RESPOND Act of 2006
Latest action. Placed on the Union Calendar, Calendar No. 434.
Restoring Emergency Services to Protect Our Nation from Disasters Act of 2006 or the RESPOND Act of 2006 - Title I: Establishment of an Independent Federal Emergency Management Agency - Subtitle A: Federal Emergency Management Agency - (Sec. 101) Reestablishes the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) as a cabinet-level independent establishment in the executive branch. Declares that FEMA's primary mission is to reduce the loss of life and property from all hazards, including major disasters, acts of terrorism, and other emergencies, by leading and supporting the nation in a risk-based, comprehensive, emergency management system of preparedness, response, recovery, and mitigation.
(Sec. 102) Requires FEMA to: (1) have all functions and authorities prescribed by the Robert T. Stafford Disaster and Emergency Assistance Act; (2) carry out its mission by leading and supporting the nation in a risk-based, comprehensive emergency management system of preparedness; (3) lead the federal government's continuity of operations programs; and (4) be the lead agency for the national response plan.
(Sec. 103) Requires FEMA to be headed by a Director, appointed by the President, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate.
(Sec. 104) Provides for an Office of the Inspector General within FEMA.
(Sec. 105) Transfers to the Director the functions of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) relating to FEMA, other functions of DHS's Directorate for Preparedness (with specified exceptions), and the functions relating to FEMA under any other law.
Subtitle B: Federal Emergency Management Agency Personnel - (Sec. 121) Requires the Director to develop a human capital strategy, which shall include: (1) a workforce development strategy; (2) an assessment of workforce characteristics and future needs; and (3) an analysis of how FEMA's human resources policies and programs align with its mission, strategic goals, and performance outcomes.
Authorizes recruitment and retention bonuses. Establishes within FEMA a disaster workforce reserve cadre to meet surge requirements during emergencies. Requires the Director to conduct a comprehensive review of and redevelop the current disaster workforce reserves to create a capable cadre by providing for effective utilization and by establishing: (1) consistent and shorter disaster workforce mobilization times; (2) standards to meet mission requirements; (3) a robust credentialing system to integrate capabilities and skill sets into job descriptions for a more effective and faster response capability; (4) employment protections for reservists; and (5) a streamlined deployment system.
The summary continues for 17 more paragraphs. Read it in full on Congress.gov
Written by analysts at the Congressional Research Service and published on Congress.gov, not by Civibrief. Summarized at the "Reported to House amended, Part II" stage on December 8, 2006. It describes the bill, it is not the legal text.
Where is it in the process, and what happens next?
4 steps remain before this bill could become law.
The record's latest action, on December 8, 2006: Placed on the Union Calendar, Calendar No. 434.
- Clearing the committees it was referred to, and being scheduled for a floor vote
- Passage by the House
- Passage by the Senate
- The President's signature. If the President vetoes it, two-thirds of both chambers must vote to override.
How likely is it to become law?
Civibrief does not forecast outcomes and this page has no opinion about this one. What the record supports is a base rate, which is a fact about the whole pile, not a prediction about this measure.
In the 109th Congress (2005-06), 482 of the 10,701 bills and joint resolutions introduced became law, about 4.5 percent. That count covers every measure at every stage, including the many that never left committee.
This one is not there yet: 4 steps are still outstanding, listed above.
Has anyone actually voted on it?
No. No roll call in this Congress cites this measure. That is the ordinary outcome: most measures never reach a recorded floor vote, and a committee ends most of them simply by not acting.
A vote is not the only thing that happens to a measure. Hearings, markups, and referrals are all recorded actions, and none of them is a vote of the full chamber.
Who is behind it?
DON YOUNG (R-AK) introduced it on May 9, 2006, and 114 members have since signed on as cosponsors.
They come from both major parties: 73 Democrats, 41 Republicans.
Cosponsoring is a formal signature on the text. It is not a commitment to vote for the measure, it does not bind anyone's party, and a long list of cosponsors is a measure of attention rather than of prospects.
How long has it been in play?
It was introduced on May 9, 2006, 7429 days ago. The most recent recorded action was 7216 days ago, on December 8, 2006.
Measures do not carry over. Anything the 109th Congress has not finished by January 3, 2007 dies when the term ends, and has to be introduced again from the start in the next Congress.
Every answer above is assembled from this measure's own record on Congress.gov and from published counts of what Congress has passed before. Civibrief does not predict outcomes and takes no position on any measure.
Vote history
- HouseIn committee, no floor vote yet
- SenateAwaits House passage
- PresidentAwaits both chambers