,i  #aaith ,,congress  #ast ,session    
,h4 ,r4 #ddjh  ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of  
,,representatives  ,july #ae1 #bjbe,ms4 
,king-,hinds introduced the following   
bill2 which was referred to the         
,committee on ,transportation and       
,infrastructure  ,a ,,bill  ,to study   
the effectiveness of disaster response  
and recovery in noncontiguous           
communities1 and for other purposes4    
#a4 ,short title  ,this ,act may be     
cited as the ,understanding             
,noncontiguous ,infrastructure and      
,threats ,year-round ,act or the ,,unity
 ,act4  #b4 ,improving disaster         
workforce retention in noncontiguous    
communities  7a7 ,in general ,the       
,administrator of the ,federal          
,emergency ,management ,agency shall    
conduct a study on the effectiveness of 
practices of the ,agency relating to    
hiring1 recruitment1 and retention in   
noncontiguous communities by soliciting 
feedback from staff in such communities4
  7b7 ,contents ,in conducting the study

 under subsection 7a71 the              
,administrator shall--  7#a7 evaluate   
the recruitment strategies of the       
,agency and efforts of the ,agency to   
broaden the pool of qualified local     
candidates2  7#b7 prioritize input from 
communities in which there are the most 
severe staffing shortages2 and  7#c7    
identify specific steps that the ,agency
 can take to improve opportunities for  
staff in noncontiguous communities4  7c7
 ,briefing ,not later than #f months    
after the date of enactment of this     
,act1 the ,administrator shall brief the
 ,committee on ,transportation and      
,infrastructure and the ,committee on   
,homeland ,security of the ,house of    
,representatives and the ,committee on  
,homeland ,security and ,governmental   
,affairs of the ,senate on the results  
of the study conducted under subsection 
7a74  7d7 ,policies ,the ,administrator 
shall take such actions as are necessary
 to revise any policies1 guidance1 or   
regulations of the ,agency to address   

the disaster workforce challenges in    
noncontiguous communities identified in 
the study conducted under subsection    
7a74  #c4 ,,gao review of disaster      
response and recovery in noncontiguous  
communities  7a7 ,in general ,the       
,comptroller ,general of the ,united    
,states shall conduct a study on the    
effectiveness of disaster response and  
recovery practices in noncontiguous     
communities1 with a particular focus on 
recovery efforts relating to damage     
caused by ,super ,typhoon ,yutu1 and    
compare such practices with the disaster
 response and recovery practices in     
contiguous communities4  7b7 ,contents  
,in conducting the study under          
subsection 7a71 the ,comptroller        
,general shall-- 7#a7 analyze ongoing   
recovery efforts from disasters that    
have impacted noncontiguous communities2
  7#b7 analyze the level of coordination
 between the ,federal ,departments and  
,agencies tasked with disaster response 
and recovery2  7#c7 assess how          

effectively ,federal agencies coordinate
 with ,state emergency management       
offices2  7#d7 assess the effectiveness 
of the ,area offices and ,regional      
,advisory ,councils of the ,agency in   
assisting noncontiguous communities2 and
  7#e7 make recommendations on how to   
improve the disaster response and       
recovery outcomes in noncontiguous      
communities4  7c7 ,report ,not later    
than #ah months after the date of       
enactment of this ,act1 the ,comptroller
 ,general shall submit to the ,committee
 on ,transportation and ,infrastructure 
and the ,committee on ,homeland         
,security of the ,house of              
,representatives and the ,committee on  
,homeland ,security and ,governmental   
,affairs of the ,senate a report on the 
study conducted under subsection 7a74   
#d4 ,preliminary damage assessment pilot
 program  7a7 ,establishment ,not later 
than #a year after the date of enactment
 of this ,act1 the ,administrator of the
 ,federal ,emergency ,management ,agency

 shall establish a pilot program to     
implement new technology in carrying out
 a preliminary damage assessment in a   
noncontiguous community in which a major
 disaster has been declared under       
section #dja of the ,robert ,t4         
,stafford ,disaster ,relief and         
,emergency ,assistance ,act 7#db        
,u4,s4,c4 #eagj74  7b7 ,priority ,in    
carrying out the pilot program          
established under subsection 7a71 the   
,administrator shall ensure that the    
most geographically remote noncontiguous
 communities are prioritized4  7c7      
,briefing ,not later than #c years after
 the date of enactment of this ,act1 the
 ,administrator shall brief the         
,committee on ,transportation and       
,infrastructure and the ,committee on   
,homeland ,security of the ,house of    
,representatives and the ,committee on  
,homeland ,security and ,governmental   
,affairs of the ,senate on the          
implementation of the pilot program     
established under subsection 7a74  7d7  

,sunset ,the pilot program established  
under subsection 7a7 shall terminate on 
,september #cj1 #bjcj4