[Congressional Bills 103th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 42 Introduced in House (IH)]

103d CONGRESS
  1st Session
H. RES. 42

 Establishing a Select Committee on Disaster Preparedness and Response.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            January 25, 1993

 Mr. Weldon (for himself and Mr. Andrews of New Jersey) submitted the 
   following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Rules

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
 Establishing a Select Committee on Disaster Preparedness and Response.

    Resolved,

SECTION 1. ESTABLISHMENT.

    There is established in the House of Representatives a select 
committee to be known as the Select Committee on Disaster Preparedness 
and Response.

SEC. 2. FUNCTIONS.

    The select committee shall--
            (1) conduct a comprehensive assessment of programs and 
        activities of the Federal Emergency Management Agency relating 
        to disasters since the establishment of the agency;
            (2) study the roles of the Federal, State, and local 
        governments in disaster preparedness, response, and mitigation 
        and the coordination by the governments of such functions;
            (3) study Federal programs relating to disaster 
        preparedness, response, and mitigation;
            (4) study specific examples of disaster response that have 
        occurred during the 5-year period terminating on the date of 
        the adoption of this resolution and any problems associated 
        with the examples; and
            (5) recommend to the appropriate committees of the House 
        any legislation or other action that the select committee 
        considers necessary with respect to programs or policies 
        affecting disaster preparedness, response, and mitigation.

SEC. 3. APPOINTMENT AND MEMBERSHIP.

    (a) Members.--The select committee shall be composed of 35 Members 
of the House, who shall be appointed by the Speaker.
    (b) Vacancy.--Any vacancy occurring in the membership of the select 
committee shall be filled in the same manner in which the original 
appointment was made.
    (c) Chairperson.--The Speaker shall designate 1 member of the 
select committee to be its chairperson.

SEC. 4. AUTHORITY AND PROCEDURES.

    (a) Authority.--For purposes of carrying out this resolution, the 
select committee (or any subcommittee of the select committee 
authorized to hold hearings) may sit and act during the present 
Congress at any time or place within the United States, or elsewhere, 
whether the House is in session, has recessed, or has adjourned, and 
may hold such hearings as it considers necessary.
    (b) Rules of Procedure.--The provisions of clauses 1, 2, and 3 of 
rule XI of the Rules of the House shall apply to the select committee.
    (c) Prohibition Against Meeting at Certain Times.--Subsection (a) 
may not be construed to limit the applicability of clause 2(i) of rule 
XI of the Rules of the House to the select committee.

SEC. 5. ADMINISTRATIVE PROVISIONS.

    (a) Expenses.--Subject to the adoption of expense resolutions as 
required by clause 5 of rule XI of the Rules of the House, the select 
committee may incur expenses in connection with its functions under 
this resolution.
    (b) Staff and Travel.--In carrying out its functions under this 
resolution, the select committee may--
            (1) appoint, either on a permanent basis or as experts or 
        consultants, any staff that the select committee considers 
        necessary;
            (2) prescribe the duties and responsibilities of the staff;
            (3) fix the compensation of the staff at a single per annum 
        gross rate that does not exceed the maximum rate of pay, as in 
        effect from time to time, provided under clause 6(c) of rule XI 
        of the Rules of the House;
            (4) terminate the employment of any such staff as the 
        select committee considers appropriate; and
            (5) reimburse members of the select committee and of its 
        staff for travel, subsistence, and other necessary expenses 
        incurred by them in the performance of their functions for the 
        select committee, other than expenses in connection with any 
        meeting of the select committee, or a subcommittee thereof, 
        held in the District of Columbia.

SEC. 6. REPORTS AND RECORDS.

    (a) Final Report.--Not later than January 3, 1995, the select 
committee shall submit to the House a final report setting forth its 
findings and recommendations.
    (b) Filing of Reports.--Any report made by the select committee 
when the House is not in session shall be filed with the Clerk of the 
House.
    (c) Referral of Reports.--Any report made by the select committee 
shall be referred to the committee or committees that have jurisdiction 
over the subject matter of the report.
    (d) Records, Files, and Materials.--Following the termination of 
the select committee, the records, files, and materials of the select 
committee shall be transferred to the Clerk of the House.

SEC. 7. DEFINITIONS.

    For purposes of this resolution:
            (1) Disaster.--The term ``disaster'' means a natural 
        catastrophe or, regardless of cause, a fire, flood, explosion, 
        collapse of a structure, or radiological accident in the United 
        States for which Federal assistance is needed to save lives, to 
        protect property, or to protect public health and safety.
            (2) Member of the house.--The term ``Member of the House'' 
        means any Representative in, or Delegate or Resident 
        Commissioner to, the House of Representatives.
            (3) Natural catastrophe.--The term ``natural catastrophe'' 
        includes any hurricane, tornado, storm, high water, winddriven 
        water, tidal wave, tsunami, earthquake, volcanic eruption, 
        landslide, mudslide, snowstorm, or drought.
            (4) Radiological accident.--The term ``radiological 
        accident'' includes radiological accidents at fixed nuclear 
        facilities and transportation accidents involving radioactive 
        materials.
            (5) Select committee.--The term ``select committee'' means 
        the Select Committee on Disaster Preparedness and Response.
            (6) United states.--The term ``United States'' means the 
        several States, the District of Columbia, the Virgin Islands, 
        the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, Guam, American Samoa, the 
        Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, the Republic of 
        the Marshall Islands, the Federated States of Micronesia, and 
        Palau.

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