1.This Act may be cited as the
Oversight of Vital Emergency Recovery
Spending Enhancement and Enforcement Act of 2005
.
2.
(a)The term Chief
Financial Officer means the Hurricane Katrina Recovery Chief Financial
Officer.
(b)The term Office means the
Office of the Hurricane Katrina Recovery Chief Financial Officer.
3.Establishment and
functions
(a)There is established within the Executive
Office of the President, the Office of the Hurricane Katrina Recovery Chief
Financial Officer.
(b)
(1)The Hurricane Katrina Recovery Chief
Financial Officer shall be the head of the Office. The Chief Financial Officer
shall be appointed by the President, by and with the advice and consent of the
Senate.
(2)The Chief Financial Officer shall have the
qualifications required under section 901(a)(3) of title 31, United States
Code.
(c)
(1)The Chief Financial
Officer shall—
(A)be responsible for the efficient and
effective use of Federal funds in all activities relating to the recovery from
Hurricane Katrina;
(B)have all authorities and perform all
functions of a Chief Financial Officer under section 902 of title 31, United
States Code, with respect to all agencies and all Federal activities relating
to the recovery from Hurricane Katrina in accordance with paragraph (2);
and
(C)strive to ensure that—
(i)priority in the distribution of Federal
relief funds is given to individuals and organizations most in need of
financial assistance; and
(ii)priority in the distribution of Federal
reconstruction funds is given to business entities that are based in Louisiana,
Mississippi, Alabama, or Florida or business entities that hire workers who
resided in those States on August 24, 2005.
(2)In the performance
of the functions under paragraph (1)(B) by the Chief Financial Officer—
(A)the President shall act as the head of the
agency and the Chief Financial Officer shall have management and oversight of
all agencies performing activities relating to the recovery from Hurricane
Katrina for purposes of the application of section 902 of title 31, United
States Code; and
(B)the Chief Financial Officer shall
coordinate and have management and oversight responsibilities of each
applicable Chief Financial Officer in the performance of functions under
section 902(a) (5) and (6) of title 31, United States Code, instead of
performing such functions for each applicable agency.
(3)
(A)Every month the Chief
Financial Officer shall submit a financial report on the activities for which
the Chief Financial Officer has management and oversight responsibilities
to—
(i)the Committee on Homeland Security and
Governmental Affairs of the Senate;
(ii)the Committee on Homeland Security of the
House of Representatives;
(iii)the Committees on Appropriations of the
Senate and House of Representatives; and
(iv)the Committee on Government Reform of the
House of Representatives.
(B)Each report under this paragraph shall
include—
(i)the extent to which Federal relief funds
have been given to individuals and organizations most in need of financial
assistance;
(ii)the extent to which Federal reconstruction
funds have been made available to business entities that are based in
Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, or Florida or business entities that hire
workers who resided in those States on August 24, 2005; and
(iii)the extent to which Federal agencies have
made use of sole source or cost-plus contracts.
(C)The first report under
this paragraph shall be submitted for the first full month for which a Chief
Financial Officer has been appointed.
(d)Responsibilities
of chief financial officersNothing in this Act shall be construed as
to relieve the responsibilities of any Chief Financial Officer under section
902 of title 31, United States Code.
(e)Upon request to the
Chief Financial Officer, the Office shall make the records of the Office
available to the Inspector General of any Federal agency performing recovery
activities relating to Hurricane Katrina for the purpose of performing the
duties of that Inspector General under the Inspector General Act of 1978 (5
U.S.C. App.).
4.Reports of the
government accountability officeThe Office shall provide quarterly reports
to the committees specified in section 3(c)(3)(A) relating to all activities
and expenses approved by the Office, including—
(1)the accuracy of reports submitted by the
Chief Financial Officer to Congress;
(2)the extent to which agencies performing
activities relating to the recovery from Hurricane Katrina have made use of
sole source or cost-plus contracts;
(3)the appropriate use of Federal funds by
State and local government agencies;
(4)an analysis of whether Federal relief funds
have been distributed to individuals and organizations most in need of
financial assistance and Federal reconstruction funds have been made available
to business entities that are based in Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, or
Florida or business entities that hire workers who resided in those States on
August 24, 2005; and
(5)the extent to which waste, fraud, or abuse
exist in the use of Federal funds relating to the recovery from Hurricane
Katrina.
5.Administrative and
support services
(a)The President shall
provide administrative and support services (including office space) for the
Office and the Chief Financial Officer.
(b)The President shall provide for personnel
for the Office through the detail of Federal employees. Any Federal employee
may be detailed to the Office without reimbursement, and such detail shall be
without interruption or loss of civil service status or privilege.
6.Authorization of
appropriationsThere are
authorized to be appropriated such sums as necessary to carry out this
Act.
7.
(a)The Office and
position of Chief Financial Officer shall terminate 1 year after the date of
enactment of this Act.
(b)The President may extend the date of
termination under subsection (a) to any date occurring before 2 years after the
date of enactment of this Act.