Improving Assistance for Disaster Victims

(i) include an inventory of Federal disaster assistance programs and assess the effectiveness of their respective delivery mechanisms;

(ii) recommend specific actions to improve the delivery of Federal disaster assistance, which shall include actions to provide a centralized application process for Federal disaster assistance, provide a centralized and continuously updated clearinghouse from which disaster victims may obtain information regarding Federal disaster assistance and State and local government and private sector sources of disaster assistance, reduce unnecessarily duplicative application forms and processes for Federal disaster assistance, and strengthen controls designed to prevent improper payments and other forms of fraud, waste, and abuse; and

(iii) include an implementation schedule for the Plan's recommendations that provides for the phased implementation of the Plan by December 31, 2008, including quarterly milestones and metrics to be used to measure and evaluate implementation.

(b) Membership of the Task Force. (i) The Task Force shall consist exclusively of the following members, or their designees who shall be at the Assistant Secretary level (or its equivalent) or higher:

(A) the Secretary of Homeland Security, who shall serve as Chair;

(B) the Secretary of the Treasury;

(C) the Secretary of Defense;

(D) the Attorney General;

(E) the Secretary of Agriculture;

(F) the Secretary of Commerce;

(G) the Secretary of Labor;

(H) the Secretary of Health and Human Services;

(I) the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development;

(J) the Secretary of Education;

(K) the Secretary of Veterans Affairs;

(L) the Director of the Office of Personnel Management;

(M) the Commissioner of Social Security;

(N) the Administrator of the Small Business Administration;

(O) the Director of the Office of Management and Budget; and

(P) such other officers of the United States as the Secretary of Homeland Security may designate from time to time.

(ii) The Secretary of Homeland Security, or the Secretary's designee, shall convene and preside at meetings of the Task Force, determine its agenda, direct its work, and, as appropriate to address specific subject matters, establish and direct subgroups of the Task Force. A member of the Task Force may designate, to perform Task Force subgroup functions of the member, any person who is part of such member's department or agency and who is either an officer of the United States appointed by the President or a member of the Senior Executive Service.

(c) Plan Approval and Implementation. Not later than March 1, 2007, the Secretary of Homeland Security shall submit the Plan to the President for approval through the Assistant to the President for Homeland Security and Counterterrorism and the Director of the Office of Management and Budget. Upon approval of the Plan by the President, the Secretary of Homeland Security, assisted by the Task Force, shall coordinate the implementation of the Plan. Until the completion of such implementation, the Secretary of Homeland Security shall submit a quarterly progress report to the Assistant to the President for Homeland Security and Counterterrorism and the Director of the Office of Management and Budget.

(b) be implemented in a manner consistent with the statutory authority of the principal officers of executive departments and agencies as heads of their respective departments or agencies; and

(c) not be construed to impair or otherwise affect the functions of the Director of the Office of Management and Budget relating to budget, administrative, regulatory, and legislative responsibilities.