HELP Response and Recovery Act

Bill: 118-s-3648
Sponsor: full_name: Sen. Peters, Gary C. [D-MI]
Introduced: 2024-01-24
Policy area: Emergency Management
Subjects: Congressional oversight

Disaster relief and insurance

Government information and archives

Government studies and investigations

Public contracts and procurement
Latest action: action_date: 2024-03-21
text: Held at the desk.

Summaries:
action_date: 2024-01-24
action_desc: Introduced in Senate
text: <p><strong>Helping Eliminate Limitations for Prompt Response and Recovery Act or the HELP Response and Recovery Act</strong></p><p>This bill repeals a statute requiring the Department of Homeland Security to limit to no more than 150 days the duration of certain noncompetitive contracts facilitating response to or recovery from a natural disaster, act of terrorism, or other man-made disaster. The bill also states that it is the sense of Congress that the repealed statute has been rendered obsolete by changes to law and regulation.</p>

tv_txt: 118th CONGRESS 2d Session S. 3648 IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES AN ACT To amend the Post-Katrina Management Reform Act of 2006 to repeal certain obsolete requirements, and for other purposes.

1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Helping Eliminate Limitations for Prompt Response and Recovery Act or the HELP Response and Recovery Act . 2. Repeal of obsolete DHS contracting requirements The Post-Katrina Emergency Management Reform Act of 2006 ( Public Law 109–295 ; 120 Stat. 1394) is amended by striking section 695 ( 6 U.S.C. 794 ). 3. Reports (a) Covered period defined In this section, the term covered period means— (1) with respect to an initial report required under subsection (b), the period between the date of enactment of this Act and the date of the report; and (2) with respect to any succeeding report required under subsection (b), the period between the date of the most recent report and the succeeding report. (b) Requirement Not later than 540 days after the date of enactment of this Act, and annually thereafter until the date that is 5 years thereafter, the Secretary of Homeland Security shall submit to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs of the Senate and the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure of the House of Representatives a report that— (1) reviews how the repeal under section 2 has— (A) prevented waste, fraud, and abuse; and (B) promoted taxpayer savings; and (2) includes, with respect to a contract entered into or extended by the Administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency under urgent and compelling circumstances during the covered period for which the Administrator did not solicit bids— (A) the number of those contracts; (B) the subject of each contract; (C) the amounts obligated by the Administrator for each contract; (D) if applicable, the State benefitted by each contract; and (E) if applicable, the name of the major disaster or emergency for which each contract was entered into or extended.

Passed the Senate March 20, 2024. Secretary

tv_txt: II Calendar No. 348 118th CONGRESS 2d Session S. 3648 [Report No. 118–161] IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES January 24, 2024 Mr. Peters (for himself and Mr. Kennedy ) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs March 14, 2024 Reported by Mr. Peters , with an amendment Strike out all after the enacting clause and insert the part printed in italic A BILL To amend the Post-Katrina Management Reform Act of 2006 to repeal certain obsolete requirements, and for other purposes.

1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Helping Eliminate Limitations for Prompt Response and Recovery Act or the HELP Response and Recovery Act . 2. Repeal of obsolete DHS contracting requirements (a) Sense of Congress It is the sense of Congress that section 695 of the Post-Katrina Emergency Management Reform Act of 2006 ( 6 U.S.C. 794 )— (1) has been rendered obsolete by changes implemented in the Federal Acquisition Regulation, including amendments to Federal law made by section 862 of the Duncan Hunter National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2009 ( Public Law 110–417 ; 122 Stat. 4546); and (2) should be repealed. (b) Repeal The Post-Katrina Emergency Management Reform Act of 2006 ( Public Law 109–225 ; 120 Stat. 1394) is amended by striking section 695 ( 6 U.S.C. 794 ).

1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Helping Eliminate Limitations for Prompt Response and Recovery Act or the HELP Response and Recovery Act . 2. Repeal of obsolete DHS contracting requirements The Post-Katrina Emergency Management Reform Act of 2006 ( Public Law 109–295 ; 120 Stat. 1394) is amended by striking section 695 ( 6 U.S.C. 794 ). 3. Reports (a) Covered period defined In this section, the term covered period means— (1) with respect to an initial report required under subsection (b), the period between the date of enactment of this Act and the date of the report; and (2) with respect to any succeeding report required under subsection (b), the period between the date of the most recent report and the succeeding report. (b) Requirement Not later than 540 days after the date of enactment of this Act, and annually thereafter until the date that is 5 years thereafter, the Secretary of Homeland Security shall submit to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs of the Senate and the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure of the House of Representatives a report that— (1) reviews how the repeal under section 2 has— (A) prevented waste, fraud, and abuse; and (B) promoted taxpayer savings; and (2) includes, with respect to a contract entered into or extended by the Administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency under urgent and compelling circumstances during the covered period for which the Administrator did not solicit bids— (A) the number of those contracts; (B) the subject of each contract; (C) the amounts obligated by the Administrator for each contract; (D) if applicable, the State benefitted by each contract; and (E) if applicable, the name of the major disaster or emergency for which each contract was entered into or extended.

March 14, 2024 Reported with an amendment

tv_txt: II 118th CONGRESS 2d Session S. 3648 IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES January 24, 2024 Mr. Peters (for himself and Mr. Kennedy ) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs A BILL To amend the Post-Katrina Management Reform Act of 2006 to repeal certain obsolete requirements, and for other purposes.

1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Helping Eliminate Limitations for Prompt Response and Recovery Act or the HELP Response and Recovery Act . 2. Repeal of obsolete DHS contracting requirements (a) Sense of Congress It is the sense of Congress that section 695 of the Post-Katrina Emergency Management Reform Act of 2006 ( 6 U.S.C. 794 )— (1) has been rendered obsolete by changes implemented in the Federal Acquisition Regulation, including amendments to Federal law made by section 862 of the Duncan Hunter National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2009 ( Public Law 110–417 ; 122 Stat. 4546); and (2) should be repealed. (b) Repeal The Post-Katrina Emergency Management Reform Act of 2006 ( Public Law 109–225 ; 120 Stat. 1394) is amended by striking section 695 ( 6 U.S.C. 794 ).