Review - HR 275 Introduced in House – First Responder Readiness

Last month, Rep Jackson-Lee (D,TX) introduced HR 275, the First Responder Identification of Emergency Needs in Disaster Situations (FRIENDS) Act. The bill would require GAO to conduct a study on the circumstances which may impact the effectiveness and availability of first responders before, during, or after a terrorist threat or event. No funds are authorized by this bill. A similar bill, HR 2795, was introduced in the 114^th Congress where it passed in the House but was not taken up in the Senate.

Moving Forward

Jackson-Lee is not a member of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee to which this bill was assigned for primary consideration. She is, however, a member of the House Homeland Security Committee to which the bill was also assigned for consideration. She probably has the influence to see the bill considered in the later, but not the former. The bill cannot, generally speaking, move forward without the approval of the T&I Committee. There is nothing in this bill that would engender any organized opposition and I suspect that the bill would garner broad, bipartisan support if it were considered.

For more details on this legislation, including an additional look at its prospects in Committee, see my article at CFSN Detailed Analysis - https://patrickcoyle.substack.com/p/hr-275-introduced-in-house - subscription required.