1.This Act may be cited as
the Federal Emergency Management
Improvement Act of 2006
.
<enum>I</enum><header>Federal emergency
management agency</header>
<section id="id8EE61BA33205491CADB6818FBD257568"><enum>101.</enum><header>Establishment
of agency and director and deputy director</header>
<subsection id="idE909D2D12F6247D186F17A6B16F867EF"><enum>(a)</enum><header>Establishment</header><text>The
Federal Emergency Management Agency is established as an independent
establishment in the executive branch as defined under section 104 of title 5,
United States Code.</text>
</subsection><subsection id="id0F82A382A1834120A5E16947B7885902"><enum>(b)</enum><header>Director</header>
<paragraph id="id712060EE2DEE44B1A1C8AD366216B59B"><enum>(1)</enum><header>In
general</header><text>The Director of the Federal Emergency Management Agency
shall be the head of the Federal Emergency Management Agency. The Director
shall be appointed by the President, by and with the advice and consent of the
Senate. The Director shall report directly to the President.</text>
</paragraph><paragraph id="id6B5976FF4BB8440989AA216D4B3264C2"><enum>(2)</enum><header>Qualifications</header><text>The
Director of the Federal Emergency Management Agency shall have significant
experience, knowledge, training, and expertise in the area of emergency
preparedness, response, recovery, and mitigation as related to natural
disasters and other national cataclysmic events.</text>
</paragraph><paragraph id="id44C6D701784F4F2A8C5BDA97E94C95F0"><enum>(3)</enum><header>Executive
schedule position</header><text>Section 5312 of title 5, United States Code, is
amended by adding at the end the following:</text>
<quoted-block display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id5E82CBEF182C4AE59505410B920A86B6" style="OLC">
<paragraph id="idC2513FB08649419188613DFE4A579722"><enum></enum><text>Director of
the Federal Emergency Management
Agency.</text>
</paragraph><after-quoted-block>.</after-quoted-block></quoted-block>
</paragraph></subsection><subsection id="id261E61525F124266B691B914379040EE"><enum>(c)</enum><header>Deputy
Director</header>
<paragraph id="idB5806A9DE7C24E308E759CB15D954AF7"><enum>(1)</enum><header>In
general</header><text>The Deputy Director of the Federal Emergency Management
Agency shall assist the Director of the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
The Deputy Director shall be appointed by the President, by and with the advice
and consent of the Senate.</text>
</paragraph><paragraph id="idCAE2C6AC941342319C4BDDC34E707790"><enum>(2)</enum><header>Qualifications</header><text>The
Deputy Director of the Federal Emergency Management Agency shall have
significant experience, knowledge, training, and expertise in the area of
emergency preparedness, response, recovery, and mitigation as related to
natural disasters and other national cataclysmic events.</text>
</paragraph><paragraph id="idB72A44BECCA74EA084B30EBFBF19601F"><enum>(3)</enum><header>Executive
schedule position</header><text>Section 5313 of title 5, United States Code, is
amended by adding at the end the following:</text>
<quoted-block display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id1AA27681182D4F09A82522B79065498B" style="OLC">
<paragraph id="idB26CB5C2A88B44CD88B4421F4B99604B"><enum></enum><text>Deputy
Director of the Federal Emergency Management
Agency.</text>
</paragraph><after-quoted-block>.</after-quoted-block></quoted-block>
</paragraph></subsection></section><section id="id7C28E30FCA2549729D3CF8921AF81B4A"><enum>102.</enum><header>Functions</header>
<subsection id="IDA6EF92EED96A4CE98F1F2FBD9E42E20A"><enum>(a)</enum><header>In
general</header><text>The functions of the Federal Emergency Management Agency
include the following:</text>
<paragraph id="IDAA06C6DE95854D85B10D27523D91C8D4"><enum>(1)</enum><text>All functions and
authorities prescribed by the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency
Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5121 et seq.).</text>
</paragraph><paragraph id="ID3A4A18B7F3664B9AA91247587203C4E1"><enum>(2)</enum><text>Carrying out its
mission to reduce the loss of life and property and protect the Nation from all
hazards by leading and supporting the Nation in a comprehensive, risk-based
emergency management program of—</text>
<subparagraph id="IDE8E2A8AFD2084E92BA6082FB9D1E8B49"><enum>(A)</enum><text>mitigation, by
taking sustained actions to reduce or eliminate long-term risk to people and
property from hazards and their effects;</text>
</subparagraph><subparagraph id="ID2C217201BDE54FF2A2B097D7DA03F5BC"><enum>(B)</enum><text>planning for
building the emergency management profession to prepare effectively for,
mitigate against, respond to, and recover from any hazard;</text>
</subparagraph><subparagraph id="IDBE09D3FD059348B3B6001B17FDBFB5B0"><enum>(C)</enum><text>response, by
conducting emergency operations to save lives and property through positioning
emergency equipment and supplies, through evacuating potential victims, through
providing food, water, shelter, and medical care to those in need, and through
restoring critical public services;</text>
</subparagraph><subparagraph id="ID43948684C6F84A32ADB375FB5F088966"><enum>(D)</enum><text>recovery, by
rebuilding communities so individuals, businesses, and governments can function
on their own, return to normal life, and protect against future hazards;
and</text>
</subparagraph><subparagraph id="IDEA11B4A53A1847D5900474CE26E06D4E"><enum>(E)</enum><text>increased
efficiencies, by coordinating efforts relating to mitigation, planning,
response, and recovery.</text>
</subparagraph></paragraph></subsection><subsection id="IDC8D10F2BE3DD44F5BFFAE7FE9449C2E8"><enum>(b)</enum><header>Federal
Response Plan</header>
<paragraph id="IDB716791B493E4C6C8729F09D175B1B8D"><enum>(1)</enum><header>Role of
fema</header><text>Notwithstanding any provision of the Homeland Security Act
of 2002 (6 U.S.C. 101 et seq.), the Federal Emergency Management Agency shall
remain the lead agency for the Federal Response Plan established under
Executive Order No. 12148 (44 Fed. Reg. 43239) and Executive Order No. 12656
(53 Fed. Reg. 47491).</text>
</paragraph><paragraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="ID9C4F47475963410F9E08197E304D91EB"><enum>(2)</enum><header>Revision of
response plan</header><text>Not later than 60 days after the date of enactment
of this Act, the Director of the Federal Emergency Management Agency shall
revise the Federal Response Plan to reflect the establishment of the Federal
Emergency Management Agency as an independent establishment under this
Act.</text>
</paragraph></subsection><subsection id="id51EE633228C347048CB81C79C0CB49E1"><enum>(c)</enum><header>Technical and
conforming amendments</header>
<paragraph id="idFFE5D00280234BD18A03FB3804A0852E"><enum>(1)</enum><header>In
general</header><text>Section 507 of the Homeland Security Act of 2002 (6
U.S.C. 317) is repealed.</text>
</paragraph><paragraph id="id77D540C133754A5C8E9F6B53368F970A"><enum>(2)</enum><header>Other
provisions</header><text>The Homeland Security Act of 2002 (6 U.S.C. 101 et
seq.) is amended—</text>
<subparagraph id="id46D96E6559324AD692F0168CEDBE04B6"><enum>(A)</enum><text>in section
430(c)—</text>
<clause id="id344D1712606646A3BFC2219458E0017F"><enum>(i)</enum><text>in
paragraph (7), by adding <quote>and</quote> at the end;</text>
</clause><clause id="idC96E213670874EA89BB9816B34BE1832"><enum>(ii)</enum><text>by
striking paragraph (8); and</text>
</clause><clause id="id77339834B030458398FF6A814CB06092"><enum>(iii)</enum><text>by
redesignating paragraph (9) as paragraph (8); and</text>
</clause></subparagraph><subparagraph id="id9A5338B6AFCF45D5A8C3766D914A0503"><enum>(B)</enum><text>in section
503—</text>
<clause id="id4C07E4483B8B4C38AD673491C2E68F6D"><enum>(i)</enum><text>by
striking paragraph (1); and</text>
</clause><clause commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id0FDD8E2F76564C0A944A6416B27DB86F"><enum>(ii)</enum><text>by redesignating
paragraphs (2) through (5) as paragraphs (1) through (4), respectively.</text>
</clause></subparagraph></paragraph><paragraph id="id70C43F4B43FA43E6829B237C01298C86"><enum>(3)</enum><header>Table of
contents</header><text>The table of contents for the Homeland Security Act of
2002 (6 U.S.C. 101) is amended by striking the item relating to section
507.</text>
</paragraph></subsection></section><section id="id98F4447D59184A84B576731001CFE686"><enum>103.</enum><header>Rule of
construction</header><text display-inline="no-display-inline">Nothing in this
Act shall be construed to detract from the Department of Homeland Security's
primary mission to secure the homeland from terrorist attacks.</text>
</section><enum>II</enum><header>Transfer and
savings provisions</header>
<section id="ID50269EE1116F43E0AC035528D92EB60B"><enum>201.</enum><header>Definitions</header><text display-inline="no-display-inline">In this title, unless otherwise provided or
indicated by the context—</text>
<paragraph id="IDDC5D66F5E2784FD484196FF6B091F2B7"><enum>(1)</enum><text>the term
<term>Federal agency</term> has the meaning given to the term
<term>agency</term> by section 551(1) of title 5, United States Code;</text>
</paragraph><paragraph id="IDFB12DC1E56D94EB8AF8C1AA2EA9EB7C3"><enum>(2)</enum><text>the term
<term>function</term> means any duty, obligation, power, authority,
responsibility, right, privilege, activity, or program; and</text>
</paragraph><paragraph id="ID38E3C486E91F40F49646C829DC940D13"><enum>(3)</enum><text>the term
<term>office</term> includes any office, administration, agency, institute,
unit, organizational entity, or component thereof.</text>
</paragraph></section><section id="ID033755C028124784967F92ABE087CFF0"><enum>202.</enum><header>Transfer of
functions</header><text display-inline="no-display-inline">There are
transferred to the Federal Emergency Management Agency established under
section 101 of this Act all functions which the Director of the Federal
Emergency Management Agency of the Department of Homeland Security exercised
before the date of the enactment of this title.</text>
</section><section id="ID0711C09C9DB84485A76D2E3E78801ED6"><enum>203.</enum><header>Personnel
provisions</header>
<subsection id="IDAB9B9A3FA8B04075AAD90A27932256EF"><enum>(a)</enum><header>Appointments</header><text>The
Director of the Federal Emergency Management Agency may appoint and fix the
compensation of such officers and employees, including investigators,
attorneys, and administrative law judges, as may be necessary to carry out the
respective functions transferred under this title. Except as otherwise provided
by law, such officers and employees shall be appointed in accordance with the
civil service laws and their compensation fixed in accordance with title 5,
United States Code.</text>
</subsection><subsection id="ID2E521231265E42E58B4578B7D1215BB4"><enum>(b)</enum><header>Experts and
consultants</header><text>The Director of the Federal Emergency Management
Agency may obtain the services of experts and consultants in accordance with
section 3109 of title 5, United States Code, and compensate such experts and
consultants for each day (including traveltime) at rates not in excess of the
rate of pay for level IV of the Executive Schedule under section 5315 of such
title. The Director of the Federal Emergency Management Agency may pay experts
and consultants who are serving away from their homes or regular place of
business, travel expenses and per diem in lieu of subsistence at rates
authorized by sections 5702 and 5703 of such title for persons in Government
service employed intermittently.</text>
</subsection></section><section id="IDF7F7779779034248AD1E0F750FF93CC4"><enum>204.</enum><header>Delegation and
assignment</header><text display-inline="no-display-inline">Except where
otherwise expressly prohibited by law or otherwise provided by this title, the
Director of the Federal Emergency Management Agency may delegate any of the
functions transferred to the Director of the Federal Emergency Management
Agency by this title and any function transferred or granted to such Director
after the effective date of this title to such officers and employees of the
Federal Emergency Management Agency as the Director may designate, and may
authorize successive redelegations of such functions as may be necessary or
appropriate. No delegation of functions by the Director of the Federal
Emergency Management Agency under this section or under any other provision of
this title shall relieve such Director of responsibility for the administration
of such functions.</text>
</section><section id="IDFA30B362FD4B4638880D9EEEEC39A89C"><enum>205.</enum><header>Reorganization</header><text display-inline="no-display-inline">The Director of the Federal Emergency
Management Agency is authorized to allocate or reallocate any function
transferred under section 202 among the officers of the Federal Emergency
Management Agency, and to establish, consolidate, alter, or discontinue such
organizational entities in the Federal Emergency Management Agency as may be
necessary or appropriate.</text>
</section><section id="IDCEC29074BC174AF694F6E26A24A7B028"><enum>206.</enum><header>Rules</header><text display-inline="no-display-inline">The Director of the Federal Emergency
Management Agency is authorized to prescribe, in accordance with the provisions
of chapters 5 and 6 of title 5, United States Code, such rules and regulations
as the Director determines necessary or appropriate to administer and manage
the functions of the Federal Emergency Management Agency.</text>
</section><section id="ID3F2413D328B543DFA60F546771E85E88"><enum>207.</enum><header>Transfer and
allocations of appropriations and personnel</header><text display-inline="no-display-inline">Except as otherwise provided in this title,
the personnel employed in connection with, and the assets, liabilities,
contracts, property, records, and unexpended balances of appropriations,
authorizations, allocations, and other funds employed, used, held, arising
from, available to, or to be made available in connection with the functions
transferred by this title, subject to section 1531 of title 31, United States
Code, shall be transferred to the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
Unexpended funds transferred pursuant to this section shall be used only for
the purposes for which the funds were originally authorized and
appropriated.</text>
</section><section id="ID88183D53CFB34CB3BA01FC3FA1C25C24"><enum>208.</enum><header>Incidental
transfers</header><text display-inline="no-display-inline">The Director of the
Office of Management and Budget, at such time or times as the Director shall
provide, is authorized to make such determinations as may be necessary with
regard to the functions transferred by this title, and to make such additional
incidental dispositions of personnel, assets, liabilities, grants, contracts,
property, records, and unexpended balances of appropriations, authorizations,
allocations, and other funds held, used, arising from, available to, or to be
made available in connection with such functions, as may be necessary to carry
out the provisions of this title. The Director of the Office of Management and
Budget shall provide for the termination of the affairs of all entities
terminated by this title and for such further measures and dispositions as may
be necessary to effectuate the purposes of this title.</text>
</section><section id="ID6AC03B774FEF41698396A06C3A935C5E"><enum>209.</enum><header>Effect on
personnel</header>
<subsection id="ID1E9717A47F064262AFCE835D09854A91"><enum>(a)</enum><header>In
general</header><text>Except as otherwise provided by this title, the transfer
pursuant to this title of full-time personnel (except special Government
employees) and part-time personnel holding permanent positions shall not cause
any such employee to be separated or reduced in grade or compensation for one
year after the date of transfer of such employee under this title.</text>
</subsection><subsection id="IDA8851927B601454C9221236DDB96077B"><enum>(b)</enum><header>Executive
Schedule positions</header><text>Except as otherwise provided in this title,
any person who, on the day preceding the effective date of this title, held a
position compensated in accordance with the Executive Schedule prescribed in
chapter 53 of title 5, United States Code, and who, without a break in service,
is appointed in the Federal Emergency Management Agency to a position having
duties comparable to the duties performed immediately preceding such
appointment shall continue to be compensated in such new position at not less
than the rate provided for such previous position, for the duration of the
service of such person in such new position.</text>
</subsection></section><section id="IDC6903922E67E4C29A6CAFDE63F9E9FB9"><enum>210.</enum><header>Savings
provisions</header>
<subsection id="ID8D1EE72A0EE043669C575B4C333880BD"><enum>(a)</enum><header>Continuing
effect of legal documents</header><text>All orders, determinations, rules,
regulations, permits, agreements, grants, contracts, certificates, licenses,
registrations, privileges, and other administrative actions—</text>
<paragraph id="ID87EC7D59785C4D988A0696303222C482"><enum>(1)</enum><text>which have been
issued, made, granted, or allowed to become effective by the President, any
Federal agency or official thereof, or by a court of competent jurisdiction, in
the performance of functions which are transferred under this title, and</text>
</paragraph><paragraph id="ID8740CA162F8247439E30EA1E99E8A308"><enum>(2)</enum><text>which are in
effect at the time this title takes effect, or were final before the effective
date of this title and are to become effective on or after the effective date
of this title,</text>
</paragraph><continuation-text continuation-text-level="subsection">shall
continue in effect according to their terms until modified, terminated,
superseded, set aside, or revoked in accordance with law by the President, the
Director of the Federal Emergency Management Agency or other authorized
official, a court of competent jurisdiction, or by operation of law.</continuation-text></subsection><subsection id="ID6D8002AF69F04B9BB5BB61BE9A61A4C9"><enum>(b)</enum><header>Proceedings not
affected</header><text>The provisions of this title shall not affect any
proceedings, including notices of proposed rulemaking, or any application for
any license, permit, certificate, or financial assistance pending before the
Federal Emergency Management Agency at the time this title takes effect, with
respect to functions transferred by this title but such proceedings and
applications shall continue. Orders shall be issued in such proceedings,
appeals shall be taken therefrom, and payments shall be made pursuant to such
orders, as if this title had not been enacted, and orders issued in any such
proceedings shall continue in effect until modified, terminated, superseded, or
revoked by a duly authorized official, by a court of competent jurisdiction, or
by operation of law. Nothing in this subsection shall be deemed to prohibit the
discontinuance or modification of any such proceeding under the same terms and
conditions and to the same extent that such proceeding could have been
discontinued or modified if this title had not been enacted.</text>
</subsection><subsection id="ID67DA17EDBA7F4BEDA9149145C42E92C9"><enum>(c)</enum><header>Suits not
affected</header><text>The provisions of this title shall not affect suits
commenced before the effective date of this title, and in all such suits,
proceedings shall be had, appeals taken, and judgments rendered in the same
manner and with the same effect as if this title had not been enacted.</text>
</subsection><subsection id="ID29A337AAD0B240669DCBDABB946C145F"><enum>(d)</enum><header>Nonabatement of
actions</header><text>No suit, action, or other proceeding commenced by or
against the Federal Emergency Management Agency, or by or against any
individual in the official capacity of such individual as an officer of the
Federal Emergency Management Agency, shall abate by reason of the enactment of
this title.</text>
</subsection><subsection id="IDA5206A64DFCF48EF9397BA854C6E55A3"><enum>(e)</enum><header>Administrative
actions relating to promulgation of regulations</header><text>Any
administrative action relating to the preparation or promulgation of a
regulation by the Federal Emergency Management Agency relating to a function
transferred under this title may be continued by the Federal Emergency
Management Agency with the same effect as if this title had not been
enacted.</text>
</subsection></section><section id="ID6C78F2A37F8C4F20B5F9555850DBAE07"><enum>211.</enum><header>Separability</header><text display-inline="no-display-inline">If a provision of this title or its
application to any person or circumstance is held invalid, neither the
remainder of this title nor the application of the provision to other persons
or circumstances shall be affected.</text>
</section><section id="ID469B2837090D4D8690B462DF44004FD7"><enum>212.</enum><header>Transition</header><text display-inline="no-display-inline">The Director of the Federal Emergency
Management Agency is authorized to utilize—</text>
<paragraph id="ID886808ED10884D27B9D3781DA5B1AA6E"><enum>(1)</enum><text>the services of
such officers, employees, and other personnel of the Federal Emergency
Management Agency with respect to functions transferred by this title;
and</text>
</paragraph><paragraph id="ID61708C8CF9EA45F6BDFC62249E2D452B"><enum>(2)</enum><text>funds
appropriated to such functions for such period of time as may reasonably be
needed to facilitate the orderly implementation of this title.</text>
</paragraph></section><section id="id611F80F1AA104E6AA2EFCD7C6595A4B6"><enum>213.</enum><header>References</header><text display-inline="no-display-inline">Any reference in any other Federal law,
Executive order, rule, regulation, or delegation of authority, or any document
of or pertaining to a department, agency, or office from which a function is
transferred by this title—</text>
<paragraph id="IDA828FD79EB6C444100EE2037AA004554"><enum>(1)</enum><text>to the head of
such department, agency, or office is deemed to refer to the head of the
department, agency, or office to which such function is transferred; or</text>
</paragraph><paragraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="IDACC71E7B733D4BA494FD4B2271A29316"><enum>(2)</enum><text>to such
department, agency, or office is deemed to refer to the department, agency, or
office to which such function is transferred.</text>
</paragraph></section><section id="ID281196D3BE9143B08EC1BE28088A846B"><enum>214.</enum><header>Additional
conforming amendments</header>
<subsection id="ID7F613644B12C41A48E4ADAA0FA7AB3EA"><enum>(a)</enum><header>Recommended
legislation</header><text>After consultation with the appropriate committees of
the Congress and the Director of the Office of Management and Budget, the
Director of the Federal Emergency Management Agency shall prepare and submit to
Congress recommended legislation containing technical and conforming amendments
to reflect the changes made by this Act.</text>
</subsection><subsection id="IDEF661F6BB33E43D781DBAA110368E13C"><enum>(b)</enum><header>Submission to
Congress</header><text>Not later than 6 months after the effective date of this
title, the Director of the Federal Emergency Management Agency shall submit the
recommended legislation referred to under subsection (a).</text>
</subsection></section>