House Passes Pappas’s Bipartisan Legislation to Strengthen Post-Disaster Services, Protect Taxpayer Dollars

Today the House passed Congressman Chris Pappas’s (NH-01) bipartisan bill to ensure post-disaster services are delivered timely and taxpayer dollars are spent efficiently, cutting down on waste and fraud. It has passed the Senate and is headed to the President’s desk for his signature.

The Disaster Contract Improvement Act would establish oversight on debris removal through the creation of an Advisory Working Group and task the Federal Emergency Management Office (FEMA) Administrator with implementing guidance and procedures for debris removal contracts.

“New Hampshire is no stranger to extreme weather, from intense winter storms to severe flooding. It’s critical that we ensure post-disaster services are ready and taxpayer dollars are being used efficiently,” said Congressman Chris Pappas. “This bipartisan legislation will strengthen preparation and recovery efforts to help those affected by natural disasters by tackling spending waste and fraud and improving government efficiency. Now that the bill has passed the House and the Senate, I urge the President to sign it into law swiftly.”

The Advisory Working Group created by this bill would be composed of representatives from FEMA, the Army Corps of Engineers, State, Tribal, and Local governments, the USDA natural resources and Conservation Service, as well as experts, including those in the debris services contractor industry. The FEMA Administrator, working with this new group, would have one year after the bill's enactment to develop and implement guidance and procedures associated with the debris removal contracts.

Background:

Following Hurricane Katrina, Congress required FEMA to establish advance contracts for goods and services to enable the government to quickly and effectively mobilize resources in the aftermath of a disaster.

FEMA and the Army Corps of Engineers used advance contracts for $4.5 billion in goods and services after Hurricanes Harvey, Irma, and Maria, and the California fires of 2017. In an audit report released in 2018, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) found that FEMA's guidance on the use of these types of contracts is unclear, and that inconsistent information from FEMA could impair its efforts to help state and local governments use advance contracts.