PlainBillCongress, translated.Legislation. Context. Public interest.Referred to the Subcommittee on Economic Development, Public Buildings and Emergency Management.
Congressional Research Service
Version 00 · Introduced in House · Jan 27, 2009
National Urban Search and Rescue Response System Act of 2009 - Amends the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act to direct the Administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to: (1) continue to administer the National Urban Search and Rescue Response System; (2) provide for a national network of standardized search and rescue resources; (3) designate task forces to participate in the System and determine criteria for participation; and (4) enter into an agreement with the required sponsoring agency of each task force regarding participation.
Sets forth provisions regarding the composition of task forces and reimbursement.
Authorizes the Administrator to appoint a System member for a period of federal service to participate in sponsored or sanctioned exercises, pre-incident staging, major disaster and emergency response activities, and training events. Entitles a member who suffers personal injury, illness, disability, or death while acting in the scope of such appointment to be treated as an employee who sustained the injury in the performance of duty.
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Sets forth provisions regarding election of benefits, liability, employment and re-employment rights, and licenses and permits.
Directs the Administrator to: (1) establish and maintain an advisory committee; (2) enter into an annual preparedness cooperative agreement with each agency; and (3) enter into response cooperative agreements under which the Administrator agrees to reimburse agencies for emergency response costs.
People & committees
Rep. Cohen, Steve [D-TN-9] · D–TN
Legislative record
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Referred to the Subcommittee on Economic Development, Public Buildings and Emergency Management.
Referred to the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure.
Introduced in House
Introduced in House
Primary sources
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Source last updated: Aug 14, 2025. Consult Congress.gov for the current record.
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