[House Report 114-370]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
114th Congress } { Report
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
1st Session } { 114-370
======================================================================
FIRST RESPONDER IDENTIFICATION OF EMERGENCY NEEDS IN DISASTER
SITUATIONS
_______
December 7, 2015.--Committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the
State of the Union and ordered to be printed
_______
Mr. McCaul, from the Committee on Homeland Security, submitted the
following
R E P O R T
[To accompany H.R. 2795]
[Including cost estimate of the Congressional Budget Office]
The Committee on Homeland Security, to whom was referred
the bill (H.R. 2795) to require the Secretary of Homeland
Security to submit a study on the circumstances which may
impact the effectiveness and availability of first responders
before, during, or after a terrorist threat or event, having
considered the same, report favorably thereon with an amendment
and recommend that the bill as amended do pass.
CONTENTS
Page
Purpose and Summary.............................................. 2
Background and Need for Legislation.............................. 2
Hearings......................................................... 3
Committee Consideration.......................................... 3
Committee Votes.................................................. 3
Committee Oversight Findings..................................... 3
New Budget Authority, Entitlement Authority, and Tax Expenditures 3
Congressional Budget Office Estimate............................. 3
Statement of General Performance Goals and Objectives............ 4
Duplicative Federal Programs..................................... 4
Congressional Earmarks, Limited Tax Benefits, and Limited Tariff
Benefits....................................................... 5
Federal Mandates Statement....................................... 5
Preemption Clarification......................................... 5
Disclosure of Directed Rule Makings.............................. 5
Advisory Committee Statement..................................... 5
Applicability to Legislative Branch.............................. 5
Section-by-Section Analysis of the Legislation................... 5
Changes in Existing Law Made by the Bill, as Reported............ 6
The amendment is as follows:
Strike all after the enacting clause and insert the
following:
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``First Responder Identification of
Emergency Needs in Disaster Situations'' or the ``FRIENDS Act''.
SEC. 2. CIRCUMSTANCES WHICH MAY IMPACT FIRST RESPONDERS DURING A
TERRORIST EVENT.
(a) In General.--Not later than one year after the date of the
enactment of this Act, the Comptroller General of the United States
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 that describes select State and local
programs and policies, as appropriate, related to the preparedness and
protection of first responders. The report may include information on--
(1) the degree to which such programs and policies include
consideration of the presence of a first responder's family in
an area impacted by a terrorist attack;
(2) the availability of personal protective equipment for
first responders;
(3) the availability of home Medkits for first responders and
their families for biological incident response; and
(4) other related factors.
(b) Context.--In preparing the report required under subsection (a),
the Comptroller General of the United States may, as appropriate,
provide information--
(1) in a format that delineates high risk urban areas from
rural communities; and
(2) on the degree to which the selected State and local
programs and policies included in the report were developed or
are being executed with funding from the Department of Homeland
Security, including grant funding from the State Homeland
Security Grant Program or the Urban Area Security Initiative
under sections 2002 and 2003, respectively, of the Homeland
Security Act of 2002 (6 U.S.C. 603 and 604).
(c) Homeland Security Consideration.--After issuance of the report
required under subsection (a), the Secretary of Homeland Security shall
consider the report's findings and assess its applicability for Federal
first responders.
Purpose and Summary
H.R. 2795, the ``First Responder Identification of
Emergency Needs in Disaster Situations'' (FRIENDS Act) requires
the Government Accountability Office (GAO) to issue a report on
select state and local programs and policies that prepare and
protect first responders and their families impacted by a
terrorist attack.
Background and Need for Legislation
H.R. 2795 was introduced as the country neared the tenth
anniversary of Hurricane Katrina. Catastrophic emergencies like
Hurricane Katrina and the 2014 Ebola scare in Texas impact
entire communities that state and local first responders are
responsible for protecting. These first responders are also
responsible for protecting their own families impacted by
emergencies. This bill analyzes how much is being done to
support the needs of first responders--particularly with
respect to concerns about their families--so that they can
continue to do their job successfully. The FRIENDS Act provides
Congress with relevant information about policies and programs
at both the state and local levels that support the protection
and preparedness of first responders and their families during
emergencies. The National Association of State EMS Officials
stated in a letter to Chairman McCaul, Ranking Member Thompson,
Chairman McSally, and Ranking Member Payne on September 28,
2015, that ``[t]his bill would provide an important report on
the state of family support planning for the families of first
responders.''
Hearings
The Committee did not hold any hearings on H.R. 2795.
Committee Consideration
The Committee met on November 4, 2015, to consider H.R.
2795, and ordered the measure to be reported to the House with
a favorable recommendation, amended, by voice vote. The
Committee took the following actions:
The following amendments were offered:
An Amendment in the Nature of a Substitute offered by Ms.
Jackson Lee (#1); was AGREED TO, as amended, by voice vote.
An en bloc amendment to the Amendment in the Nature of a
Substitute offered by Mr. Higgins (#1A); was AGREED TO by voice
vote.
Consisting of the following amendments:
Page 1, line 12, insert ``and local'' after ``State''.
Page 1, line 13, insert ``, as appropriate,'' after ``policies''.
Page 2, line 11, insert ``and local'' after ``State''.
Page 2, line 4, strike ``and''
Page 2, beginning line 5, insert the following (and redesignate
subsequent paragraphs accordingly):
(3) the availability of home Medkits for first responders and
their families for biological incident response.
Committee Votes
Clause 3(b) of Rule XIII of the Rules of the House of
Representatives requires the Committee to list the recorded
votes on the motion to report legislation and amendments
thereto.
No recorded votes were requested during consideration of
H.R. 2795.
Committee Oversight Findings
Pursuant to clause 3(c)(1) of Rule XIII of the Rules of the
House of Representatives, the Committee has held oversight
hearings and made findings that are reflected in this report.
New Budget Authority, Entitlement Authority, and Tax Expenditures
In compliance with clause 3(c)(2) of Rule XIII of the Rules
of the House of Representatives, the Committee finds that H.R.
2795, the First Responder Identification of Emergency Needs in
Disaster Situations, would result in no new or increased budget
authority, entitlement authority, or tax expenditures or
revenues.
Congressional Budget Office Estimate
The Committee adopts as its own the cost estimate prepared
by the Director of the Congressional Budget Office pursuant to
section 402 of the Congressional Budget Act of 1974.
U.S. Congress,
Congressional Budget Office,
Washington, DC, December 1, 2015.
Hon. Michael McCaul,
Chairman, Committee on Homeland Security,
House of Representatives, Washington, DC.
Dear Mr. Chairman: The Congressional Budget Office has
prepared the enclosed cost estimate for H.R. 2795, the FRIENDS
Act.
If you wish further details on this estimate, we will be
pleased to provide them. The CBO staff contact is Matthew
Pickford.
Sincerely,
Keith Hall.
Enclosure.
H.R. 2795--FRIENDS Act
H.R. 2795 would direct the Government Accountability Office
(GAO) to prepare a report to the Congress on selected state
programs related to the preparedness and protection of first
responders. The report would include information related to the
availability of protective and medical equipment, as well as
information on the location of first responders. Based on
information from GAO and the cost of similar studies, CBO
estimates the report would cost about $1 million over the 2016-
2017 period; such spending would be subject to the availability
of appropriated funds.
Because enacting the bill would not affect direct spending
or revenues, pay-as-you go procedures do not apply. CBO
estimates that enacting H.R. 2795 would not increase direct
spending or on-budget deficits in any of the four consecutive
10-year periods beginning in 2026.
H.R. 2795 contains no intergovernmental or private-sector
mandates as defined in the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act.
The CBO staff contact for this estimate is Matthew
Pickford. The estimate was approved by H. Samuel Papenfuss,
Deputy Assistant Director for Budget Analysis.
Statement of General Performance Goals and Objectives
Pursuant to clause 3(c)(4) of Rule XIII of the Rules of the
House of Representatives, H.R. 2795 contains the following
general performance goals and objectives, including outcome
related goals and objectives authorized.
The Committee intends for H.R. 2795 to assess current
policies and programs that support first responders and their
families during a terrorist attack. The report generated from
this legislation will provide the Department of Homeland
Security and the Committee with a national snapshot of existing
preparedness policies and programs and of best practices that
can be shared. Further, this legislation will help determine
future action needed to support first responders nationwide.
Duplicative Federal Programs
Pursuant to clause 3(c) of Rule XIII, the Committee finds
that H.R. 2795 does not contain any provision that establishes
or reauthorizes a program known to be duplicative of another
Federal program.
Congressional Earmarks, Limited Tax Benefits, and Limited Tariff
Benefits
In compliance with Rule XXI of the Rules of the House of
Representatives, this bill, as reported, contains no
congressional earmarks, limited tax benefits, or limited tariff
benefits as defined in clause 9(e), 9(f), or 9(g) of the Rule
XXI.
Federal Mandates Statement
The Committee adopts as its own the estimate of Federal
mandates prepared by the Director of the Congressional Budget
Office pursuant to section 423 of the Unfunded Mandates Reform
Act.
Preemption Clarification
In compliance with section 423 of the Congressional Budget
Act of 1974, requiring the report of any Committee on a bill or
joint resolution to include a statement on the extent to which
the bill or joint resolution is intended to preempt State,
local, or Tribal law, the Committee finds that H.R. 2795 does
not preempt any State, local, or Tribal law.
Disclosure of Directed Rule Makings
The Committee estimates that H.R. 2795 would require no
directed rule makings.
Advisory Committee Statement
No advisory committees within the meaning of section 5(b)
of the Federal Advisory Committee Act were created by this
legislation.
Applicability to Legislative Branch
The Committee finds that the legislation does not relate to
the terms and conditions of employment or access to public
services or accommodations within the meaning of section
102(b)(3) of the Congressional Accountability Act.
Section-by-Section Analysis of the Legislation
Section 1. Short Title.
This section provides that this bill may be cited as the
``First Responder Identification of Emergency Needs in Disaster
Situations'' or the ``FRIENDS Act''.
Sec. 2. Circumstances Which may Impact First Responders During a
Terrorist Event.
Section 2(a)--In General.
This subsection requires GAO to submit a report to the
House Committee on Homeland Security and the Senate Committee
on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs within one year
of enactment. The International Association of Fire Chiefs
wrote to Representative Jackson Lee in support of H.R. 2795 on
November 3, 2015, stating that ``the welfare of first
responders' families weighs heavily on them as they serve the
public. It is important that federal, state, and local
officials make plans to provide for the safety of first
responders' families in order to ensure strong morale among
local fire, law enforcement, and EMS officials during a major
terrorist attack.'' The Committee intends for the report to
include information on state and local policies and programs
that support the preparedness and protection of first
responders. Further, the report is authorized to include
information on programs and policies that take into
consideration the families of first responders impacted by a
terrorist attack as well as the availability of personal
protective equipment. The Committee notes that the Blue Ribbon
Study Panel on Biodefense released a report at the end of 2015
that recommends the provision of medkits to first responders
and their families. The FRIENDS Act authorizes the report to
assess whether medkits have been provided to first responders.
Section 2(b)--Context.
Under this subsection, the report is authorized to
delineate whether any of the aforementioned polices or programs
are funded by the Department of Homeland Security and whether
the policies and programs are associated with rural communities
or high risk urban areas.
Section 2(c)--Homeland Security Consideration.
The Committee intends for the Secretary of Homeland
Security to determine if the findings from the final issued
report have applicability to Federal first responders.
Changes in Existing Law Made by the Bill, as Reported
As reported, H.R. 2795 makes no changes to existing law.