[Senate Report 116-318]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]


                                                 Calendar No. 621

116th Congress}                                           { Report
                                 SENATE
  2d Session  }                                           { 116-318

======================================================================

          NATIONAL RESPONSE FRAMEWORK IMPROVEMENT ACT OF 2020

                               __________

                              R E P O R T

                                 of the

                   COMMITTEE ON HOMELAND SECURITY AND

                          GOVERNMENTAL AFFAIRS

                          UNITED STATES SENATE

                              to accompany

                                S. 4153

           TO REQUIRE THE FEDERAL EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AGENCY
          TO EVALUATE THE NATIONAL RESPONSE FRAMEWORK BASED ON
   LESSONS LEARNED FROM THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES

[GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]


               December 14, 2020.--Ordered to be printed               
               
                                __________
               
               
                    U.S. GOVERNMENT PUBLISHING OFFICE                    
                           WASHINGTON : 2020                     
          
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------              
              
        COMMITTEE ON HOMELAND SECURITY AND GOVERNMENTAL AFFAIRS

                    RON JOHNSON, Wisconsin, Chairman
ROB PORTMAN, Ohio                    GARY C. PETERS, Michigan
RAND PAUL, Kentucky                  THOMAS R. CARPER, Delaware
JAMES LANKFORD, Oklahoma             MAGGIE HASSAN, New Hampshire
MITT ROMNEY, Utah                    KAMALA D. HARRIS, California
RICK SCOTT, Florida                  KYRSTEN SINEMA, Arizona
MICHAEL B. ENZI, Wyoming             JACKY ROSEN, Nevada
JOSH HAWLEY, Missouri

                Gabrielle D'Adamo Singer, Staff Director
                   Joseph C. Folio III, Chief Counsel
             Shani M. Rosenstock, Professional Staff Member
                Margaret E. Frankel, Research Assistant
               David M. Weinberg, Minority Staff Director
               Zachary I. Schram, Minority Chief Counsel
 Christopher J. Mulkins, Minority Deputy Director of Homeland Security
                     Laura W. Kilbride, Chief Clerk
                     
                     
                                                  Calendar No. 621

116th Congress}                                           { Report
                                 SENATE
  2d Session  }                                           { 116-318

======================================================================                     
 
                NATIONAL RESPONSE FRAMEWORK IMPROVEMENT 
                              ACT OF 2020

                                _______
                                

               December 14, 2020.--Ordered to be printed

                                _______
                                

 Mr. Johnson, from the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental 
                    Affairs, submitted the following

                              R E P O R T

                         [To accompany S. 4153]

    The Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental 
Affairs, to which was referred the bill (S. 4153) to require 
the Federal Emergency Management Agency to evaluate the 
National Response Framework based on lessons learned from the 
COVID-19 pandemic, and for other purposes, having considered 
the same, reports favorably thereon with an amendment (in the 
nature of a substitute), and recommends that the bill, as 
amended, do pass.
                                                                   Page
   I. Purpose and Summary.............................................1
  II. Background and the Need for Legislation.........................2
 III. Legislative History.............................................3
  IV. Section-by-Section Analysis.....................................3
   V. Evaluation of Regulatory Impact.................................4
  VI. Congressional Budget Office Cost Estimate.......................5
 VII. Changes in Existing Law Made by the Bill, as Reported...........5

                         I. Purpose and Summary

    S. 4153, the National Response Framework Improvement Act of 
2020, requires the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) 
to provide continuous summaries on any gaps and inefficiencies 
of the Department of Homeland Security's (DHS or the 
Department) National Response Framework (NRF) based on any 
lessons learned from the COVID-19 pandemic. Specifically, as 
part of the COVID-19 after-action review, FEMA must evaluate 
the NRF and include updates and recommendations based on the 
findings. FEMA is required to provide appropriate congressional 
committees a copy of, and a briefing on, each summary.
    This bill also requires DHS to conduct biennial evaluations 
of the NRF, to assess any gaps and inefficiencies. 
Specifically, the evaluations must also assess processes for 
interagency information-sharing and training programs. A 
notification will be provided to appropriate congressional 
committees after each evaluation.

              II. Background and the Need for Legislation

    Following the attacks on September 11, 2001, Congress 
passed the Homeland Security Act of 2002, which among other 
things, required the consolidation of emergency response plans 
and the development of a single, unified Federal Response Plan 
(FRP) to establish Federal agency guidelines for 
emergencies.\1\ In recognition of the need for a detailed 
nationwide approach to emergency response efforts, on February 
28, 2003, President George W. Bush issued the Homeland Security 
Presidential Directive 5 (HSPD-5).\2\ The purpose of HSPD-5 was 
to ``enhance the ability of the United States to manage 
domestic incidents by establishing a single, comprehensive 
national incident management system.''\3\ DHS issued a 
successor to the FRP, called the National Response Plan (NRP).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \1\Homeland Security Act of 2002, Pub. L. No. 107-296 (2002).
    \2\Homeland Security Presidential Directive-5, U.S. Dep't of 
Homeland Sec. (Feb. 28, 2003), https://www.dhs.gov/sites/default/files/
publications/Homeland%20Security%20Presidential%20Directive%205.pdf.
    \3\Id.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    The first time the NRP was used for a major catastrophic 
incident was immediately following the aftermath of Hurricane 
Katrina in August 2005.\4\ The implementation of the NRP and 
the plan itself drew significant criticism during the response 
to Hurricane Katrina. For example, some officials said the NRP 
was overly bureaucratic, too technical, and difficult to 
understand.\5\ Additionally, the name ``National Response 
Plan'' proved to be misleading because the NRP was not a step-
by-step design or process but rather a report or framework.\6\ 
The identified challenges with the NRP led Congress to enact 
the Post-Katrina Management Reform Act in 2006,\7\ which 
resulted in DHS issuing an enhanced successor plan to the NRP 
entitled the National Response Framework(NRF).\8\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \4\Bruce Lindsay, Cong. Research Serv., RL34758, The National 
Response Framework: Overview and Possible Issues for Congress 3 (2008), 
https://fas.org/sgp/crs/homesec/RL34758.pdf.
    \5\Id. at 6.
    \6\Id.
    \7\Id. at 3.
    \8\Id. at 4.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    The NRF is intended as a comprehensive doctrine for a 
unified response from all levels of government to all types of 
hazards.\9\ The document defines the roles and responsibilities 
across the Federal, state, and local government for all phases 
of emergency management.\10\ In contrast to the NRP, the NRF 
uses flexible language that allows Federal agencies to use 
their discretion for how to respond to specific emergencies or 
hazards.\11\ The NRF includes 15 Emergency Support Functions 
(ESF) Annexes that are more detailed frameworks for specific 
types of hazards.\12\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \9\Id.
    \10\Id.
    \11\Id.
    \12\Id. at 6.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Some officials have raised concerns about the 
implementation and effectiveness of the NRF. For example, 
during Hurricanes Gustav and Ike, officials claimed they were 
unaware of responsibilities for the response; signifying the 
NRF still does not clearly articulate roles and 
responsibilities during hazards or emergencies.\13\ 
Additionally, a report issued by the Department of Homeland 
Security's Office of Inspector General found that FEMA did not 
adhere to certain principles outlined in the NRF during the 
response to Hurricane Ike.\14\ A report issued by the 
Congressional Research Service documented additional issues 
that should be addressed to improve the effectiveness of the 
NRF, including: 1) clarifying the roles of the Federal 
Coordinating Officer (FCO) and the Principle Federal Officer 
(PFO); 2) improving the ability to effectively integrate 
nonfederal stakeholders such as, nonprofits and the private 
sector, in the response; 3) establishing a process for 
informing NRF users of modifications or changes to the 
framework; and 4) focusing on more frequently occurring 
emergency incidents.\15\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \13\The National Response Framework: Overview and Possible Issues 
for Congress, EveryCRSReport.com, https://www.everycrsreport.com/
reports/RL34758.html#: cents:text=
The%20primary%20purpose%20of%20the,(P.L.%20107%2D296) (last updated 
Jan. 21, 2011).
    \14\FEMA's Response to Hurricane Ike, DHS Office of the Inspector 
Gen. (June 11, 2009), https://www.dhs.gov/xoig/assets/mgmtrpts/
OIG_09_78_June09.pdf.
    \15\See supra note 13.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    S. 4153, the National Response Framework Improvement Act of 
2020, addresses potential shortcomings of the NRF amid the 
COVID-19 pandemic. The NRF has a long history in the emergency 
response space and has been adjusted for various national 
emergencies. Specifically, S. 4153 will improve emergency 
management protocols and help ensure best practices are used 
during future emergency responses based upon shortcomings 
identified from COVID-19 response and biennial evaluations of 
the NRF.

                        III. Legislative History

    Chairman Ron Johnson introduced S. 4153 on July 2, 2020. 
The bill was referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and 
Governmental Affairs.
    The Committee considered S. 4153 at a business meeting on 
July 22, 2020. Chairman Johnson offered a substitute amendment 
that required FEMA to provide rolling summaries on any gaps or 
inefficiencies in the NRF based on the response to the COVID-19 
pandemic. Additionally, the substitute amendment requires FEMA 
to conduct biennial evaluations to assess any potential general 
gaps or inefficiencies in the NRF.
    The substitute amendment and the bill, as amended, were 
approved by voice vote en bloc and the bill was reported 
favorably. Senators Johnson, Portman, Paul, Lankford, Romney, 
Scott, Enzi, Hawley, Peters, Carper, Hassan, Harris, and Rosen 
were present for the votes.

        IV. Section-by-Section Analysis of the Bill, as Reported


Section 1. Short title

    This section provides the bill's short title, the 
``National Response Framework Improvement Act of 2020''.

Section 2. Rolling Summaries of the National Response Framework

    Subsection (a) directs the FEMA Administrator to provide at 
least one summary to the Senate Homeland Security and 
Governmental Affairs Committee and House Committee on Homeland 
Security that details any gaps or inefficiencies within the NRF 
based on the response to COVID-19 within 180 days following 
this bill's enactment. Additional summaries of any gaps or 
inefficiencies identified can also be provided subsequently.
    Subsection (b) requires that FEMA's after-action review 
process of the COVID-19 pandemic include an evaluation of the 
NRF to determine gaps and inefficiencies, and must include 
necessary updates to the NRF that are to be determined by the 
FEMA Administrator in coordination with emergency support 
functions based on identified inefficiencies.

Section 3. Required briefings

    This section requires the FEMA Administrator to brief the 
Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee and 
House Committee on Homeland Security on each of the rolling 
summaries made pursuant to section 2(a) within one year after 
the summary is provided.

Section 4. Biennial evaluations

    Subsection (a) amends Section 509(b) of the Homeland 
Security Act of 2002 by requiring that the NRF be evaluated 
every two years to identify potential gaps and inefficiencies. 
The evaluations will also assess interagency information 
sharing processes across emergency support functions during 
incidents in which emergency support functions are activated 
under the NRF. The evaluation conducted will also include 
recommendations on ways to improve information sharing 
processes and will be provided to heads of emergency support 
function agencies. Additionally, the FEMA Administrator must 
determine what modifications are necessary to improve 
information sharing processes, which will result in updates 
made to the NRF. The evaluation must also assess training 
programs for emergency support functions and provide 
recommendations to the emergency support function agencies for 
ways to improve training programs. Lastly, Section 509(b) is 
amended to include congressional notification of the completion 
of the evaluation in which the Administrator acting through the 
National Integration Center will provide notice to appropriate 
congressional committees.
    Subsection (b) clarifies that the COVID-19 pandemic 
response after-action evaluation (as established in section 
2(b)(3)) can fulfill the biennial evaluation requirement if the 
after-action review evaluation is completed within two years 
following the bill's enactment.

                   V. Evaluation of Regulatory Impact

    Pursuant to the requirements of paragraph 11(b) of rule 
XXVI of the Standing Rules of the Senate, the Committee has 
considered the regulatory impact of this bill and determined 
that the bill will have no regulatory impact within the meaning 
of the rules. The Committee agrees with the Congressional 
Budget Office's statement that the bill contains no 
intergovernmental or private-sector mandates as defined in the 
Unfunded Mandates Reform Act (UMRA) and would impose no costs 
on state, local, or tribal governments.

             VI. Congressional Budget Office Cost Estimate

    CBO failed to provide the Committee with a cost estimate in 
time for the final reporting deadline of the 116th Congress.

       VII. Changes in Existing Law Made by the Bill, as Reported

    In compliance with paragraph 12 of rule XXVI of the 
Standing Rules of the Senate, changes in existing law made by 
the bill, as reported, are shown as follows: (existing law 
proposed to be omitted is enclosed in brackets, new matter is 
printed in italic, and existing law in which no change is 
proposed is shown in roman):

HOMELAND SECURITY ACT OF 2002

           *       *       *       *       *       *       *


TITLE V: NATIONAL EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT

           *       *       *       *       *       *       *


SEC. 509. NATIONAL INTEGRATION CENTER.

    (a) * * *
    (b) * * *
          (1) * * *
          (2) * * *
                  (A) * * *
                  (B) improving the use of Federal, State, 
                local, and tribal resources and ensuring the 
                effective use of emergency response providers 
                at emergency scenes; [and]
                  (C) revising the Catastrophic Incident Annex, 
                finalizing and releasing the Catastrophic 
                Incident Supplement to the National Response 
                Plan, and ensuring that both effectively 
                address response requirements in the event of a 
                catastrophic incident[.]; and
                          (D) not less frequently than once 
                        every 2 years--
                          (i) evaluating potential gaps and 
                        inefficiencies in the National Response 
                        Framework, including by evaluating the 
                        processes for collecting and sharing 
                        information across the emergency 
                        support function coordinators, primary 
                        agencies, and support agencies during 
                        an incident for which the emergency 
                        support functions are activated under 
                        the National Response Framework;
                          (ii) providing recommendations to the 
                        heads of the emergency support function 
                        coordinators, primary agencies, and 
                        support agencies for how to improve 
                        processes described in clause (i);
                          (iii) updating the National Response 
                        Framework to account for new 
                        information collection and sharing 
                        processes that result from the 
                        evaluation and recommendations under 
                        clauses (i) and (ii), including by 
                        modifying any previously incorporated 
                        processes if the Administrator 
                        determines such modifications are 
                        necessary to ensure efficient 
                        communication and information sharing;
                          (iv) conducting an assessment of the 
                        training programs for emergency support 
                        function coordinators, primary 
                        agencies, and support agencies; and
                          (v) providing recommendations to the 
                        heads of the emergency support function 
                        coordinators, primary agencies, and 
                        support agencies of emergency support 
                        functions for how to improve the 
                        training programs described in clause 
                        (iv).
          (3) Congressional notification.--Not later than 30 
        days after the date on which the Administrator, acting 
        through the National Integration Center, completes an 
        evaluation required under paragraph 2(D), the 
        Administrator shall provide written notice to the 
        appropriate congressional committees.

           *       *       *       *       *       *       *


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