119-s270

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 270 Introduced in Senate

    (IS) ]

<DOC>

119th CONGRESS
 1st Session
 S. 270

 To establish a Commission on Federal Natural Disaster Resilience and 
Recovery to examine and recommend reforms to improve the efficiency and 
effectiveness of the Federal Government's approach to natural disaster 
 resilience and recovery, and for other purposes.

_______________________________________________________________________

 IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

 January 28, 2025

 Mr. Lankford introduced the following bill; which was read twice and 
referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

 A BILL

 To establish a Commission on Federal Natural Disaster Resilience and 
Recovery to examine and recommend reforms to improve the efficiency and 
effectiveness of the Federal Government's approach to natural disaster 
 resilience and recovery, and for other purposes.

 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

 This Act may be cited as the ``Natural Disaster Resilience and 
Recovery Accountability Act''.

SEC. 2. COMMISSION ON FEDERAL NATURAL DISASTER RESILIENCE AND RECOVERY.

    (a) 

=== Definitions. ===
-In this section:

    (1) Commission.--The term ``Commission'' means the 
 Commission on Federal Natural Disaster Resilience and Recovery 
 established under subsection

    (b) .

    (2) Director.--The term ``Director'' means the Director of 
 the Office.

    (3) Natural disaster.--The term ``natural disaster'' 
 means--
        (A) a weather event relating to cold or hot 
 weather, flood, earthquake, tornado, hurricane, or ice 
 storm; and
        (B) an event meeting such other criteria as the 
 Commission may determine appropriate.

    (4) Office.--The term ``Office'' means the Office of 
 Management and Budget.

    (b) Establishment.--There is established within the Office a 
Commission on Federal Natural Disaster Resilience and Recovery.
            (c) Duties.--The duties of the Commission shall be to examine and 
recommend administrative and legislative reforms to improve the 
efficiency, effectiveness, and budget funding of programs and 
activities of Federal agencies supporting natural disaster resilience 
and recovery.
            (d) Membership.--

    (1) In general.--The Commission shall be composed of 15 
 members appointed by the Director--
        (A) of which 1 shall be an employee of the Office; 
 and
        (B) the remainder of which, to the extent 
 practicable--
            (i) shall be an official, emergency 
 manager, or emergency response provider from a 
 State, local, or Tribal government, the private 
 sector, or a nongovernmental organization;
            (ii) shall represent multiple geographic 
 (including urban and rural) areas; and
            (iii) may include--
            (I) individuals from the emergency 
 management field and emergency response 
 providers, including fire service, law 
 enforcement, hazardous materials 
 response, emergency medical services, 
 and emergency management personnel, or 
 organizations representing such 
 individuals;
            (II) health scientists, emergency 
 and inpatient medical providers, and 
 public health professionals;
            (III) experts from the Federal 
 Government and State, local, and Tribal 
 governments and the private sector that 
 represent standards-setting and 
 accrediting organizations, including 
 representatives from the voluntary 
 consensus codes and standards 
 development community, particularly 
 individuals with expertise in the 
 emergency preparedness and response 
 field;
            (IV) State, local, and Tribal 
 governmental officials with expertise 
 in preparedness, protection, response, 
 recovery, and mitigation, including 
 adjutants general;
            (V) elected State, local, and 
 Tribal governmental executives;
            (VI) experts in public and private 
 sector infrastructure protection, 
 cybersecurity, and communications;
            (VII) representatives of 
 individuals with disabilities and other 
 populations with special needs; and
            (VIII) such other individuals as 
 the Director determines appropriate.

    (2) Expertise.--In making appointments under paragraph

    (1) , 
 the Director shall give consideration to individuals with 
 expertise in--
        (A) natural disaster resilience and recovery;
        (B) emergency management at the Federal, State, 
 local, territorial or Tribal level;
            (C) critical infrastructure;
            (D) transportation;
        (E) housing; and
        (F) intergovernmental relations.

    (3) Appointment deadline.--All appointments to the 
 Commission shall be made not later than 120 days after the date 
 of enactment of this Act.

    (4) Chair and vice chair.--The Commission shall have a 
 chair and vice chair. The chair shall be a member of the 
 Commission elected by an affirmative vote of not less than 8 
 members of the Commission, and the vice chair shall be the 
 Commission member who is an employee of the Office.

    (5) Compensation.--
        (A) In general.--A member of the Commission who is 
 not an officer or employee of the Federal Government--
            (i) shall not be considered a Federal 
 employee for any purpose other than for 
 purposes of--
            (I) chapter 81 of title 5, United 
 States Code (relating to compensation 
 for injury); and
            (II) sections 2671 through 2680 of 
 title 28, United States Code, (relating 
 to tort claims); and
            (ii) shall be allowed travel expenses, 
 including per diem in lieu of subsistence, at 
 rates authorized for employees of agencies 
 under subchapter I of chapter 57 of title 5, 
 United States Code, while away from their homes 
 or regular places of business in the 
 performance of services for the Commission.
        (B) Federal employees.--A member of the Commission 
 who is an officer or employee of the Federal Government 
 shall not receive any additional compensation for 
 service as such a member.

    (e) Administration.--

    (1) Meetings.--
        (A) First meeting.--The Commission shall first meet 
 not later than 240 days after the date of the enactment 
 of this Act.
        (B) Other matters.--The Commission may, for the 
 purpose of carrying out this Act, meet virtually or in-
 person to hold hearings, sit and act at times and 
 places, take testimony, and receive evidence as the 
 Commission considers appropriate.

    (2) Executive branch assistance.--The heads of the 
 following Federal agencies shall advise and consult with the 
 Commission on matters within the respective areas of 
 responsibility of the Federal agency:
        (A) The Small Business Administration.
        (B) The Department of Agriculture.
            (C) The Department of Homeland Security.
            (D) The Department of Labor.
        (E) The Department of the Interior.
        (F) The Department of Energy.
        (G) The Department of Transportation.
        (H) The Department of Housing and Urban 
 Development.
            (I) The Environmental Protection Agency.
        (J) The Department of Justice.
        (K) The Federal Emergency Management Agency.
            (L) The United States Army Corps of Engineers.
            (M) The Corporation for National and Community 
 Service.
        (N) The Department of Commerce.
        (O) The Department of the Treasury.
        (P) The Office.
        (Q) Any other Federal agency, as determined by the 
 Commission.

    (3) Information from federal agencies.--The Commission may 
 request from any Federal agency such information as the 
 Commission considers necessary to carry out its duties. Upon 
 request of the chair of the Commission, the head of a Federal 
 agency shall furnish such information to the Commission.

    (4) Postal services.--The Commission may use the United 
 States mails in the same manner and under the same conditions 
 as other departments and agencies of the Federal Government.

    (5) Rules of procedure.--The chair and vice chair of the 
 Commission shall, with an affirmative vote of not less than 8 
 members of the Commission, establish written rules of procedure 
 for the Commission, which shall include a quorum requirement to 
 conduct official business.

    (6) Staff.--
        (A) In general.--The chair of the Commission may, 
 without regard to the civil service laws and 
 regulations, appoint and terminate support personnel as 
 may be necessary to enable the Commission to perform 
 the duties of the Commission.
        (B) Executive director.--The Commission, by an 
 affirmative vote of not less than 8 members of the 
 Commission, shall appoint an executive director of the 
 Commission.
            (C) Compensation.--The chair of the Commission may 
 fix the compensation of the executive director and 
 other personnel without regard to chapter 51 and 
 subchapter III of chapter 53 of title 5, United States 
 Code, relating to classification of positions and 
 General Schedule pay rates, except that the rate of pay 
 for the executive director and other personnel may not 
 exceed the rate payable for level V of the Executive 
 Schedule under 

section 5316 of such title.
            (D) Detail of government employees.--A Federal 
 Government employee may be detailed to the Commission, 
 without reimbursement, and such detail shall be without 
 interruption or loss of civil service status or 
 privilege.

    (f) Reports.--

    (1) Final report.--Not later than 2 years after the date of 
 the first meeting of the Commission, the Commission shall 
 submit to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental 
 Affairs of the Senate and the Committee on Oversight and 
 Government Reform of the House of Representatives a report 
 describing recommendations to improve the Federal Government's 
 approach to natural disaster resilience and recovery. Such 
 report shall include the following:
        (A) Specific and actionable policy recommendations, 
 including legislative recommendations, as applicable, 
 to improve the effectiveness of the Federal approach to 
 natural disaster resilience and recovery, including 
 consideration of the 11 options presented in the report 
 of the Government Accountability Office entitled 
 ``Disaster Recovery: Actions Needed to Improve the 
 Federal Approach'', issued on November 15, 2022 (GAO-
 23-104956).
        (B) A comprehensive review all federally funded 
 activities, Federal financial assistance and grants, 
 and Federal agency programs related to natural disaster 
 resilience and recovery using, to the extent practical, 
 data systems and metrics consistently across the 
 Federal agencies, including budget information and the 
 Federal program inventory established under 

section 1122

    (a)

    (2)
        (B)
            (i) of title 31, United States Code, in 
 order to evaluate the effectiveness of such activities 
 and programs to meet established goals and statutory 
 requirements.
            (C) A complete list of all federally funded natural 
 disaster resilience and recovery programs and 
 activities and prior funding information, program 
 goals, statutory authority of such programs and 
 activities with relevant law citations, and reference 
 to related financial assistance and grant programs.
            (D) Consideration of potential administrative 
 changes to the roles and responsibilities of the 
 various Federal agencies involved in natural disaster 
 resilience and recovery.
        (E) Policies that aim to improve the efficiency and 
 effectiveness of the Federal Government's approach to 
 natural disaster resilience and recovery, to increase 
 the access and efficacy of respective Federal programs 
 to all impacted individuals and entities, and to 
 recommend appropriate investments in natural disaster 
 resilience to reduce duplication and inefficiency.
        (F) Other areas of natural disaster resilience and 
 recovery that are not described in this section, as 
 determined by the Commission.

    (2) Specific policy recommendations.--To the maximum extent 
 practicable, the report under paragraph

    (1) shall include 
 specific short-term and long-term legislative and 
 administrative policy recommendations.

    (3) Interim reports.--Not later than 180 days after the 
 date of enactment of this Act, and every 180 days thereafter, 
 the Commission shall submit to the Committee on Homeland 
 Security and Governmental Affairs of the Senate and the 
 Committee on Oversight and Government Reform of the House of 
 Representatives an interim report relating to any matter 
 described in paragraph

    (1) .

    (g) Termination.--The Commission shall terminate on the date that 
is 60 days after the date on which the Commission submits the report 
required under subsection

    (f)

    (1) .

    (h) Use of Appropriations.--Amounts used to carry out this section 
shall be derived solely from amounts otherwise appropriated to the 
Office, and no additional funds are authorized to be appropriated to 
carry out this Act.
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