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The House of Representatives and the Senate have agreed on how to restructure the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
Last week, members of the both chambers agreed to a retooling of the agency that would keep it within the Department of Homeland Security, but would grant FEMA more independence. An amendment promulgating the change will be added to the Senate version of the FY 2007 DHS budget bill, which currently is in conference
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* Establishes FEMA as a distinct entity within DHS, much like the U.S. Coast Guard and the Secret Service, thus protecting the agency from future DHS reorganizations
* Grants the agency administrator authority to directly report to Congress and the administrator may be designated as Cabinet level, at the president’s discretion, during disasters
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http://www.fednews-online.com/view_publication.aspx?publicationId=9700