WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Senate has passed bipartisan legislation authored by U.S. Senators Gary Peters (D-MI), Chairman of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, and Bill Cassidy (R-LA) directing the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to create a plan for the agency to effectively manage its workforce so that they are well-equipped to help communities deal with natural disasters. FEMA has faced challenges deploying staff with the proper training and skills needed to best address different natural disasters across the country. This legislation would improve FEMA’s employee recruitment and retention efforts, develop strategies to train and deploy their workforce in efficient ways, and utilize data to address and fix staffing gaps.
“In the aftermath of severe storms and natural disasters, communities count on FEMA to help them recover,” said Senator Peters. “This legislation is essential to ensuring that FEMA has a dedicated, prepared, and reliable workforce that is ready to support disaster survivors. My bipartisan legislation will strengthen and maintain FEMA’s staffing, ensuring no one is left behind in the wake of a disaster.”
“FEMA should have the necessary tools to assist Americans after a natural disaster,” said Dr. Cassidy. “Today the Senate committed to ensuring FEMA’s workforce has what they need to do their jobs and help communities recover.”
The Government Accountability Office (GAO) found that FEMA faced challenges deploying staff with the right skills and training to meet the specific needs of communities impacted by natural disasters. For example, at the height of workforce deployments in October 2017, GAO found that 54 percent of staff were serving in a capacity in which they were not formally certified according to FEMA’s qualification system standards. When natural disasters hit, FEMA must ensure it has a strong workforce in place to provide reliable service.
The bipartisan Federal Emergency Mobilization Accountability (FEMA) Workforce Planning Act would require FEMA to submit a human capital operating plan to Congress one year after enactment and every three years thereafter. The plan must include specific retention and recruitment goals, strategies to train and deploy the workforce, and analysis of the current workforce, including gaps that need to be addressed. Additionally, the bill would require GAO to audit the plan within 6 months of submission to analyze whether it meets the requirements set in law, and, if not, offer recommendations to ensure subsequent plans do.