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S310FEDERALFederal Billfiled

High Impact

New Law to Improve Disaster Debris Removal Oversight

Original title: Disaster Contract Improvement Act

Record date · December 17, 2024

Bill progressHistory & official text ↓

Introduced

Committee

Floor Vote

Passed

Law

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What This Bill Would Do

Official description

Disaster Contract Improvement Act

Why it matters

Local, State, and Tribal governments will face new oversight requirements and guidance for debris removal contracts, which directly impacts how these entities manage disaster recovery funds and contractor performance.

Who It Would Affect

Groups the bill's text would affect if enacted, as described in the record. Being affected is not a position for or against it.

Directly affected

State, Tribal, and local governments

These entities will be subject to new oversight requirements and guidance for debris removal contracts and will be expected to take a primary role in contract monitoring.

Directly affected

Debris services contractors

Contractors will be subject to new monitoring and oversight procedures developed by FEMA and the advisory group.

Key Facts

You don't have to trust us. Each fact below is taken straight from the official document - click any one to see the exact passage, highlighted in the original.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who will be on the new advisory working group?

The group will include representatives from FEMA, the Army Corps of Engineers, the Natural Resources Conservation Service, state/tribal/local governments, and debris removal industry experts.

What is the deadline for the new debris removal guidance?

The FEMA Administrator must evaluate current procedures and potentially implement new ones within one year of the law's enactment.

What will the GAO study cover?

The study will examine the use of , reimbursement rates, fraud and abuse, and oversight processes for debris removal.

What else do you want to know?

News Coverage

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Where This Stands

Currently filed. The next step in the legislative lifecycle is Committee.

Version history

Only one version on file - nothing to compare yet. As later stages (committee substitute, engrossed, enrolled) are captured, the redline appears here.

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Full breakdown

Who this bill affects and the strongest case for and against it, written only from the bill’s own text.

Discoveries

1 pattern noticed across the record

Patterns POLISCOPE noticed across the record. These are observations to investigate, not conclusions.

policy shift90% confidence

Shift toward local oversight

The law explicitly mandates that local, state, and tribal governments take a primary role in the oversight of debris removal contracts, shifting responsibility away from purely federal management.

Federal Emergency Management Agency State, Tribal, and local governments

Connected Entities

Comptroller General of the United States, Natural Resources Conservation Service, Federal Emergency Management Agency and 3 more

PersonComptroller General of the United States“The head of the Government Accountability Office (GAO).”Map →

OrganizationNatural Resources Conservation Service“A USDA agency involved in natural resource management.”Map →

OrganizationFederal Emergency Management Agency“The agency responsible for administering the Stafford Act and overseeing debris ”Map →

locationUnited States“The country where the legislation is being enacted.”Map →

OrganizationArmy Corps of Engineers“A federal agency involved in infrastructure projects and disaster response.”Map →

otherRobert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act“The primary federal law governing disaster relief and assistance.”Map →

Sources

Open source document

www.congress.gov

Analysis Score

0–100

Significance85
How much this matters to a regular citizen
Controversy10
Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
Entertainment5
Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
Buzz20
Current news / social attention level

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