Office of Disaster Recovery and Resilience

The Secretary shall establish an Office of Disaster Recovery and Resilience— support long-term economic recovery in communities in which a major disaster or emergency has been declared under the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5121 et seq.), or otherwise impacted by an event of national significance, as determined by the Secretary, through— The Secretary is authorized to appoint such temporary personnel as may be necessary to carry out the responsibilities of the Office of Disaster Recovery and Resilience, without regard to the provisions of subchapter I of chapter 33 of title 5 governing appointments in the competitive service. Notwithstanding chapter 33 of title 5, or any other provision of law relating to the examination, certification, and appointment of individuals in the competitive service, a temporary employee appointed under this subsection may be selected by the Secretary for a permanent appointment in the competitive service in the Economic Development Administration under internal competitive promotion procedures if— An individual converted under this subsection shall become a career-conditional employee, unless the employee has already completed the service requirements for career tenure. For any fiscal year during which the Secretary exercises the authority under this subsection, the Secretary shall submit to the Committee on Environment and Public Works of the Senate and the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure of the House of Representatives a report that describes the use of that authority including, at a minimum— Nothing in this subsection waives any requirement relating to qualifications of applicants for positions in the Office of Disaster Recovery and Resilience under this subsection. The authority provided by this subsection shall expire on September 30, 2029. As soon as practicable after January 4, 2025, the Secretary shall establish a disaster team (referred to in this section as the “disaster team”) for the deployment of individuals to carry out responsibilities of the Office of Disaster Recovery and Resilience after a major disaster or emergency has been declared under the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5121 et seq.) and the Department has been activated by the Federal Emergency Management Agency. As soon as practicable after January 4, 2025, the Secretary shall designate to serve on the disaster team— In designating individuals under subparagraph (A), the Secretary shall ensure that the disaster team includes a sufficient quantity of— The Secretary shall ensure that appropriate and ongoing training is provided to members of the disaster team to ensure that the members are adequately trained regarding the programs and policies of the Economic Development Administration relating to post-disaster economic recovery efforts. In carrying out this section, the Secretary may— Not later than July 1, 2026, and annually thereafter, the Secretary shall submit to the Committee on Environment and Public Works of the Senate and the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure of the House of Representatives a report that includes—