WASHINGTON DC – U.S. Senator Jacky Rosen (D-NV) helped introduce the bipartisan Disaster Contract Improvement Act to mitigate waste, fraud, and abuse of taxpayers’ dollars by improving the disaster contracting process on the federal, local, and state levels of government following natural disasters and. The bill aims to protect victims of natural disasters by ensuring post-disaster services are delivered quickly, and taxpayer dollars are spent solely on helping impacted communities.
“As we work to ensure states like Nevada receive federal support to mitigate and recover from the effects of natural disasters, we must make sure that the money we secure is used appropriately and responsibly,” dijo el Senador Rosen. “Our bipartisan legislation will help cut down on waste, fraud, and abuse of taxpayers’ dollars while ensuring this critical funding reaches the affected communities where it is meant to go.”
The Disaster Contract Improvement Act:
- Establishes oversight on debris removal through the creation of an advisory working group comprised of representatives from FEMA, the Army Corps of Engineers, states and local governments, the USDA Natural Resources and Conservation Service, as well as subject matter experts, including those in the debris services contractor industry.
- Requires the FEMA Administrator, no later than one year after the bill’s enactment and in consultation with the advisory working group, to develop and implement guidance and procedures with respect to the oversight and costs associated with debris removal contracts entered into under the public assistance grant program.
- Requires the FEMA Administrator to conduct training and outreach to State, Tribal, and Local Governments on any new guidance developed under this program.
- Requires the GAO to conduct further study on the Debris Removal Advance Contracting process to improve oversight and prevent fraud, waste, and abuse across the entire system.
Senator Rosen has worked diligently to hold the federal government accountable for spending taxpayer dollars responsibly while preventing government waste, fraud, and abuse. Last Congress, Rosen introduced the bipartisan No Congressionally-Obligated Recurring Revenue Used as Pensions To Incarcerated Officials Now (No CORRUPTION) Act. This bipartisan bill, which passed the United States Senate, would bar former Members of Congress who are convicted of bribery or other crimes related to their official duties from collecting their taxpayer-funded pensions.
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