,i #aafth ,,congress #b;d ,session ,h4 ,r4 #high ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of ,,representatives ,december #af1 #bjbj,mr4 ,garca of ,illinois 7for himself1 ,mr4 ,espaillat1 and ,ms4 ,velzquez7 introduced the following bill2 which was referred to the ,committee on ,transportation and ,infrastructure1 and in addition to the ,committee on ,financial ,services1 for a period to be subsequently determined by the ,speaker1 in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned ,a ,,bill ,to establish the ,office for the ,equitable1 ,transparent1 and ,accountable ,puerto ,rico ,reconstruction1 and for other purposes4 #a4 ,short title ,this ,act may be cited as the ,community ,driven ,recovery for ,puerto ,rico ,act4 #b4 ,findings ,congress finds the following3 7#a7 ,recovery from the devastation caused by natural disasters should be agile1 effective1 and promote resiliency for future disasters4 ,other priorities include promoting accountability and transparency in the use of ,federal funds that will be spent in these efforts and implementing mechanisms to ensure those ends4 7#b7 ,the current systems of the agencies in charge of recovery in ,puerto ,rico are over-centralized and do not serve the purpose of agile and effective planning and implementation or of effective monitoring and accounting4 7#c7 ,the centralized system of ,federal recovery spending for ,puerto ,rico excludes most communities from program design and program implementation prioritization1 does not take advantage of the local historical and institutional knowledge on the use of ,federal recovery funds1 and is not as flexible and responsive as the local implementation network4 7#d7 ,an ,office for ,equitable1 ,transparent1 and ,accountable ,puerto ,rico ,reconstruction should be established so that diverse civil society leaders in ,puerto ,rico are in positions to help ensure equitable1 effective1 transparent1 and accountable recovery and development of ,puerto ,rico4 7#e7 ,the work of the ,office for ,equitable1 ,transparent1 and ,accountable ,puerto ,rico ,reconstruction should be guided by the following principles3 7,a7 ,equitable and resilient recovery and development that is responsive to under-served populations and vulnerable groups as well as applies innovative and sustainable investments4 7,b7 ,an empowered civil society in ,puerto ,rico that does not substitute ,state or local government1 but that is protected from abuse and that can participate in the decision making processes through effective participation mechanisms1 as through their local organizations and government representatives4 7,c7 ,effective and agile spending of ,federal funds for the recovery and long-term resiliency of families1 communities1 municipalities1 and local ,puerto ,rican businesses and organizations4 7,d7 ,accountability of those executing and implementing plans and programs1 and transparency before the ,federal government and the people from ,puerto ,rico4 7,e7 ,recovery efforts that feed on local knowledge and visions on how to rebuild the island4 7,f7 ,a regional approach to mitigation and adaptation through the coordination of ,federal1 ,state1 local1 and community efforts4 #c4 ,office for equitable1 transparent1 and ,accountable ,puerto ,rico ,reconstruction 7a7 ,establishment of the office for equitable1 transparent1 and accountable ,puerto ,rico reconstruction ,there is established the ,office for ,equitable1 ,transparent1 and ,accountable ,puerto ,rico ,reconstruction which shall be headed by the ,puerto ,rico ,civil ,society ,task ,force with the lead of its ,chairperson4 7b7 ,civil society task force 7#a7 ,establishment ,there is hereby established the ,puerto ,rico ,civil ,society ,task ,force as an independent ,federal entity established to ensure accountability of and local oversight over reconstruction efforts in ,puerto ,rico4 7#b7 ,composition ,the ,task ,force shall be composed of #ac members1 who shall be selected not more than #fj days after the date of the enactment of this ,act as follows3 7,a7 ,two members to represent the municipalities of ,puerto ,rico1 selected by the #gh ,mayors of ,puerto ,rico in an election held during a general assembly of ,mayors4 ,each ,mayor shall nominate a resident of their municipality to participate as a candidate for representative to the civil society task force4 ,candidates should be of legal age and should not be employed by the government4 7,b7 ,four members to represent the organized low-moderate income communities1 selected in an election held during a general assembly of eligible community leaders4 ,eligible community leaders shall have been the elected representatives of their official community ,board as shown by certification from that ,board4 7,c7 ,two members to represent community based non-profit organizations1 selected in an election held during a general assembly of eligible non-profit organizations4 ,eligible non-profit organizations must be registered as such in the ,puerto ,rico ,state ,department1 be exempt from local or federal taxes1 and provide socioeconomic services directly to communities1 including social services1 education1 health1 economic development1 housing1 environment1 culture and arts4 ,educational institutions1 such as private schools1 universities or other post-secondary education organizations1 or hospitals that are not small community health providers are not eligible to participate in the general assembly of non-profit organizations4 7,d7 ,one member to represent the foundation and philanthropic sector1 selected in an election held during a general assembly of eligible non-profit philanthropic foundations4 ,eligible philanthropic foundations must be registered as such in the ,puerto ,rico ,state ,department1 and concentrate their efforts in offering grants1 donations and financial support to other service providers4 7,e7 ,one member to represent the business sector1 selected in an election held during a general assembly convened by the principal business organizations of ,puerto ,rico1 including the ,puerto ,rico ,chamber of ,commerce1 ,cooperative ,executives ,association 7,asociacin de ,ejecutivos de ,cooperativas71 ,centro ,unido de ,detallistas1 ,entrepreneurs for ,puerto ,rico 7,empresarios por ,puerto ,rico71 the ,public ,accountant ,bar 7,colegio de ,contadores ,pblicos ,autorizados7 and the ,economist ,association of ,puerto ,rico 7,asociacin de ,economistas de ,puerto ,rico74 7,f7 ,one member to represent labor unions1 selected through an election held during a general assembly of eligible unions in ,puerto ,rico4 ,an eligible union must be recognized as such by the ,department of ,labor4 7,g7 ,two members to represent higher academic institutions1 colleges and universities in ,puerto ,rico1 one selected by the ,university of ,puerto ,rico1 and another selected in an election held during a general assembly of eligible private higher education institutions4 ,eligible private higher education institution must be recognized as such by the ,puerto ,rico ,state ,department ,board of ,postsecondary ,institutions4 7#c7 ,election coordination and consultation ,a working group composed of the ,puerto ,rico ,commission of ,civil ,liberties1 the ,association of ,professionals of ,social ,work and the ,puerto ,rico ,bar ,association will establish uniform standards for the elections and general assemblies outlined above4 ,the working group will develop standards outlining the following3 7,a7 ,timely and effective notification of participants in each general assembly4 7,b7 ,verification of participant eligibility in each general assembly4 7,c7 ,procedures for holding elections to determine each group's representative to the ,civil ,society ,task ,force4 7,d7 ,uniform standards for quorum and necessary parliamentary mechanisms to guarantee a fair general assembly and election process for all eligible participants4 7,e7 ,best practices for encouraging gender parity in the selection process4 7#d7 ,term2 removal ,the term of a member of the ,task ,force shall be for the duration of the ,task ,force1 unless the member is removed in accordance with a process established by-- 7,a7 the ,mayors of ,puerto ,rico1 in the case of members described in paragraph 7#b77;,a72 and 7,b7 the assembly of the sector that selected the member1 in the case of members described in subparagraphs 7,b7 through 7,g7 of paragraph 7#b74 7#e7 ,dissolution2 reactivation 7,a7 ,dissolution ,the ,task ,force shall continue until #ahj days consecutive days have elapsed during which-- 7i7 all recovery projects undertaken with ,federal funds have been implemented2 and 7ii7 no active emergency or disaster declaration has been in force or been petitioned by the ,governor of ,puerto ,rico4 7,b7 ,reactivation ,if1 after the ,task ,force has dissolved1 an emergency or disaster declaration is petitioned by the ,governor of ,puerto ,rico1 the ,task ,force shall be reactivated4 7c7 ,civil society ,task ,force ,representatives to the ,agencies 7#a7 ,appointment of representatives 7,a7 ,nomination ,not later than #ij days after the date of the enactment of this ,act1 the ,task ,force shall submit to each agency the name of two individuals with the qualifications listed in paragraph 7#c71 as nominees to represent the ,task ,force at that agency4 7,b7 ,appointment ,each agency shall appoint one of the individuals nominated under subparagraph 7,a7 as the ,civil ,society ,task ,force ,representative at that agency4 7,c7 ,expansion ,the ,civil ,society ,task ,force may call for the creation of additional ,civil ,society ,task ,force ,representatives if this is required for proper oversight of ,federal funds for recovery4 7#b7 ,term ,the term of each ,civil ,society ,task ,force ,representative shall be-- 7,a7 one year2 and 7,b7 subsequent one year terms1 if the ,civil ,society ,task ,force ,representative is renominated by unanimous vote of the ,task ,force4 7#c7 ,qualifications ,to be nominated under paragraph 7#a71 an individual shall-- 7,a7 have substantial knowledge and expertise in post-disaster planning1 including establishing credible and transparent governance structures2 7,b7 be fluent in both ,english and ,spanish languages2 7,c7 have demonstrated expertise and experience in ,federal and local disaster recovery policy1 resilience planning1 socio-economic development1 environmental justice1 rights-based policies to address poverty and inequality1 or a combination of those fields2 7,d7 not currently provide goods or services to the government of the ,commonwealth of ,puerto ,rico in the preceding calendar year2 7,e7 not be the spouse1 parent1 child1 or sibling of a person who provides or has provided goods and services to the government of the ,commonwealth of ,puerto ,rico in the preceding calendar year2 and 7,f7 not be an officer1 employee of1 or former officer or employee of the government of the ,commonwealth of ,puerto ,rico in the preceding #c calendar years4 7d7 ,duties1 responsibilities1 powers1 authority1 and reports 7#a7 ,duties of the ,task ,force ,to ensure participation1 optimization1 accountability1 and transparency of the disaster recovery process in ,puerto ,rico1 the duties of the ,task ,force shall be the following3 7,a7 ,promote collaboration between ,federal agencies1 the central ,government of ,puerto ,rico1 local municipal governments1 nonprofit organizations1 local businesses1 and other civil society groups involved in the recovery process and to ensure that people with disabilities and elderly populations are prioritized and able to participate in the planning and implementation process4 7,b7 ,through the ,civil ,society ,task ,force ,representatives1 initiate regional1 collaborative actions for mitigation1 adaptation and disaster risk recovery and oversee agencies and institutions to ensure that they undertake proper stakeholder analysis for effective public participation4 7,c7 ,with the assistance of the ,civil ,society ,task ,force ,representatives1 review1 assess1 and oversee the operation of the programs funded with ,federal funds to ensure that policies and recovery and development project prioritization and implementation-- 7i7 achieve equitable and resilient outcomes that help the people most in need2 and 7ii7 incorporate participatory structures that respond to underserved populations and vulnerable groups1 use local knowledge1 and apply innovative and sustainable solutions4 7,d7 ,propose ways in which the canalization of ,federal funds can be agile4 7,e7 ,identify problems of accountability and transparency that should be solved by each agency4 7,f7 ,review the data used and produced by the programs and make sure that data is available for public review4 7,g7 ,with the assistance of the ,civil ,society ,task ,force ,representatives1 provide information to the public about the progress of programs in addressing the needs of resilient recovery4 7,h7 ,with the assistance of the ,civil ,society ,task ,force ,representatives-- 7i7 identify duplication2 and 7ii7 propose solutions to onerous requirements and other problems that cause backlogs4 7,i7 ,monitor that recovery actions and programs do not violate human rights1 especially those of the most vulnerable populations4 7,j7 ,facilitate cooperation between community organizations and experts in ,puerto ,rico to build a base of local knowledge and best practices for disaster preparedness1 relief1 recovery and reconstruction2 enhance local capacity to carry out ,federal contracts in those areas2 and establish processes within ,federal agencies to ensure that ,federal contracts benefit local organizations1 firms1 and individuals4 7,k7 ,produce and publish impact dashboards with the reports required under paragraph 7#d77;,a74 7,l7 ,contract and consult with local scientists1 professionals and nonprofits whenever possible and justify any contract with an organization1 firm1 or individual based outside of ,puerto ,rico in writing in the contract file4 7#b7 ,duties of the ,civil ,society ,task ,force ,representative ,each ,civil ,society ,task ,force ,representative shall-- 7,a7 work within their agency to develop work plans and execute the duties of the ,task ,force1 as outlined above2 7,b7 serve as special advisors to the ,executive ,directors of their agency to oversee processes in which priorities are identified1 criteria established1 final documentation is produced for submission to the ,federal agencies for release of funds and to attend to any concern about transparency and accountability in contracting1 among other possible duties within their responsibilities before the ,task ,force2 7,c7 ensure that policies and guidelines are in place to protect against discrimination and displacement1 and guarantee the right to housing and other lifelines to low-1 moderate-income and vulnerable communities2 7,d7 serve as special advisors to the top official responsible for ,puerto ,rico funding to oversee processes of creation and implementation of policies that ensure effective public participation and equitable recovery and development2 that the requests made by local agencies are expeditiously processed2 attend to any concern about transparency and accountability in contracting1 among other possible duties within their responsibilities before the ,task ,force2 and 7,e7 meet with the ,task ,force at least on a monthly basis1 and provide reports as outlined in this article1 in subsection 7e77#c77;,a74 7#c7 ,duties2 authority ,to carry out its duties1 the ,office shall have the following duties and authority3 7,a7 ,adopt internal policies and regulations for the proper operations and execution of the obligations of the ,office1 including the selection of the ,chairman of the ,task ,force1 who will be the leader and spokesperson of the ,office4 7,b7 ,designate and hire the necessary personnel to carry out the duties of the ,office4 ,such personnel shall be duly qualified1 with no conflicts of interest4 ,outside consultants and businesses may be designated or hired only if all the documentation regarding such hiring1 compensation1 and evaluation is publicly available on the website of the ,task ,force4 ,local firms and professionals shall be given priority and the economic impact hiring such firm and professionals will have on the economy of ,puerto ,rico will be a positive factor during any hiring decisions4 ,hiring of businesses with less than #e full time employees based in ,puerto ,rico should be explained with the explanation available to the public4 7,c7 ,develop1 review1 and implement an annual budget and an operational plan for the ,task ,force4 7,d7 ,request1 when appropriate1 technical support from any public institution1 including the ,university of ,puerto ,rico1 or other organizations4 7,e7 ,hold meetings not less than once a month and special meetings upon the request of #e or more members of the ,task ,force4 7,f7 ,access the information necessary to discharge its duties4 ,if ,federal or local agencies do not comply with a request for information within #cj days after a request for that information1 the ,task ,force shall have standing to seek and obtain judicial intervention4 ,the following information should be proactively disclosed in a machine-readable format to enable proper monitoring and oversight of recovery funds3 7i7 ,agendas1 minutes and resolutions of all official meetings4 7ii7 ,budget allocations1 approval and commitments4 7iii7 ,strategic plans1 proposed activities_/projects1 progress reports1 approved budget and monthly actual spending reports 7incl4 travel1 reimbursement information1 contracts1 materials1 staff wages1 etc474 7iv7 ,contractual documentation 7incl4 needs assessment and feasibility study1 procurement plan and budget1 tender announcements1 tender_/bidding processes and rational1 tender documentation1 funding source1 prequalification_/request for proposals1 amendments to tenders1 proposals_/bids1 evaluation criteria1 evaluation reports and decisions1 awards1 contracts with annexes1 contract amendments1 contractors' information1 progress and performance reports and evaluations1 evidence of service or products rendered1 audits1 and payments74 7v7 ,hiring documentation 7recruiting announcements1 evaluations and decisions1 and agreed upon contract and compensation information74 7vi7 ,impact monitoring and evaluation documentation4 7vii7 ,participatory mechanisms used and outcomes1 including notice and minutes of public hearings_/consultations4 7viii7 ,urban planning agreements and modifications4 7ix7 ,relevant regulations1 policies1 protocols1 codes or plans4 7x7 ,external and internal audits4 7xi7 ,additional public information requests1 shall be evaluated and provided within #cj days1 excluding confidential information1 as determined by law4 7,g7 ,file reports before local or ,federal ,governments1 as required in this ,act and to fulfill its duties4 7,h7 ,propose rules and policies relating to promoting the principles listed in section #a7e74 7,i7 ,order monitoring and auditing processes4 7,j7 ,have primary jurisdiction to intervene1 have knowledge of1 and conduct1 on the initiative of the ,task ,force1 any investigation on any matter or dispute relating to the principles and its duties under this ,act4 7,k7 ,request specific actions from agency directors relating to the ,task ,force duties4 7,l7 ,advocate for strong administrative oversight and have standing to undertake administrative or judicial review processes as needed4 7#d7 ,reports 7,a7 ,not later than #ahj days after the date of the enactment of this section1 and not later than every #ahj days thereafter1 the ,office shall file with the ,committee on ,natural ,resources of the ,house of ,representatives and the ,committee on ,energy and ,natural ,resources of the ,senate1 the ,governor of ,puerto ,rico1 and the ,legislative ,assembly of ,puerto ,rico1 and make publicly available1 a report that describes-- 7i7 the progress of the ,office in carrying out its duties2 and 7ii7 the methods and results of the ,office in accomplishing its duties1 measuring effectiveness through quantity and with in-depth consideration of the quality of the processes achieved4 7,b7 ,the ,civil ,society ,task ,force ,representatives shall report to the ,task ,force every month regarding the execution of their duties1 including the flow of funds1 the implementation of projects1 challenges1 roadblocks and successes1 and progress towards resilient recovery4 7,c7 ,all reports required under this paragraph shall be produced in both ,english and ,spanish4 7,d7 ,before dissolution1 the ,task ,force shall produce a report that illustrates1 in detail1 how the ,task ,force fulfilled its duties1 outline challenges1 roadblocks and successes1 explain its conclusions and provide final recommendations4 ,this report shall be publically available and shall be submitted to ,congress1 all the agencies involved in recovery1 the ,governor of ,puerto ,rico1 and the ,legislative ,assembly of ,puerto ,rico4 7e7 ,funding for operation ,the ,office shall be funded by the administrative portion of the estimated ,community ,development ,block ,grant ,disaster ,recovery disbursements for ,puerto ,rico4 ,the funds should be sufficient to carry out the duties of the ,office1 including funds to pay fair compensation to members and staff of the ,task ,force1 based on the annual budget prepared for the ,department of ,housing and ,urban ,development and the ,puerto ,rico ,housing ,department1 as determined by the ,task ,force1 that shall be included as a project cost within the recovery programs and prioritized over other private contracting costs4 #d4 ,definitions ,for the purposes of this ,act3 7#a7 ,agency ,the term agency means each of the following3 7,a7 ,the ,federal ,emergency ,management ,agency4 7,b7 ,the ,department of ,housing and ,urban ,development4 7,c7 ,the ,puerto ,rico ,central ,recovery and ,reconstruction ,office4 7,d7 ,the ,puerto ,rico ,housing ,department4 7#b7 ,civil ,society ,task ,force ,representative ,the term ,civil ,society ,task ,force ,representative means an individual appointed under section #b7;c74 7#c7 ,office ,the term ,office means the ,office for the ,equitable1 ,transparent1 and ,accountable ,puerto ,rico ,reconstruction established by this ,act4 7#d7 ,task ,force ,the term ,task ,force means the ,puerto ,rico ,civil ,society ,task ,force established under this ,act4