The POPVOX Blog

For those of you in Hurricane Sandy's path, we hope you and your families are safe and dry. While the federal government remains closed, those of us in the nation's capital have the hurricane and its aftermath on our minds. To that end, the POPVOX team pulled together the proposed legislation related to natural disasters, weather, preparedness and recovery.

Issue Spotlight: Weather and Natural Disasters

Preparedness

• HRes 672 Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that the energy, environmental, and foreign policies of the United States should reflect appropriate understanding and sensitivity concerning issues related to climate change, as documented by credible scientific findings and as evidenced by the extreme weather events of recent years.
• HR 2258 The National Hurricane Research Initiative Act: To establish the National Hurricane Research Initiative to improve hurricane preparedness. (And S 692).
• HR 2629 The Next Generation 9-1-1 Advancement Act: To amend the National Telecommunications and Information Administration Organization Act to modify the 9-1-1, E9-1-1, and Next Generation 9-1-1 program.
• HR 1128 The Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Preparedness Planning Act: To authorize the Secretary of Homeland Security to establish a competitive program to make emergency preparedness planning and implementation grants to local educational agencies and districts located in areas under a high threat of terrorist attacks, natural disasters, or public health emergencies.
• HR 81 The Amateur Radio Emergency Communications Enhancement Act: To promote and encourage the valuable public service, disaster relief, and emergency communications provided on a volunteer basis by licensees of the Federal Communications Commission in the Amateur Radio Service, by undertaking a study of the uses of amateur radio for emergency and disaster relief communications, by identifying unnecessary or unreasonable impediments to the deployment of Amateur Radio emergency and disaster relief communications, and by making recommendations for relief of such unreasonable restrictions so as to expand the uses of amateur radio communications in Homeland Security planning and response.
• HR 5620 To authorize the Secretary of Defense to provide funding assistance to State training centers certified by the Federal Emergency Management Agency as capable of providing emergency response training.
• HR 6301 To provide that the US Postal Service shall maintain the number of officers and employees necessary to meet its homeland security and natural disaster assistance responsibilities.

FEMA and Emergency Management

• HR 5807 The FEMA Regional Office Oversight Act: To require an audit of the extent to which regional FEMA offices are able to support coordinated and integrated Federal preparedness, protection, response, recovery, and mitigation capabilities to respond to an act of terrorism or other incident.
• HR 3058 The FEMA Flexibility Act: To authorize the Secretary of Homeland Security to permit a class deviation to the Federal Acquisition Regulation to support domestic emergency operations.
• S 1118 The FEMA Common Sense and Cost Effectiveness Act: to authorize the construction and maintenance of levees on property acquired under hazard mitigation grant programs of the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
• S 1418 The Emergency Management Assistance Compact Act: to authorize appropriations for grants to the States participating in the Emergency Management Assistance Compact.
• S 3320 To authorize the Administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency to waive the 30-day waiting period for flood insurance policies purchased for private properties affected by wildfire on Federal lands. (And HR 6017).

Relief and Reconstruction After Disasters

• S 3601 The Investment Savings Access After Catastrophes Act: To provide tax relief with respect to the Hurricane Isaac disaster area.
• HR 2067 The Hurricane and Tornado Mitigation Investment Act: To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to provide a credit against tax for hurricane and tornado mitigation expenditures.
• HR 2979 The Natural Disaster Emergency Mortgage Relief Act: To defer mortgage payment due dates and to prohibit creditors from imposing late fees, increasing interest rates, or submitting adverse credit information with regard to the account of a mortgage holder whose principal residence has been severely impacted by a natural disaster for up to a 90-day period following issuance of a disaster declared by the Presidential for the area in which the mortgage holder’s principal residence is located.
• S 129 The Natural Disaster Fairness in Contracting Act: To provide for full and open competition for Federal contracts related to natural disaster reconstruction efforts.
• S 1389 To exempt any road, highway, or bridge damaged by a natural disaster, including a flood, from duplicative environmental reviews if the road, highway, or bridge is reconstructed in the same location.
• HR 6542 To improve assistance after a hurricane or major disaster.
• HR 2474 To authorize a project for hurricane and storm damage reduction at West Onslow Beach and New River Inlet (Topsail Beach), North Carolina.
• HR 2475 To authorize a project for hurricane and storm damage reduction at Surf City and North Topsail Beach, North Carolina.

Please keep in mind that highlighting a bill doesn't imply a POPVOX endorsement in any way. Rather, we're simply trying to offer one more way to stay informed of an overwhelmingly complex legislative system.