FEMA Act
Latest action. Referred to the subcommitteeA smaller panel inside a standing committee with jurisdiction over a slice of its subject matter. Most hearings and the first markup usually happen here.Read the full definition (opens a new tab) on Health, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Chairman .
Foundations for Emergency Management Act or the FEMA Act - Amends the Homeland Security Act of 2002 to provide for the establishment within the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) of a Directorate of Emergency Management (DEM) (replacing the Directorate of Emergency Preparedness and Response). Requires DEM to be headed by an Under Secretary for Emergency Management and to include Deputy Under Secretaries for: (1) Emergency Preparedness and Mitigation; and (2) Emergency Response and Recovery. Directs the Under Secretary to serve as a Cabinet Officer during an Incident of National Significance.
Requires the Secretary of DHS to: (1) ensure and annual certify that all programs within DEM administering federal assistance maintain proper internal management controls to prevent and detect fraud, waste, and abuse; and (2) develop and implement a fraud prevention training program. Provides for the establishment within DHS of a Deputy Inspector General for Response and Recovery.
Amends the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act to authorize grants for state disaster preparedness programs and plans for catastrophic incidents. Requires the President to conduct annual reviews of federal agencies, states, and local governments in preparing for catastrophic incidents.
Good Samaritan Liability Improvement and Volunteer Encouragement Act of 2006 or the GIVE Act of 2006 - Exempts from liability for acts or omissions in providing services in connection with a declared disaster: (1) disaster relief volunteers; (2) employers or business partners of disaster relief volunteers; (3) hosts or enabling persons, entities, or organizations; and (4) governmental and intergovernmental entities for donations of disaster relief goods. Provides for punitive and non-economic damages only for willful, knowing, or reckless misconduct.
Disaster Recovery Personal Protection Act of 2006 - Prohibits U.S. officers or employees, while acting in support of relief in a major disaster or emergency, from taking specified actions to restrict the possession, registration, or carrying of firearms, such as seizing any firearm the possession of which is not prohibited under federal or state law (with exceptions). Authorizes civil actions in U.S. district court for the return of confiscated firearms.
The summary continues for 1 more paragraph. 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 "Introduced in House" stage on July 11, 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 August 1, 2006: Referred to the Subcommittee on Health, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Chairman .
- 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?
Katherine Harris (R-FL) introduced it on July 11, 2006. No cosponsors are recorded.
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 July 11, 2006, 7366 days ago. The most recent recorded action was 7345 days ago, on August 1, 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