SA 5657. Mr. NELSON of Florida (for Mr. LIEBERMAN (for himself and Mr. PRYOR)) proposed an amendment to the bill S. 2382, to require the Administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency to quickly and fairly address the abundance of surplus manufactured housing units stored by the Federal Government around the country at taxpayer expense; as follows:


Strike all after the enacting clause and insert the following:
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE; DEFINITIONS.
(a) Short Title.--This Act may be cited as the ``FEMA Accountability Act of 2008''.
(b) Definitions.--In this Act--
(1) the term ``Administrator'' means the Administrator of FEMA;
(2) the terms ``emergency'' and ``major disaster'' have the meanings given such terms in section 102 of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5122); and
(3) the term ``FEMA'' means the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
SEC. 2. STORAGE, SALE, TRANSFER, AND DISPOSAL OF HOUSING UNITS.
(a) In General.--Not later than 3 months after the date of enactment of this Act, the Administrator shall--
(1) complete an assessment to determine the number of temporary housing units purchased by FEMA that FEMA needs to maintain in stock to respond appropriately to emergencies or major disasters occurring after the date of enactment of this Act; and
(2) establish criteria for determining whether the individual temporary housing units stored by FEMA are in usable condition, which shall include appropriate criteria for formaldehyde testing and exposure of the individual temporary housing units.
(b) Plan.--
(1) IN GENERAL.--Not later than 6 months after the date of enactment of this Act, the Administrator shall establish a plan for--
(A) storing the number of temporary housing units that the Administrator has determined under subsection (a)(1) that FEMA needs to maintain in stock;
(B) selling, transferring, or otherwise disposing of the temporary housing units in the inventory of FEMA that--
(i) are in excess of the number of temporary housing units that the Administrator has determined under subsection (a)(1) that FEMA needs to maintain in stock; and
(ii) are in usable condition, based on the criteria established under subsection (a)(2); and
(C) disposing of the temporary housing units in the inventory of FEMA that the Administrator determines are not in usable condition, based on the criteria established under subsection (a)(2).
(2) APPLICABILITY OF DISPOSAL REQUIREMENTS.--The plan established under paragraph (1) shall be subject to the requirements of section 408(d)(2) of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5174(d)(2)) and other applicable provisions of law.
(c) Implementation.--Not later than 9 months after the date of enactment of this Act, the Administrator shall implement the plan described in subsection (b).
(d) Report.--Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of this Act, the Administrator shall submit to the appropriate committees of the Senate and the House of Representatives a report on the status of the distribution, sale, transfer, or other disposal of the unused temporary housing units purchased by FEMA.


(As printed in the Congressional Record for the Senate on Sep 26, 2008.)