A bill to strengthen the efficiency and effectiveness of the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) disaster assistance capabilities and programs authored by U.S. Sen. Rob Portman (R-OH) was approved by the Homeland Security and Government Affairs Committee (HSGAC) on Wednesday and now awaits a vote in the Senate.
The National Urban Search and Rescue Response System Act, S. 2971, also codifies protections for the search and rescue teams that respond to national emergencies such as the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks or Hurricane Katrina, ensuring that private citizens who leave their jobs to help fellow citizens in the affected areas are guaranteed their jobs when they return.
“Today’s vote puts us one step closer to helping search and rescue teams get the resources they need to best perform their mission of helping communities threatened by national emergencies,” Portman said. “This bill would ensure that the federal government better supports groups – such as the Ohio Task Force 1 Urban Search and Rescue Team – as they deploy to danger zones across our country, and require FEMA to develop a plan to ensure they have the equipment they need to respond quickly in times of a state or national emergency.”
The legislation was cosponsored by U.S. Sens. Ron Johnson (R-WI) and Tom Carper (D-DE).