GAO review of FEMA transition

(a) In general Not later than 6 months after the date of enactment of this Act, and every 6 months thereafter, the Comptroller General of the United States shall— (1) conduct a review of the transition of the Federal Emergency Management Agency under title I; and (2) provide a briefing on the results of the review conducted under paragraph (1) 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. (b) Scope In conducting the reviews required under subsection (a), the Comptroller General shall assess the following: (1) The continued processing of grants for constructing, reconstructing, repairing, restoring, or replacing eligible facilities. (2) The establishment of the Federal Emergency Management Agency as a cabinet-level independent establishment in the executive branch to evaluate whether the transition complied with Federal laws relating to labor, procurement, information management, and related statutes. (3) The status of the contractual obligations of the Agency. (4) Interdepartmental coordination, establishment of new memorandums of understanding, and assistance from the Department of Homeland Security to ensure that the Department fulfills all statutory requirements to ensure optimal agency performance during the transition. (5) Costs associated with the transition of personnel, equipment, furnishings, and related contents over the course of the transition. (6) Personnel retention related to the transition. (7) Physical and technological infrastructure needs and which of the needs have been met, to ensure that the Agency has been provided with the necessary resources to carry out the mission of the Agency, following the transition of the Agency. (8) Programmatic operations during the transition of the Agency. (9) Communication operations to monitor continued connectivity with stakeholders, including State emergency managers, private nonprofit organizations, and other related parties, during the transition. (10) Engineer personnel levels at the Agency. (11) Contracts entered into with licensed engineering professionals in States that are in geographic areas in which a major disaster has recently been declared under section 401 of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5170). (12) Best practices and lessons learned during the transition, in coordination with the Administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency and any other key personnel of the Agency. (c) Sunset This section shall cease to be effective on the date that is 36 months after the date of enactment of this Act, or an earlier date agreed upon by the Comptroller General and the committees of Congress specified in subsection (a).