[Congressional Record Volume 162, Number 147 (Wednesday, September 28, 2016)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1386-E1387]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




         FIRST RESPONDER ACCESS TO INNOVATIVE TECHNOLOGIES ACT

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                         HON. MICHAEL T. McCAUL

                                of texas

                    in the house of representatives

                       Monday, September 26, 2016

  Mr. McCAUL. Mr. Speaker, I include in the Record the following cost 
estimate from the Congressional Budget Office regarding H.R. 5460.
                                                    U.S. Congress,


                                  Congressional Budget Office,

                               Washington, DC, September 28, 2016.
     Hon. Michael McCaul,
     Chairman, Committee on Homeland Security, House of 
         Representatives, Washington, DC.
       Dear Mr. Chairman: The Congressional Budget Office has 
     prepared the enclosed cost estimate for H.R. 5460, the First 
     Responder Access to Innovative Technologies Act.
       If you wish further details on this estimate, we will be 
     pleased to provide them. The CBO staff contact is Jacob 
     Fabian.
           Sincerely,
                                                       Keith Hall,
                                                         Director.
       Enclosure.

               Congressional Budget Office Cost Estimate


    h.r. 5460--first responder access to innovative technologies act

       The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) provides 
     grants to help state, local, and tribal governments develop 
     their capacity to prevent, prepare for, and respond to acts 
     of terrorism. Under current law, equipment purchased using 
     such grants must meet voluntary standards, developed by FEMA 
     in coordination with appropriate federal agencies, the 
     National Advisory Council, and private entities. Requests to 
     use grants to purchase equipment that does not meet such 
     standards, or for which no such standards exist, are subject 
     to further review and approval by FEMA.
       H.R. 5460 would require FEMA to implement a uniform process 
     for reviewing applications for grants intended to support 
     purchases of innovative equipment that does not meet or 
     exceed current applicable standards or for which no voluntary 
     standards exist. The bill also would require the Inspector 
     General of the Department of Homeland Security to assess and 
     report on FEMA's implementation of the new review process.

[[Page E1387]]

       Based on information from FEMA, CBO estimates that 
     implementing this legislation would not have a significant 
     effect on the federal budget. According to the agency, grant 
     recipients rarely request permission to purchase equipment 
     that does not at least meet current standards or for which 
     standards do not exist. As a result, CBO expects that any 
     administrative costs to establish, implement, assess, and 
     report on the proposed process for reviewing such requests 
     would be insignificant; such spending would be subject to the 
     availability of appropriated funds.
       Enacting H.R. 5460 would not affect direct spending or 
     revenues; therefore, pay-as-you-go procedures do not apply. 
     CBO estimates that enacting the bill would not increase net 
     direct spending or on-budget deficits in any of the four 
     consecutive 10-year periods beginning in 2027.
       H.R. 5460 contains no intergovernmental or private-sector 
     mandates as defined in the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act and 
     would not affect the budgets of state, local, or tribal 
     governments.
       The CBO staff contact for this estimate is Jacob Fabian. 
     The estimate was approved by H. Samuel Papenfuss, Deputy 
     Assistant Director for Budget Analysis.

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