[Congressional Bills 109th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 3810 Introduced in House (IH)]







109th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 3810

    To establish a Special Inspectors General Council for Hurricane 
                                Katrina.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           September 15, 2005

 Mr. Platts (for himself and Mr. Tom Davis of Virginia) introduced the 
 following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Transportation 
  and Infrastructure, and in addition to the Committee on Government 
 Reform, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in 
   each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the 
                jurisdiction of the committee concerned

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
    To establish a Special Inspectors General Council for Hurricane 
                                Katrina.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SPECIAL INSPECTORS GENERAL COUNCIL FOR HURRICANE KATRINA.

    (a) Establishment.--There is established in the executive branch a 
Special Inspectors General Council for Hurricane Katrina (in this 
section referred to as the ``Council'').
    (b) Membership.--The members of the Council shall be as follows:
            (1) The Inspector General of the Department of Homeland 
        Security, who shall act as Chairman of the Council.
            (2) The Inspector General of each of the following 
        entities:
                    (A) The Department of Defense.
                    (B) The Department of Agriculture.
                    (C) The Department of Health and Human Services.
                    (D) The Department of Housing and Urban 
                Development.
                    (E) The Department of Transportation.
                    (F) The Small Business Administration.
                    (G) The General Services Administration.
                    (H) The Environmental Protection Agency.
            (3) Such other members as the Chairman of the Council may 
        appoint as determined necessary.
    (c) Functions.--
            (1) In general.--The Council is designated as the principal 
        interagency forum for ensuring appropriate and effective 
        oversight of and accountability for the expenditure of funds 
        relating to recovery from Hurricane Katrina.
            (2) Specific responsibilities.--The Council shall perform 
        functions that include the following:
                    (A) Facilitate the immediate opening of Council 
                offices in the Gulf Coast region, with auditor and 
                investigative personnel detailed and deployed 
                immediately as needed.
                    (B) Establish hotlines and websites to report 
                waste, fraud, and abuse.
                    (C) Provide continuous monitoring and reporting 
                relating to the recovery efforts to the heads of the 
                Federal entities that are members of the Council and to 
                Congress pursuant to the requirements of the Inspector 
                General Act of 1978 (5 U.S.C. App.)
                    (D) Ensure that each member of the Council listed 
                in subsection (b)(2) effectively carries out the duties 
                specified in the Inspector General Act of 1978 (5 
                U.S.C. App.).
    (d) Reports.--The Chairman of the Council shall submit to the 
President and Congress semiannual reports summarizing the activities of 
the Council.
    (e) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized to be 
appropriated the sum of $35,000,000 to the Inspector General of the 
Department of Homeland Security for implementing this Act.
    (f) Termination.--The Council shall terminate one year after the 
date on which the Secretary of Homeland Security determines that all 
Federal funds related to the Hurricane Katrina recovery effort have 
been expended.
                                 <all>