[Congressional Bills 109th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 1612 Introduced in Senate (IS)]








109th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                S. 1612

    To amend the Homeland Security Act of 2002 to establish certain 
  qualifications for the office of the Under Secretary for Emergency 
                       Preparedness and Response.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                           September 6, 2005

  Mr. Nelson of Florida introduced the following bill; which was read 
     twice and referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and 
                          Governmental Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
    To amend the Homeland Security Act of 2002 to establish certain 
  qualifications for the office of the Under Secretary for Emergency 
                       Preparedness and Response.

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

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Under Secretary for Emergency 
Preparedness and Response Qualifications Act of 2005''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

    Congress finds that--
            (1) the Federal Emergency Management Agency has the lead 
        Federal responsibility to help the United States prepare for 
        and recover from significant catastrophes, including 
        catastrophes resulting from terrorist attacks;
            (2) the Federal Emergency Management Agency provides 
        planning and preparedness aid to State and local governments 
        and coordinates Federal emergency management activities and 
        planning for the continuity of the Federal Government in cases 
        in which national security is threatened;
            (3) the Homeland Security Act of 2002 (6 U.S.C. 101 et 
        seq.) transferred the Federal Emergency Management Agency, 
        including the assets and responsibilities of that agency, to 
        the Department of Homeland Security; and
            (4) for the most part, as of the date of enactment of this 
        Act, the mission of the Federal Emergency Management Agency is 
        carried out within the Emergency Preparedness and Response 
        branch of the Department of Homeland Security.

SEC. 3. QUALIFICATIONS.

    Section 103 of the Homeland Security Act of 2002 (6 U.S.C. 113) is 
amended--
            (1) in subsection (a), by striking paragraph (5) and 
        inserting the following:
            ``(5) In accordance with subsection (f), an Under Secretary 
        for Emergency Preparedness and Response.'';
            (2) by redesignating subsection (f) as subsection (g); and
            (3) by inserting after subsection (e) the following:
    ``(f) Under Secretary for Emergency Preparedness and Response.--In 
appointing an Under Secretary for Emergency Preparedness and Response 
under subsection (a)(5), the President shall select an individual that, 
as determined by the President, has broad background, professional 
knowledge, and substantial experience in emergency training, planning, 
and preparedness, including work experience relating to emergency 
preparedness, at least 4 years of which shall be experience relating to 
the management of emergency personnel or assets.''.
                                 <all>