Special to the American Press

U.S. 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  Federal Emergency Management Agency  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 Repealing an outdated portion of the Post-Katrina Emergency Management Reform Act that unnecessarily limits recovery efforts will allow the private sector and the Department of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,” Kennedy said.

“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,” Peters said.