[Congressional Record Volume 170, Number 49 (Wednesday, March 20, 2024)]
[Senate]
[Page S2478]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




   HELPING ELIMINATE LIMITATIONS FOR PROMPT RESPONSE AND RECOVERY ACT

  Mr. VAN HOLLEN. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the 
Senate proceed to the immediate consideration of Calendar No. 348, S. 
3648.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will report the bill by title.
  The senior assistant legislative clerk read as follows:

       A bill (S. 3648) to amend the Post-Katrina Management 
     Reform Act of 2006 to repeal certain obsolete requirements, 
     and for other purposes.

  There being no objection, the Senate proceeded to consider the bill, 
which had been reported from the Committee on Homeland Security and 
Governmental Affairs, with an amendment to strike all after the 
enacting clause and insert in lieu thereof the following:

                                S. 3648

       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 ``Helping Eliminate 
     Limitations for Prompt Response and Recovery Act'' or the 
     ``HELP Response and Recovery Act''.

     SEC. 2. REPEAL OF OBSOLETE DHS CONTRACTING REQUIREMENTS.

       The Post-Katrina Emergency Management Reform Act of 2006 
     (Public Law 109-295; 120 Stat. 1394) is amended by striking 
     section 695 (6 U.S.C. 794).

     SEC. 3. REPORTS.

       (a) Covered Period Defined.--In this section, the term 
     ``covered period'' means--
       (1) with respect to an initial report required under 
     subsection (b), the period between the date of enactment of 
     this Act and the date of the report; and
       (2) with respect to any succeeding report required under 
     subsection (b), the period between the date of the most 
     recent report and the succeeding report.
       (b) Requirement.--Not later than 540 days after the date of 
     enactment of this Act, and annually thereafter until the date 
     that is 5 years thereafter, the Secretary of Homeland 
     Security shall submit to the Committee on Homeland Security 
     and Governmental Affairs of the Senate and the Committee on 
     Transportation and Infrastructure of the House of 
     Representatives a report that--
       (1) reviews how the repeal under section 2 has--
       (A) prevented waste, fraud, and abuse; and
       (B) promoted taxpayer savings; and
       (2) includes, with respect to a contract entered into or 
     extended by the Administrator of the Federal Emergency 
     Management Agency under urgent and compelling circumstances 
     during the covered period for which the Administrator did not 
     solicit bids--
       (A) the number of those contracts;
       (B) the subject of each contract;
       (C) the amounts obligated by the Administrator for each 
     contract;
       (D) if applicable, the State benefitted by each contract; 
     and
       (E) if applicable, the name of the major disaster or 
     emergency for which each contract was entered into or 
     extended.

  Mr. VAN HOLLEN. I further ask that the committee-reported substitute 
amendment be agreed to; that the bill, as amended, be considered read a 
third time and passed; and that the motion to reconsider be considered 
made and laid upon the table with no intervening action or debate.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  The committee-reported amendment in the nature of a substitute was 
agreed to.
  The bill (S. 3648), as amended, was ordered to be engrossed for a 
third reading, was read the third time, and passed.

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