S. 3648 would extend the length of time that the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) may enter into noncompetitive contracts following disasters and other emergencies. Under the Post-Katrina Emergency Management Reform Act of 2006, DHS is generally prohibited from entering into those types of contracts for a duration greater than 150 days. S. 3648 would repeal that limitation and allow DHS to enter into such contracts for up to one year (the general limit on noncompetitive contracts). The bill also would require DHS to report to the Congress, within 540 days of enactment and annually thereafter for five years, on the details of noncompetitive contracts entered into by the department, and on the extent to which the repeal of the limitation results in any savings to the government or prevents waste, fraud, or abuse.
