[Congressional Record Volume 156, Number 132 (Tuesday, September 28, 2010)]
[House]
[Pages H7073-H7075]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




REDUNDANCY ELIMINATION AND ENHANCED PERFORMANCE FOR PREPAREDNESS GRANTS 
                                  ACT

  Mr. CUELLAR. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and concur in 
the Senate amendment to the bill (H.R. 3980) to provide for identifying 
and eliminating redundant reporting requirements and developing 
meaningful performance metrics for homeland security preparedness 
grants, and for other purposes.
  The Clerk read the title of the bill.
  The text of the Senate amendment is as follows:

       Senate amendment:
       Strike out all after the enacting clause and insert:

     SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

       This Act may be cited as the ``Redundancy Elimination and 
     Enhanced Performance for Preparedness Grants Act''.

     SEC. 2. IDENTIFICATION OF REPORTING REDUNDANCIES AND 
                   DEVELOPMENT OF PERFORMANCE METRICS FOR HOMELAND 
                   SECURITY PREPAREDNESS GRANT PROGRAMS.

       (a) In General.--Title XX of the Homeland Security Act of 
     2002 (6 U.S.C. 601 et seq.) is amended by adding at the end 
     the following:

     ``SEC. 2023. IDENTIFICATION OF REPORTING REDUNDANCIES AND 
                   DEVELOPMENT OF PERFORMANCE METRICS.

       ``(a) Definition.--In this section, the term `covered 
     grants' means grants awarded under section 2003, grants 
     awarded under section 2004, and any other grants specified by 
     the Administrator.
       ``(b) Initial Report.--Not later than 90 days after the 
     date of enactment of the Redundancy Elimination and Enhanced 
     Performance for Preparedness Grants Act, the Administrator 
     shall submit to the appropriate committees of Congress a 
     report that includes--
       ``(1) an assessment of redundant reporting requirements 
     imposed by the Administrator on State, local, and tribal 
     governments in connection with the awarding of grants, 
     including--
       ``(A) a list of each discrete item of data requested by the 
     Administrator from grant recipients as part of the process of 
     administering covered grants;
       ``(B) identification of the items of data from the list 
     described in subparagraph (A) that are required to be 
     submitted by grant recipients on multiple occasions or to 
     multiple systems; and
       ``(C) identification of the items of data from the list 
     described in subparagraph (A) that are not necessary to be 
     collected in order for the Administrator to effectively and 
     efficiently administer the programs under which covered 
     grants are awarded;
       ``(2) a plan, including a specific timetable, for 
     eliminating any redundant and unnecessary reporting 
     requirements identified under paragraph (1); and
       ``(3) a plan, including a specific timetable, for promptly 
     developing a set of quantifiable performance measures and 
     metrics to assess the effectiveness of the programs under 
     which covered grants are awarded.
       ``(c) Biennial Reports.--Not later than 1 year after the 
     date on which the initial report is required to be submitted 
     under subsection (b), and once every 2 years thereafter, the 
     Administrator shall submit to the appropriate committees of 
     Congress a grants management report that includes--
       ``(1) the status of efforts to eliminate redundant and 
     unnecessary reporting requirements imposed on grant 
     recipients, including--
       ``(A) progress made in implementing the plan required under 
     subsection (b)(2);
       ``(B) a reassessment of the reporting requirements to 
     identify and eliminate redundant and unnecessary 
     requirements;
       ``(2) the status of efforts to develop quantifiable 
     performance measures and metrics to assess the effectiveness 
     of the programs under which the covered grants are awarded, 
     including--
       ``(A) progress made in implementing the plan required under 
     subsection (b)(3);
       ``(B) progress made in developing and implementing 
     additional performance metrics and measures for grants, 
     including as part of the comprehensive assessment system 
     required under section 649 of the Post-Katrina Emergency 
     Management Reform Act of 2006 (6 U.S.C. 749); and
       ``(3) a performance assessment of each program under which 
     the covered grants are awarded, including--

[[Page H7074]]

       ``(A) a description of the objectives and goals of the 
     program;
       ``(B) an assessment of the extent to which the objectives 
     and goals described in subparagraph (A) have been met, based 
     on the quantifiable performance measures and metrics required 
     under this section, section 2022(a)(4), and section 649 of 
     the Post-Katrina Emergency Management Reform Act of 2006 (6 
     U.S.C. 749);
       ``(C) recommendations for any program modifications to 
     improve the effectiveness of the program, to address changed 
     or emerging conditions; and
       ``(D) an assessment of the experience of recipients of 
     covered grants, including the availability of clear and 
     accurate information, the timeliness of reviews and awards, 
     and the provision of technical assistance, and 
     recommendations for improving that experience.
       ``(d) Grants Program Measurement Study.--
       ``(1) In general.--Not later than 30 days after the 
     enactment of Redundancy Elimination and Enhanced Performance 
     for Preparedness Grants Act, the Administrator shall enter 
     into a contract with the National Academy of Public 
     Administration under which the National Academy of Public 
     Administration shall assist the Administrator in studying, 
     developing, and implementing--
       ``(A) quantifiable performance measures and metrics to 
     assess the effectiveness of grants administered by the 
     Department, as required under this section and section 649 of 
     the Post-Katrina Emergency Management Reform Act of 2006 (6 
     U.S.C. 749); and
       ``(B) the plan required under subsection (b)(3).
       ``(2) Report.--Not later than 1 year after the date on 
     which the contract described in paragraph (1) is awarded, the 
     Administrator shall submit to the appropriate committees of 
     Congress a report that describes the findings and 
     recommendations of the study conducted under paragraph (1).
       ``(3) Authorization of appropriations.--There are 
     authorized to be appropriated to the Administrator such sums 
     as may be necessary to carry out this subsection.''.
       (b) Technical and Conforming Amendment.--The table of 
     contents in section 1(b) of the Homeland Security Act of 2002 
     (6 U.S.C. 101 et seq.) is amended by adding at the end the 
     following:

``Sec. 2023. Identification of reporting redundancies and development 
              of performance metrics.''.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
Texas (Mr. Cuellar) and the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Broun) each 
will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Texas.


                             General Leave

  Mr. CUELLAR. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members 
may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks 
and insert extraneous materials on the bill under consideration.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Texas?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. CUELLAR. I rise in support of the motion to concur in the Senate 
amendment to H.R. 3980, and I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Madam Speaker, I introduced H.R. 3980, the Redundancy Elimination 
Enhanced Performance for Preparedness Grants Act, because I believe 
that we need greater accountability for the $4 billion in grant funding 
provided annually by the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
  I want to thank Chairman Thompson and Ranking Member King of the 
committee, as well as Congresswoman Richardson and Congressman Rogers 
from Alabama, the chairman and the ranking member of the Subcommittee 
on Emergency Communications, Preparedness, and Response, as well as my 
good friend, Senator Joe Lieberman, for the support in moving this 
bill, plus the staff who has worked very hard.
  This bill passed unanimously, and I ask that we concur with the 
Senate amendment to H.R. 3980 that builds upon this legislation by 
directing FEMA to work with the National Academy of Public 
Administration to formulate performance measures for the grant 
programs.
  This bill plus the amendment simply calls for greater accountability 
that we are able to measure and that we are able to see that we have 
results.
  So I ask my colleagues to support this Senate amendment to H.R. 3980 
and pass this piece of legislation.
  I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. BROUN of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  I rise today in strong support of H.R. 3980 as amended by the Senate. 
This bill was passed by the House on December 2, 2009, by a vote of 
414-0. On September 22, 2010, the bill passed the Senate, with an 
amendment, by unanimous consent.
  H.R. 3980 requires the Federal Emergency Management Agency, FEMA, to 
identify and eliminate any redundant requirements that place an undue 
burden on State and local governments to receive grant funds under the 
State Homeland Security Grant Program, the Urban Area Security 
Initiative, and other programs as determined by the FEMA administrator. 
This bill will help address the issue of grant recipients oftentimes 
having to report similar information under numerous grant programs.
  In addition, H.R. 3980 builds on the requirements in the Post-Katrina 
Emergency Management Reform Act of 2006 and the 9/11 Act of 2007 by 
requiring FEMA to develop and implement performance measures for these 
vital programs and to report to Congress every 2 years on the status of 
these efforts.
  The Post-Katrina Reform Act and the 9/11 Act both required FEMA to 
develop metrics to identify and close gaps in preparedness. 
Unfortunately, several years later, FEMA continues to struggle with 
integrating these requirements to produce meaningful results.

  This bill also calls on FEMA to conduct an overall assessment of the 
State Homeland Security Grant Program, the Urban Area Security 
Initiatives, and other grants specified by the administrator.
  Together, these requirements will help ensure that Congress is kept 
informed of FEMA's progress in effectively administering these grants 
and addressing any deficiencies that may exist.
  I urge my colleagues to support this bill, and I congratulate my good 
friend and colleague from Texas for the bill.
  I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. CUELLAR. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  This Senate amendment is an amendment that just adds accountability 
to the grant dollars, and I think it is important, just as the 
gentleman from Georgia. And I certainly want to thank my friend from 
Georgia, because we understand, just as Mr. Rogers, also, that we have 
got to make sure that we provide accountability. We are talking about 
$4 billion a year. We just have got to have accountability.
  I urge all my colleagues to support this measure.
  Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of 
the Senate Amendment to H.R. 3980, the Redundancy Elimination and 
Enhanced Performance for Preparedness Grants Act.
  I would like to thank Representative Cuellar for introducing this 
legislation and my colleagues on the Committee on Homeland Security for 
helping to make this a truly bi-partisan effort.
  For years, FEMA has struggled to establish a system for determining 
the effectiveness of the billions of dollars it gives to State, local, 
and tribal governments to help them prepare for natural disasters, acts 
of terrorism and other man-made disasters.
  Such a system is essential to ensure that the taxpayers' money is 
being used wisely and effectively.
  The Senate Amendment to H.R. 3980 would address this problem by 
requiring the FEMA Administrator to submit a plan to Congress for 
developing performance measures for its preparedness grants and 
streamlining the grant process by eliminating duplicative reporting 
requirements for grant recipients.
  In October of 2009, the House Committee on Homeland Security's 
Subcommittee on Emergency Communications, Preparedness and Response, 
then chaired by Mr. Cuellar of Texas, held an oversight hearing into 
whether FEMA had a plan in place for performance measures for the 
approximately $29 billion in homeland security grants it had provided 
the nation.
  At that hearing, it became evident that FEMA had not yet developed an 
effective system for measuring the effectiveness of its grants and that 
in administering them, it unnecessarily burdened State, local, and 
tribal governments by requiring grant recipients to submit duplicative 
information.
  On November 2, 2009, Mr. Cuellar translated the Committee's oversight 
findings into legislation--H.R. 3980.
  Under this bill, FEMA is required to work with State, local, tribal 
and territorial stakeholders to develop a plan to:
  Streamline homeland security grant reporting requirements, rules and 
regulations to eliminate redundant reporting;
  Develop a strategy that includes a set timeline to provide much 
needed performance metrics for grant programs and ensure that the funds 
are going to the areas where they will be the most beneficial; and

[[Page H7075]]

  Require an inventory of each homeland security grant program that 
incorporates the purpose, objectives and performance goals of each 
program.
  The Redundancy Elimination and Enhanced Performance for Preparedness 
Grants Act would require FEMA to provide the Committee on Homeland 
Security with the plan required by the bill not later than 90 days 
after enactment of the bill.
  This bill would also require biannual updates to maintain a careful 
and watchful eye on redundancies in the law that might hamper or 
confuse grant recipients.
  The House unanimously passed H.R. 3980 on Dec. 2, 2009, and the 
Senate passed an amendment in the nature of a substitute for H.R. 3980 
on September 22, 2010.
  The Senate improved upon the House-passed bill by requiring FEMA to 
task the National Academy of Public Administration, NAPA, to study, 
develop and recommend performance measures for grants the Department of 
Homeland Security administers.
  As you know, Mr. Speaker, NAPA is a congressionally-chartered 
nonprofit organization that has extensive experience working on 
performance measurement and they will provide valuable expertise to 
FEMA.
  Mr. Speaker, this bill will ensure that FEMA takes steps to determine 
the Nation's overall preparedness and how homeland security grants have 
built the necessary capabilities to prepare for, protect against, and 
respond to an act of terrorism and other threats.
  I urge all my colleagues to support the Senate Amendment to H.R. 
3980.
  Mr. CUELLAR. I yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Moran of Virginia). The question is on 
the motion offered by the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Cuellar) that the 
House suspend the rules and concur in the Senate amendment to the bill, 
H.R. 3980.
  The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the 
rules were suspended and the Senate amendment was concurred in.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

                          ____________________