S-81 would require agencies to state on the first page of guidance documents that the guidance does not have the force and effect of law. Image: Katherine Welles/Shutterstock.com
By: FEDweek StaffIn one of the Senate’s last acts before recessing until after Labor Day, the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee approved S-861 to require federal agencies to use a common application for assistance following hurricanes, floods, wildfires, and other natural disasters.
“Currently, individuals seeking federal aid to recover from a disaster must complete separate and complicated applications depending on which agency they need help from – a process that can take weeks or even months. The senators’ legislation would significantly help streamline this daunting process and reduce burdens on disaster survivors who need immediate assistance following a crisis,” said a committee statement.
The committee also approved:
* S-81, to require agencies to state on the first page of guidance documents that the guidance does not have the force and effect of law and is intended only to provide clarity to the public about existing legal requirements or agency policies.
* S-269, to improve coordination between the SSA’s file of death records and the Treasury Department’s Do Not Pay system.
* S-727, to correct an anomaly that could cause lower retirement benefits for some CBP officers related to their inclusion in the special benefits package for law enforcement officers.
* S-766, to require annual reporting to Congress on agency projects that are more than five years behind schedule, or have expenditures that are at least $1 billion more than the original cost estimate.
* S-872, to add reporting requirements for agency federal spending information to be reported under USAspending.gov to include other transaction agreements, which are contract mechanisms not covered by the Federal Acquisition Regulation framework.
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