2) of subsection (f) of section 2008 of the Homeland Security Act of 2002 (as added by subsection (a) of this section), including information on the following: (1) The number of requests to purchase equipment or systems that do not meet or exceed any applicable consensus standard evaluated under such review process. (2) The capability gaps identified by applicants and the number of such requests granted or denied. (3) The processing time for the review of such requests.

tv_txt: IIB 115th CONGRESS 1st Session H. R. 687 IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES February 1, 2017 Received; read twice and referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs AN ACT To amend the Homeland Security Act of 2002 to establish a process to review applications for certain grants to purchase equipment or systems that do not meet or exceed any applicable national voluntary consensus standards, and for other purposes.

1. Short title This Act may be cited as the First Responder Access to Innovative Technologies Act . 2. Approval of certain equipment (a) In general Section 2008 of the Homeland Security Act of 2002 ( 6 U.S.C. 609 ) is amended— (1) in subsection (f)— (A) by striking If an applicant and inserting the following: (1) Application requirement If an applicant ; and (B) by adding at the end the following new paragraphs: (2) Review process The Administrator shall implement a uniform process for reviewing applications that, in accordance with paragraph (1), contain explanations to use grants provided under section 2003 or 2004 to purchase equipment or systems that do not meet or exceed any applicable national voluntary consensus standards developed under section 647 of the Post-Katrina Emergency Management Reform Act of 2006. (3) Factors In carrying out the review process under paragraph (2), the Administrator shall consider the following: (A) Current or past use of proposed equipment or systems by Federal agencies or the Armed Forces. (B) The absence of a national voluntary consensus standard for such equipment or systems. (C) The existence of an international consensus standard for such equipment or systems, and whether such equipment or systems meets such standard. (D) The nature of the capability gap identified by the applicant and how such equipment or systems will address such gap. (E) The degree to which such equipment or systems will serve the needs of the applicant better than equipment or systems that meet or exceed existing consensus standards. (F) Any other factor determined appropriate by the Administrator. ; and (2) by adding at the end the following new subsection: (g) Review process The Administrator shall implement a uniform process for reviewing applications to use grants provided under section 2003 or 2004 to purchase equipment or systems not included on the Authorized Equipment List maintained by the Administrator. . (b) Inspector General report Not later than 3 years after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Inspector General of the Department of Homeland Security shall submit to the Committee on Homeland Security of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs of the Senate a report assessing the implementation of the review process established under paragraph (2) of subsection (f) of section 2008 of the Homeland Security Act of 2002 (as added by subsection (a) of this section), including information on the following: (1) The number of requests to purchase equipment or systems that do not meet or exceed any applicable consensus standard evaluated under such review process. (2) The capability gaps identified by applicants and the number of such requests granted or denied. (3) The processing time for the review of such requests.

Passed the House of Representatives January 31, 2017. Karen L. Haas, Clerk.