WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Fiscal Year 2007 Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Conference Report was signed by President George W. Bush this morning. The bill includes several vital provisions aimed at improving America’s homeland security, including strengthening the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and chemical security language advanced by U.S. Senator George V. Voinovich (R-OH), a member of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee.

“We in Congress have a duty to ensure our nation develops a more effective emergency management system in order to prevent future devastation and suffering on the scale of Hurricane Katrina,” Sen. Voinovich said. “Ensuring our nation has the capability of responding to both natural disasters and terrorism is an essential priority for our government. I am pleased that the Senate and House were been able to reach agreement on provisions to strengthen FEMA.”

In addition to the strengthening of the national emergency management system, Sen. Voinovich has called for and helped advance language in this bill aimed at improving chemical security.

”Our national critical infrastructure will be more secure once the president signs this legislation into law,” Sen. Voinovich said. “I worked hard to ensure Congress sets strong national standards for chemical security and I’m pleased this is finally becoming a reality.”

Sen. Voinovich is pleased that the positions he has long-advocated on chemical security were adopted in the conference report, which does the following:

• Sets strong national standards for chemical security; • Provides risk-based, performance-based standards; • Does not mandate change in chemical manufacturing or processing; • Offers strong protection of sensitive security information”; • Provides adequate liability protection and due process and judicial review provisions; and • Gives credit for measures already taken by industry, absent federal legislation.

Specific priorities of Sen. Voinovich regarding FEMA reform which were successfully advanced in the Conference agreement include provisions to:

• Keep FEMA within the Department of Homeland Security; • Strengthen FEMA’s workforce by improving the agency’s recruitment and retention capabilities and providing additional training and educational opportunities for FEMA employees; • Provide the agency with additional resources: authorizes 10 percent funding increases for the agency from FY 2008-2010; • Seek to improve leadership by requiring the FEMA Administrator to meet stricter qualifications and demonstrate significant experience in emergency management, and elevates the level of the FEMA Administrator to Deputy Secretary at Executive Level II; • Direct more attention and resources to hazard mitigation measures, which provide a 4 to 1 benefit-cost ratio for federal investment; • Promote the use of hazard-resistant building materials to withstand the most common disasters in a given region; • Strengthen FEMA Regional Offices and foster improved coordination and consultation with state and local governments; • Authorize Emergency Management Performance Grants (EMPG) at $175 million above the FY07 appropriated amount; • Develop a national strategy for enhancing interoperable communications for first responders; • Modify the Stafford Act to give FEMA greater flexibility in responding to the housing needs of disaster victims. These modifications in home repair and replacement assistance will allow disaster victims to return to their homes more quickly and will save in payments for alternative accommodations. Additionally, the provisions authorize the use of more cost-effective semi-permanent housing for eligible disaster victims (instead of trailers); • Combat waste, fraud and abuse. --END--