WASHINGTON, DC— Bipartisan legislation authored by U.S. Senator Gary Peters to ensure uninterrupted support to disaster survivors following an emergency and improve the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) ability to respond to emergencies has advanced in the Senate. The legislation would repeal an outdated section of the Post-Katrina Emergency Management Reform Act of 2006 (PKEMRA). The bill advanced through the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, where Peters serves as Ranking Member.
Current law limits the duration of non-competitive emergency contracts for DHS and FEMA, which are tasked with coordinating emergency response efforts, while other federal agencies follow more recently updated changes to the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR). Peters’ bill would repeal this outdated section of the law to align the deadlines for DHS emergency contracts with the deadlines the rest of the government already follows, removing roadblocks to getting support to communities in need.
“The Department of Homeland Security is responsible for responding as quickly and efficiently as possible whenever disaster strikes,” said Senator Peters. “This commonsense legislation would remove limits that prevent DHS from immediately responding to disasters, making Michiganders and all Americans safer in the process.”
The bipartisan Helping Eliminate Limitations for Prompt Response and Recovery Act addresses outdated restrictions on emergency contracts that currently apply only to DHS. These restrictions, established by Section 695 of the Post-Katrina Emergency Management Reform Act (PKEMRA), limit emergency contracts to 150 days, despite newer government-wide regulations allowing such contracts to extend up to one year. This alignment with the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR), based on section 862 of the FY 2009 National Defense Authorization Act, renders section 695 obsolete, ensuring timely delivery of critical services during emergencies.
The bill is endorsed by the International Association of Emergency Managers, the Disaster Recovery Coalition of America, the National Emergency Management Association.
