[House Report 118-812]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
118th Congress } { Report
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
2d Session } { 118-812
======================================================================
FEDERAL EMERGENCY MOBILIZATION ACCOUNTABILITY (FEMA) WORKFORCE PLANNING
ACT
_______
December 5, 2024.--Committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the
State of the Union and ordered to be printed
_______
Mr. Graves of Missouri, from the Committee on Transportation and
Infrastructure, submitted the following
R E P O R T
[To accompany H.R. 9037]
[Including cost estimate of the Congressional Budget Office]
The Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, to whom
was referred the bill (H.R. 9037) to require the development of
a workforce plan for the Federal Emergency Management Agency,
having considered the same, reports favorably thereon without
amendment and recommends that the bill do pass.
CONTENTS
Page
Purpose of Legislation........................................... 1
Background and Need for Legislation.............................. 2
Hearings......................................................... 2
Legislative History and Consideration............................ 2
Committee Votes.................................................. 3
Committee Oversight Findings and Recommendations................. 3
New Budget Authority and Tax Expenditures........................ 3
Congressional Budget Office Cost Estimate........................ 3
Performance Goals and Objectives................................. 4
Duplication of Federal Programs.................................. 4
Congressional Earmarks, Limited Tax Benefits, and Limited Tariff
Benefits....................................................... 4
Federal Mandates Statement....................................... 4
Preemption Clarification......................................... 4
Advisory Committee Statement..................................... 5
Applicability to Legislative Branch.............................. 5
Section-by-Section Analysis of the Legislation................... 5
Changes in Existing Law Made by the Bill, as Reported............ 5
PURPOSE OF LEGISLATION
The purpose of H.R. 9037 is to require the development of a
workforce plan for the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
BACKGROUND AND NEED FOR LEGISLATION
H.R. 9037 directs Federal Emergency Management Agency
(FEMA) to create an effective workforce management plan aimed
at improving employee training, recruitment, and retention. A
2023 Government Accountability Office (GAO) report highlighted
significant obstacles to effective deployment of FEMA personnel
to disaster-impacted communities.\1\ Specifically, the
legislation requires FEMA to develop and submit to Congress a
workforce plan and develop solutions to address staffing gaps
particularly for mission critical occupations. This legislation
directs FEMA to establish a human capital operating plan that
will improve FEMA's ability to respond to disasters and fill
gaps in their workforce.
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\1\GAO, FEMA Disaster Workforce: Actions Needed to Improve Hiring
Data and Address Staffing Gaps, GAO-23-105663 (May 2023).
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HEARINGS
For the purposes of rule XIII, clause 3(c)(6)(A) of the
118th Congress, the following hearings were used to develop or
consider H.R. 9037:
On September 19, 2023, the Subcommittee on Economic
Development, Public Buildings and Emergency Management of the
Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure held a hearing
entitled, ``FEMA: The Current State of Disaster Readiness,
Response, and Recovery.''\2\ The Subcommittee received
testimony from the Honorable Deanne Criswell, Administrator,
FEMA.
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\2\FEMA: The Current State of Disaster Readiness, Response, and
Recovery: Hearing Before the H. Comm. On Transp. and Infrastructure,
118th Cong. (Sept. 19, 2023).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
On March 12, 2024, the Subcommittee on Economic
Development, Public Buildings, and Emergency Management of the
Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure held a hearing
entitled, ``Disaster Readiness: Examining the Propriety of the
Expanded Use of FEMA Resources.''\3\ The Subcommittee received
testimony from the Honorable Deanne Criswell, Administrator,
FEMA; Ms. Kristen Bernard, Deputy Inspector General for Audits,
DHS OIG; and Mr. Chris Currie, Director, Homeland Security and
Justice, GAO.
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\3\Disaster Readiness: Examining the Propriety of the Expanded Use
of FEMA Resources: Hearing Before the H. Comm. On Transp. and
Infrastructure, 118th Cong. (Feb. 9, 2024).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY AND CONSIDERATION
H.R. 9037 was introduced in the United States House of
Representatives on July 15, 2024, by Mr. Troy Carter of
Louisiana and referred to the Committee on Transportation and
Infrastructure. Within the Committee on Transportation and
Infrastructure, H.R. 9037 was referred to the Subcommittee on
Economic Development, Public Buildings, and Emergency
Management. The Subcommittee on Economic Development, Public
Buildings, and Emergency Management was discharged from further
consideration of H.R. 9037 on September 18, 2024.
The Committee considered H.R. 9037 on September 18, 2024,
and ordered the measure to be reported to the House with a
favorable recommendation, without amendment, by voice vote.
COMMITTEE VOTES
Clause 3(b) of rule XIII of the Rules of the House of
Representatives requires each committee report to include the
total number of votes cast for and against on each record vote
on a motion to report and on any amendment offered to the
measure or matter, and the names of those members voting for
and against.
No record votes were requested during consideration of H.R.
9037.
COMMITTEE OVERSIGHT FINDINGS AND RECOMMENDATIONS
With respect to the requirements of clause 3(c)(1) of rule
XIII of the Rules of the House of Representatives, the
Committee's oversight findings and recommendations are
reflected in this report.
NEW BUDGET AUTHORITY AND TAX EXPENDITURES
Clause 3(c)(2) of rule XIII of the Rules of the House of
Representatives does not apply where a cost estimate and
comparison prepared by the Director of the Congressional Budget
Office under section 402 of the Congressional Budget Act of
1974 has been timely submitted prior to the filing of the
report and is included in the report. Such a cost estimate is
included in this report.
CONGRESSIONAL BUDGET OFFICE COST ESTIMATE
With respect to the requirement of clause 3(c)(3) of rule
XIII of the Rules of the House of Representatives and section
402 of the Congressional Budget Act of 1974, the Committee has
received the enclosed cost estimate for H.R. 9037 from the
Director of the Congressional Budget Office:
[GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]
H.R. 9037 would require the Federal Emergency Management
Agency (FEMA) within one year of enactment to develop a plan to
manage the agency's human capital needs, including measures to
fill skills gaps, project costs, and evaluate performance. The
bill also would require FEMA to report to the Congress on
updates to that plan every three years. Finally, H.R. 9037
would require the Government Accountability Office (GAO) to
analyze the plan and report its recommendations to the Congress
within six months.
Using information from FEMA and GAO about the cost of
similar activities, CBO estimates that implementing the bill
would cost $2 million over the 2025-2029 period. Most of those
administrative costs would be incurred in 2025. Any related
spending would be subject to the availability of appropriated
funds.
On July 30, 2024, CBO transmitted a cost estimate for S.
4181, the Federal Emergency Mobilization Accountability (FEMA)
Workforce Planning Act, as ordered reported by the Senate
Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs on May
15, 2024. The two bills are similar, and CBO's estimates of
their budgetary effects are the same.
The CBO staff contact for this estimate is Jon Sperl. The
estimate was reviewed by H. Samuel Papenfuss, Deputy Director
of Budget Analysis.
Mark P. Hoeller
(For Phillip L. Swagel, Director, Congressional Budget Office).
PERFORMANCE GOALS AND OBJECTIVES
With respect to the requirement of clause 3(c)(4) of rule
XIII of the Rules of the House of Representatives, the
performance goal and objective of this legislation is to
improve FEMA's ability to effectively recruit, train, retain,
and deploy their disaster response workforce.
DUPLICATION OF FEDERAL PROGRAMS
Pursuant to clause 3(c)(5) of rule XIII of the Rules of the
House of Representatives, the Committee finds that no provision
of H.R. 9037 establishes or reauthorizes a program of the
Federal government known to be duplicative of another Federal
program, a program that was included in any report from the
Government Accountability Office to Congress pursuant to
section 21 of Public Law 111-139, or a program related to a
program identified in the most recent Catalog of Federal
Domestic Assistance.
CONGRESSIONAL EARMARKS, LIMITED TAX BENEFITS, AND LIMITED TARIFF
BENEFITS
In compliance with clause 9 of rule XXI of the Rules of the
House of Representatives, this bill, as reported, contains no
congressional earmarks, limited tax benefits, or limited tariff
benefits as defined in clause 9(e), 9(f), or 9(g) of the rule
XXI.
FEDERAL MANDATES STATEMENT
The Committee adopts as its own the estimate of Federal
mandates prepared by the Director of the Congressional Budget
Office pursuant to section 423 of the Unfunded Mandates Reform
Act (Public Law 104-4).
PREEMPTION CLARIFICATION
Section 423 of the Congressional Budget Act of 1974
requires the report of any Committee on a bill or joint
resolution to include a statement on the extent to which the
bill or joint resolution is intended to preempt state, local,
or tribal law. The Committee finds that H.R. 9037 does not
preempt any state, local, or tribal law.
ADVISORY COMMITTEE STATEMENT
No advisory committees within the definition of Section
5(b) of the appendix to Title 5, United States Code, are
created by this legislation.
APPLICABILITY TO LEGISLATIVE BRANCH
The Committee finds that the legislation does not relate to
the terms and conditions of employment or access to public
services or accommodations within the meaning of section
102(b)(3) of the Congressional Accountability Act (Public Law
104-1).
SECTION-BY-SECTION ANALYSIS OF THE LEGISLATION
Section 1. Short title
This section provides that this bill may be cited as the
``Federal Emergency Mobilization Accountability (FEMA)
Workforce Planning Act.''
Section 2. FEMA workforce plan
This section requires FEMA to develop a human capital
operating plan, which must be submitted to the Committee on
Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs of the Senate and
Transportation and Infrastructure of the House of
Representatives no later than one year after enactment and
every three years thereafter. Once FEMA submits its plan, the
Comptroller General is required to analyze and evaluate the
effectiveness of the plan, including necessary recommendations
for improvement.
CHANGES IN EXISTING LAW MADE BY THE BILL, AS REPORTED
As reported by the Committee, H.R. 9037 makes no changes in
existing law.
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