United States 119th Congress Status: Passed Senate Bipartisan · 1 D · 1 R cosponsors

S 594 — HELP Response and Recovery Act

Last action — Held at the desk.

  1. ✓
    Introduced
  2. ✓
    In Committee
  3. 3
    Passed Senate
  4. 4
    Passed House
  5. 5
    To Executive
  6. 6
    Enacted

This bill has passed the Senate. Introduced February 13, 2025. It now moves to the second chamber.

Next likely step: consideration and a floor vote in the House.

Odds of enactment

High chance

Based on the sponsor, cosponsors, and committee posture, this bill has a high chance of becoming law.

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A statistical estimate from our own model of past outcomes — an insight, not a guarantee. Policymaking is volatile.

Prognosis

Advancing 46% · moderate confidence

  • Passed Senate

    Current position in the legislative process.

  • 2 sponsors

    1 primary, 1 co-sponsors signed on.

  • Bipartisan support

    Sponsored across 2 parties (1 D · 1 R) — cross-party backing.

Based on stage, sponsorship breadth, committee status, recorded votes, and cross-state momentum — a description of the observable signals, not a prediction.

Summary

Helping Eliminate Limitations for Prompt Response and Recovery Act or the HELP Response and Recovery ActThis bill extends the maximum duration of noncompetitive Department of Homeland Security (DHS) contracts for disaster response and recovery from 150 days to one year by repealing a current limitation on such DHS contracts so that standard procurement regulations apply regarding urgent needs. It also requires DHS to report to Congress annually for five years to review how this repeal has prevented waste and provide information on noncompetitive Federal Emergency Management Agency contracts.

Bill Text

What changed in the latest version

6 added · 59 removed

Plain-language change summary

The revised version of the bill includes additional lines that affirm its passage in the Senate on December 16, 2025. The changes also remove the short title and several sections related to obsolete Department of Homeland Security contracting requirements and reporting definitions. These amendments streamline the bill by eliminating outdated provisions, which can clarify and focus the legislation on current needs.

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Latest
594 Reported in Senate (RS)] <DOC> Calendar No.
594 Engrossed in Senate (ES)] <DOC> 119th CONGRESS 1st Session S.
252 119th CONGRESS 1st Session S.
594 _______________________________________________________________________ AN ACT To amend the Post-Katrina Management Reform Act of 2006 to repeal certain obsolete requirements, and for other purposes.
594 To amend the Post-Katrina Management Reform Act of 2006 to repeal certain obsolete requirements, and for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, SECTION 1.
_______________________________________________________________________ IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES February 13, 2025 Mr.
Peters (for himself and Mr.
Kennedy) introduced the following bill;
which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs November 3, 2025 Reported by Mr.
Paul, with an amendment [Strike out all after the enacting clause and insert the part printed in italic] _______________________________________________________________________ A BILL To amend the Post-Katrina Management Reform Act of 2006 to repeal certain obsolete requirements, and for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, <DELETED>SECTION 1.
SHORT TITLE.</DELETED> <DELETED> This Act may be cited as the ``Helping Eliminate Limitations for Prompt Response and Recovery Act'' or the ``HELP Response and Recovery Act''.</DELETED> <DELETED>SEC.
2.
REPEAL OF OBSOLETE DHS CONTRACTING REQUIREMENTS.</DELETED> <DELETED> The Post-Katrina Emergency Management Reform Act of 2006 (Public Law 109-295;
120 Stat.
1394) is amended by striking section 695 (6 U.S.C.
794).</DELETED> <DELETED>SEC.
3.
REPORTS.</DELETED> <DELETED> (a) Covered Period Defined.--In this section, the term ``covered period'' means--</DELETED> <DELETED> (1) with respect to an initial report required under subsection (b), the period between the date of enactment of this Act and the date of the report;
and</DELETED> <DELETED> (2) with respect to any succeeding report required under subsection (b), the period between the date of the most recent report and the succeeding report.</DELETED> <DELETED> (b) Requirement.--Not later than 540 days after the date of enactment of this Act, and annually thereafter until the date that is 5 years thereafter, the Secretary of Homeland Security shall submit to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs of the Senate and the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure of the House of Representatives a report that--</DELETED> <DELETED> (1) reviews how the repeal under section 2 has-- </DELETED> <DELETED> (A) prevented waste, fraud, and abuse;
and</DELETED> <DELETED> (B) promoted taxpayer savings;
and</DELETED> <DELETED> (2) includes, with respect to a contract entered into or extended by the Administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency under urgent and compelling circumstances during the covered period for which the Administrator did not solicit bids--</DELETED> <DELETED> (A) the number of those contracts;</DELETED> <DELETED> (B) the subject of each contract;</DELETED> <DELETED> (C) the amounts obligated by the Administrator for each contract;</DELETED> <DELETED> (D) if applicable, the State benefitted by each contract;
and</DELETED> <DELETED> (E) if applicable, the name of the major disaster or emergency for which each contract was entered into or extended.</DELETED> SECTION 1.
Calendar No.
Passed the Senate December 16, 2025.
252 119th CONGRESS 1st Session S.
Attest:
594 _______________________________________________________________________ A BILL To amend the Post-Katrina Management Reform Act of 2006 to repeal certain obsolete requirements, and for other purposes.
Secretary.
_______________________________________________________________________ November 3, 2025 Reported with an amendment
119th CONGRESS 1st Session S.
594 _______________________________________________________________________ AN ACT To amend the Post-Katrina Management Reform Act of 2006 to repeal certain obsolete requirements, and for other purposes.
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Action History

  1. Introduced in Senate

  2. Read twice and referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs.

  3. Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs. Ordered to be reported with an amendment in the nature of a substitute favorably.

  4. Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs. Reported by Senator Paul with an amendment in the nature of a substitute. Without written report.

  5. Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs. Reported by Senator Paul with an amendment in the nature of a substitute. Without written report.

  6. Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 252.

  7. Passed/agreed to in Senate: Passed Senate with an amendment by Unanimous Consent.

  8. Passed Senate with an amendment by Unanimous Consent. (consideration: CR S8764-8765; text of amendment in the nature of a substitute: CR S8764-8765)

  9. Message on Senate action sent to the House.

  10. Received in the House.

  11. Held at the desk.

Sponsors

Sponsorship breakdown

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1 sponsors · 1 co-sponsors · 545 not signed on

Sponsors (1)

Co-sponsors (1)

Not signed on (545)

545 members have not signed on to this bill.

Show all 545 →

"Not signed on" means a member has not sponsored or co-sponsored this bill — it does not imply opposition. Members flagged Voted No have a recorded No vote on this bill.

Whip count is in markup. Polling the chamber and every recorded vote this session. Only the first open is slow. It’s instant for you after this. Calling the roll · Tallying · Engrossing

Subjects

public-safety environment transportation
Cross-referencing the record. Reading this bill against every other bill in the corpus by meaning, not keywords. Only the first open is slow. It’s instant for you after this. Matching · Ranking · Engrossing

Frequently asked questions

What does S 594 do?
Helping Eliminate Limitations for Prompt Response and Recovery Act or the HELP Response and Recovery ActThis bill extends the maximum duration of noncompetitive Department of Homeland Security (DHS) contracts for disaster response and recovery from 150 days to one year by repealing a current limitation on such DHS contracts so that standard procurement regulations apply regarding urgent needs. It also requires DHS to report to Congress annually for five years to review how this repeal has prevented waste and provide information on noncompetitive Federal Emergency Management Agency contracts.
Who sponsors S 594?
S 594 is sponsored by Peters, Gary C. (Democratic) and Kennedy, John (Republican).
What is the current status of S 594?
This bill has passed the Senate. Introduced February 13, 2025. It now moves to the second chamber.
Where can I track S 594?
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