HELP Response and Recovery Act

Bill: 119-s-594
Sponsor: full_name: Sen. Peters, Gary C. [D-MI]
Introduced: 2025-02-13
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: 2025-07-30
text: Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs. Ordered to be reported with an amendment in the nature of a substitute favorably.

Summaries:
action_date: 2025-02-13
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 extends the maximum duration of noncompetitive Department of Homeland Security (DHS) contracts for disaster response and recovery from 150 days to one year by repealing a current limitation on such DHS contracts so that standard procurement regulations apply regarding urgent needs. It also requires&nbsp;DHS to report to Congress annually for five years to review how this repeal has prevented waste and provide information on noncompetitive Federal Emergency Management Agency contracts.</p>

tv_txt: II 119th CONGRESS 1st Session S. 594 IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES February 13, 2025 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 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.