#aahth ,,congress  #ast ,session  ,s4   
#caj  ,,an ,,act  ,to establish an      
advisory group to encourage and foster  
collaborative efforts among individuals 
and entities engaged in disaster        
recovery relating to debris removal1 and
 for other purposes4  #a4 ,short title  
,this ,act may be cited as the ,disaster
 ,contract ,improvement ,act4  #b4      
,oversight on debris removal  7a7       
,definitions ,in this section3 7#a7     
,administrator ,the term ,administrator 
means the ,administrator of the ,federal
 ,emergency ,management ,agency4  7#b7  
,debris removal program ,the term debris
 removal program means the program      
established under section #djg of the   
,robert ,t4 ,stafford ,disaster ,relief 
and ,emergency ,assistance ,act 7#db    
,u4,s4,c4 #eagc74  7b7 ,advisory working
 group  7#a7 ,in general ,the           
,administrator shall establish an       
advisory working group to encourage and 
foster collaborative efforts among      
individuals and entities engaged in     

disaster recovery relating to debris    
removal4  7#b7 ,membership ,the advisory
 working group established under        
paragraph 7#a7 shall be comprised of--  
7,a7 representatives from the ,federal  
,emergency ,management ,agency2  7,b7   
representatives from the ,army ,corps of
 ,engineers2  7,c7 representatives from 
the ,natural ,resources ,conservation   
,service of the ,department of          
,agriculture2  7,d7 representatives of  
,states1 ,tribal governments1 and units 
of local government2 and  7,e7 subject  
matter experts in debris removal1       
including not less than #a              
representative from the debris services 
contractor industry4  7c7 ,guidance ,not
 later than #a year after the date of   
enactment of this ,act1 the             
,administrator1 in consultation with the
 advisory working group established     
under subsection 7b77#a71 shall-- 7#a7  
determine whether guidance and          
procedures in effect as of the date of  
enactment of this ,act with respect to  

the oversight and cost of debris removal
 contracts entered into under the debris
 removal program are sufficient2 and    
7#b7 if the ,administrator1 in          
consultation with the advisory working  
group established under subsection      
7b77#a71 determines that the guidance   
and procedures described in paragraph   
7#a7 are insufficient1 develop and      
implement additional such guidance and  
procedures1 including-- 7,a7 a          
requirement that each ,state1 ,tribal   
government1 and unit of local government
 receiving a grant under the debris     
removal program take the primary role in
 the oversight function of debris       
removal2  7,b7 guidance for ,state1     
,tribal1 and local debris monitors      
relating to debris removal operations1  
debris operations oversight1 and        
contractor oversight1 including         
contractor monitoring2  7,c7 guidance   
for streamlining the reimbursement of   
debris costs overall1 including debris  
management planning and support for     

resilience in debris removal operations2
  7,d7 checklists1 job aids1 eligibility
 requirements1 contract requirements1   
debris management planning guidance1    
sample bids1 and other items1 as        
determined necessary by the             
,administrator1 for ,state and local    
debris monitors2  7,e7 a list of the    
specific debris removal monitoring      
responsibilities expected to be         
completed by a ,state that receives a   
grant under the debris removal program2 
7,f7 a list of the specific debris      
removal monitoring responsibilities     
expected to be completed by recipients  
of a grant under the debris removal     
program2 and  7,g7 guidance for ,state  
and ,tribal governments and units of    
local government to reduce duplication  
and inefficiency in debris removal      
contracting across the ,federal         
,government1 ,state and ,tribal         
governments1 and units of local         
government4  7d7 ,training ,the         
,administrator shall conduct outreach to

 ,states1 ,tribal governments1 and units
 of local government with respect to any
 guidance or support materials developed
 under this section4  7e7 ,,gao study   
,not later than #a year after the date  
of enactment of this ,act1 the          
,comptroller ,general of the ,united    
,states shall conduct a study that--    
7#a7 studies the use and adoption rate  
of advance contracts for debris removal 
by selected ,states1 ,tribal            
governments1 and units of local         
government2  7#b7 identifies the        
benefits and challenges of advance      
contracts for debris removal2  7#c7 with
 respect to the reporting and           
information sharing processes1 as of the
 date of enactment of this ,act1 for    
advance contracts for debris removal    
between ,states and units of local      
government and ,federal partners-- 7,a7 
assesses those processes2 and  7,b7     
makes any necessary recommendations for 
those processes2  7#d7 studies-- 7,a7   
the process for setting ,federal        

reimbursement rates for the debris      
removal program2  7,b7 the use of       
penalties1 as of the date of enactment  
of this ,act1 for violations of law and 
regulations relating to debris removal2 
and  7,c7 fraud1 waste1 and abuse       
relating to the debris removal program1 
including case studies2 and  7#e7 makes 
any necessary recommendations for       
improvements to oversight and fraud     
prevention across the debris removal    
program4  ,passed the ,senate ,december 
#ah1 #bjbc4,secretary