MADISONVILLE, La. – Sens. John Kennedy (R-La.) and Gary Peters (D-Mich.), Chairman of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, introduced the bipartisan Helping Eliminate Limitations for Prompt (HELP) Response and Recovery Act to enable the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to respond to disasters and other emergencies more efficiently and promptly.

The HELP Response and Recovery Act would repeal Section 695 of the Post-Katrina Emergency Management Reform Act of 2006, which restricts the length of non-competitive DHS contracts for urgent and compelling requirements to 150 days.  The repeal of this obsolete regulation ensures that DHS deadlines for emergency contracts follow current government-wide rules that allow contracts of up to one year.

“Louisiana is no stranger to natural disasters, and Louisianians depend on the local, state and federal government for help when the unthinkable happens. Private businesses also work hand-in-hand with government partners to help Louisiana communities recover from natural disasters. Repealing an outdated portion of the Post-Katrina Emergency Management Reform Act that unnecessarily limits recovery efforts will allow the private sector and the Department of Homeland Security’s Federal Emergency Management Agency to help our people more effectively for the long haul,” said Kennedy.

“When emergencies and disasters strike, the federal government should have all the tools at its disposal to help Americans in need. This bipartisan bill will ensure DHS is efficiently and effectively responding to emergencies,” said Peters.

“The National Emergency Management Association applauds the leadership of Senators Peters and Kennedy in simplifying DHS contracting requirements through S. 3468, the Helping Eliminate Limitations for Prompt Response and Recovery Act. This bill will modernize contracting requirements for DHS and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and align them with the less restrictive requirements applied to all other government agencies. Especially when responding to disasters, speed is of the essence, so it is imperative to give FEMA the tools necessary to be efficient and responsive when needed most,” said Russ Strickland, NEMA President and Secretary of Maryland Department of Emergency Management.

Text of the HELP Response and Recovery Act is available here.