{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://www.portman.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/press-releases?ID=FCBA7C4A-203F-4597-9B1E-549D9BE2CE16", "Portman Bill to Help First Responders Signed into Law", "2016-12-16", "2016", "2016-12", "Republican", "House", "OH", "Rob Portman", "P000449", "www.portman.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Bipartisan Bill Will Protect & Support America\u2019s Search & Rescue Teams That Responded to 9/11, Katrina & Sandy Disasters\r\nWASHINGTON, D.C. \u2013 U.S. Senator Rob Portman\u2019s (R-OH) announced today that the president has signed into law his National Urban Search and Rescue Response System Act, bipartisan legislation that will strengthen the efficiency and effectiveness of FEMA\u2019s disaster assistance capabilities and programs.\u00a0Approved by the Homeland Security and Government Affairs Committee\u00a0on a bipartisan basis in May endorsed\u00a0by Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson in September, and passed unanimously by the Senate in November, this legislation will help America\u2019s search and rescue teams\u2014like Dayton\u2019s Ohio Task Force One\u2014that responded to 9/11, Katrina, Sandy, and most recently, Hurricane Matthew.\r\n\u201cVolunteers serving on Search and Rescue team like Ohio Task Force One deserve to know that, when they deploy to disaster areas and put it all on the line for us, their heath and employment are not at risk,\u201d Portman said. \u201cThese volunteers are absolutely critical to the future of our emergency response, and now that this bill is law, when they leave their families at a moment\u2019s notice, they know we are there for them.\u201d\r\nNOTE:\u00a0\u00a0The\u00a0National Urban Search and Rescue Response System Act\u00a0(S. 2791)\u00a0will improve the National Urban Search and Rescue (US&R) Response System by clarifying existing workers compensation and liability protections, allowing for the election of benefits, extending reemployment rights to System members when deployed as federal volunteers, allowing the reimbursement for employees filling positions of system members, and requiring the FEMA Administrator to develop a comprehensive plan to finance and replace equipment, as recommended by the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO).\r\nA FEMA report found that 11 percent or greater of each search and rescue task force is comprised of non-affiliated members, who are not employed by a sponsoring or participating agency. \u00a0Instead, they are private citizens employed as medical doctors, engineers, or heavy riggers, who bring unique and specialized skill sets necessary to rescue survivors in times of disaster. \u00a0Without the extension of reemployment rights for System members, non-affiliated members risk losing their regular jobs upon returning from deployment, which has occurred after previous disasters such as Hurricane Katrina. Since 9/11, task force teams have been required to prepare to respond to all hazards, including Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear, and Explosive (CBRNE) incidents, and were appropriated additional funds to purchase equipment to provide that capability. GAO recently found that the System\u2019s CBRNE equipment is reaching its life-cycle expiration and other critical equipment is outdated. \u00a0FEMA does not have a plan to replace System equipment.\u00a0Portman\u2019s new law authorizes funding to maintain this critical capability.\r\nPortman discussed the importance of his legislation in a recent op-ed.\r\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://www.portman.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/press-releases?ID=FCBA7C4A-203F-4597-9B1E-549D9BE2CE16"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 1.3535530306398869, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}