Bill Sponsor
House Bill 687
115th Congress(2017-2018)
First Responder Access to Innovative Technologies Act
Active
Active
Passed House on Jan 31, 2017
Overview
Text
Introduced
Jan 24, 2017
Latest Action
Feb 1, 2017
Origin Chamber
House
Type
Bill
Bill
The primary form of legislative measure used to propose law. Depending on the chamber of origin, bills begin with a designation of either H.R. or S. Joint resolution is another form of legislative measure used to propose law.
Bill Number
687
Congress
115
Policy Area
Emergency Management
Emergency Management
Primary focus of measure is emergency planning; response to civil disturbances, natural and other disasters, including fires; emergency communications; security preparedness.
Sponsorship by Party
Democrat
New Jersey
Republican
Illinois
Democrat
Mississippi
Republican
New York
House Votes (1)
Senate Votes (0)
checkPassed on January 31, 2017
Status
Passed
Type
Voice Vote
Voice Vote
A vote in which the presiding officer states the question, then asks those in favor and against to say "Yea" or "Nay," respectively, and announces the result according to his or her judgment. The names or numbers of senators voting on each side are not recorded.
Passed/agreed to in House: On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill Agreed to by voice vote.(text: CR H792)
Summary

First Responder Access to Innovative Technologies Act

This bill amends the Homeland Security Act of 2002 to direct the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to implement a uniform process for reviewing applications that contain explanations to use grants provided under the Urban Area Security Initiative or the State Homeland Security Grant Program to purchase equipment or systems that do not meet or exceed any applicable national voluntary consensus standards developed under the Post-Katrina Emergency Management Reform Act of 2006.

FEMA must consider:

  • current or past use of proposed equipment or systems by federal agencies or the Armed Forces;
  • the absence of a national voluntary consensus standard for such equipment or systems;
  • the existence of an international consensus standard for such equipment or systems and whether such equipment or systems meets such standard;
  • the nature of the capability gap identified by the applicant and how such equipment or systems will address such gap; and
  • the degree to which such equipment or systems will serve the needs of the applicant better than equipment or systems that meet or exceed existing consensus standards.

FEMA shall implement a uniform process for reviewing applications to use such grants to purchase equipment or systems not included on the Authorized Equipment List maintained by FEMA.

The Inspector General of the Department of Homeland Security shall submit to specified congressional committees a report assessing the implementation of such review process, including information on the number of requests to purchase equipment or systems that do not meet or exceed any applicable consensus standard, the capability gaps identified by applicants, the number of such requests granted and denied, and the processing time for the review of such requests.

Text (3)
February 1, 2017
January 31, 2017
January 24, 2017
Actions (9)
02/01/2017
Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs.
01/31/2017
Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
01/31/2017
On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill Agreed to by voice vote. (text: CR H792)
01/31/2017
Passed/agreed to in House: On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill Agreed to by voice vote.(text: CR H792)
01/31/2017
DEBATE - The House proceeded with forty minutes of debate on H.R. 687.
01/31/2017
Considered under suspension of the rules. (consideration: CR H792-793)
01/31/2017
Mr. Donovan moved to suspend the rules and pass the bill.
01/24/2017
Referred to the House Committee on Homeland Security.
01/24/2017
Introduced in House
Public Record
Record Updated
Jan 11, 2023 1:34:16 PM