Support legislation to ensure the new Department of Homeland Security maintains strong ties with local first responders and gives them a voice in setting policy and strategy.
Commitment kind: unknown. Promised action: not established. Promised outcome: not established. Deadline: unknown; not assumed expired.
Occurrences
Collins says her First Responders Act will ensure the new Department of Homeland Security maintains strong ties with local first responders and gives them "a voice in setting policy and strategy."
Promised to back legislation requiring DHS to keep close ties with local first responders and include them in policy and strategy decisions.
unverified · Source version 62121 · locator unknown
Now that the Department of Homeland Security is up and running... it is time to strengthen the new Department's partnerships with state and local governments and with the first responders who protect us... I plan on holding a series of hearings early next month to examine this issue and to introduce legislation aimed at streamlining and strengthening federal support for state and local homeland security efforts.
Unverified model/legacy excerpt; not proof. AI summary (separate from source): Collins publicly committed to strengthening DHS ties with state/local governments and first responders and to introducing legislation to do so.
unverified · Source version 14435 · locator unknown
Sponsors... Joseph I. Lieberman(CT) Cosponsors Susan M. Collins (ME)... Full Title: To strengthen Federal leadership, provide grants, enhance outreach and guidance, and provide other support to State and local officials to achieve communications interoperability, to foster improved regional collaboration and coordination...
Unverified model/legacy excerpt; not proof. AI summary (separate from source): GovInfo shows Collins as a cosponsor of a 2005 first-responders bill that directly targeted state and local coordination and support.
unverified · Source version 62128 · locator unknown
The Senate today approved legislation offered by Senators Susan Collins and Joseph Lieberman... The legislation also ensures that all states receive the resources needed to prevent and respond to potential terrorist acts... requires greater input from first responders... The legislation was approved by a vote of 71 to 26 as an amendment to the Homeland Security Appropriations bill.
Unverified model/legacy excerpt; not proof. AI summary (separate from source): The Senate approved Collins's first-responder-focused homeland security funding formula, including greater first responder input, showing concrete legislative advancement of the promise.
unverified · Source version 14437 · locator unknown
S. 21 builds upon a bill first introduced in the last Congress, S. 1245, the Homeland Security Grant Enhancement Act of 2003... S. 1245 was offered as an amendment to the Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act of 2004 in October of 2004. It passed the Senate by voice vote, but ultimately, it was not included in the enacted legislation.
Unverified model/legacy excerpt; not proof. AI summary (separate from source): An official Senate report confirms Collins advanced the proposal, but the earlier amendment failed to make it into enacted law.
unverified · Source version 62121 · locator unknown
"it is time to strengthen the new Department's partnerships with state and local governments and with the first responders who protect us."
Unverified model/legacy excerpt; not proof. AI summary (separate from source): Collins publicly framed the DHS-first responder partnership as a priority early in the relevant Senate term.
unverified · Source version 62123 · locator unknown
"consult with State and local governments and emergency response providers regarding their homeland security needs and capabilities"
Unverified model/legacy excerpt; not proof. AI summary (separate from source): The Collins-sponsored 2003 bill text included consultation with state/local governments and emergency response providers.
unverified · Source version 62125 · locator unknown
"It increases first responders' and local officials' input into how funding is spent"
Unverified model/legacy excerpt; not proof. AI summary (separate from source): Collins's office reported Senate approval of an amendment that directly increased first responder and local-official input.
unverified · Source version 62127 · locator unknown
"The Committee approved S. 21, the Homeland Security Grant Enhancement Act of 2005 on April 13, 2005."
Unverified model/legacy excerpt; not proof. AI summary (separate from source): An official Senate report confirms Collins's committee advanced successor first-responder grant legislation in 2005.
unverified · Source version 62128 · locator unknown
"The legislation was approved by a vote of 71 to 26 as an amendment to the Homeland Security Appropriations bill"
Unverified model/legacy excerpt; not proof. AI summary (separate from source): The Senate approved a Collins-Lieberman first-responder grant amendment, showing concrete legislative progress but not final enactment of that measure.
unverified · Source version 62130 · locator unknown
"To ensure input from and coordination with State, local, and tribal governments and emergency response providers"
Unverified model/legacy excerpt; not proof. AI summary (separate from source): Public Law 110-53 enacted a consultation requirement related to DHS-administered grant programs, partially delivering the promised first-responder voice in DHS policy implementation.
The FEMA National Advisory Council advises the FEMA Administrator on all aspects of emergency management to ensure input from and coordination with State, local and tribal governments, and the non-profit and private sector on the development and revision of plans and strategies
Fetched verbatim passage. AI summary (separate from source): A current federal advisory committee report generated within the lookback window still lists the FEMA National Advisory Council as the statutory vehicle for state, local, tribal, nonprofit, and private-sector input into emergency-management plans and strategies.
unverified · Source version 74116 · locator unknown
The National Advisory Council shall incorporate State, local, and tribal government and private sector input in the development and revision of the national preparedness goal, the national preparedness system, the National Incident Management System, the National Response Plan, and other related plans and strategies.
Unverified model/legacy excerpt; not proof. AI summary (separate from source): Public Law 109-295 enacted a National Advisory Council role that gives nonfederal stakeholders input into core FEMA/DHS preparedness and response plans and strategies, directly aligning with the promise but through a specific advisory structure rather than a comprehensive first-responder policy veto or mandate.
unverified · Source version 74116 · locator unknown
members selected from the emergency management field and emergency response providers, including fire service, law enforcement, hazardous materials response, emergency medical services, and emergency management personnel, or organizations representing such individuals;
Unverified model/legacy excerpt; not proof. AI summary (separate from source): The enacted same-term law required National Advisory Council membership to include emergency-management and emergency-response-provider representation, including fire, law enforcement, hazardous-materials, EMS, and emergency-management personnel.
Reported by Ms. Collins, with an amendment and an amendment to the title, Ms. Collins (for herself, Mr. Lieberman, and Mr. Salazar) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs
Fetched verbatim passage. AI summary (separate from source): GovInfo identifies Collins as introducing and reporting the Post-Katrina Emergency Management Reform Act bill that became the basis for the enacted advisory-council and emergency-management reforms.
unverified · Source version 74120 · locator unknown
The NAC has been established. The inaugural meeting was October 22-23, 2007.
Unverified model/legacy excerpt; not proof. AI summary (separate from source): GAO confirmed during Collins's 2003-2009 term that FEMA had established the National Advisory Council and held its first meeting, showing implementation beyond statutory enactment.
it did not collaborate with these stakeholders as fully as it originally planned or as required by the October 2006 Post-Katrina Emergency Management Reform Act
Fetched verbatim passage. AI summary (separate from source): GAO found DHS/FEMA did not fully integrate nonfederal stakeholders during the National Response Framework revision process, supporting a partial rather than fully delivered rating despite enacted law and an established advisory council.
What is the approximate Percentage of these recommendations that have been or will be Fully implemented by the agency? 60%
Fetched verbatim passage. AI summary (separate from source): The current FACA report indicates that only an estimated 60% of NAC recommendations have been or will be fully implemented, reinforcing a partial rather than fully delivered assessment for giving responders and nonfederal stakeholders a policy voice.
unverified · Source version 86666 · locator unknown
The National Advisory Council shall incorporate State, local, and tribal government and private sector input in the development and revision of the national preparedness goal, the national preparedness system, the National Incident Management System, the National Response Plan, and other related plans and strategies.
Unverified model/legacy excerpt; not proof. AI summary (separate from source): The current U.S. Code text, in effect as of September 28, 2026, still contains the statutory National Advisory Council mandate enacted after Collins’s campaign, showing that the core legal mechanism remains in law.
FEMA’s National Advisory Council, a group established after Hurricane Katrina to make broad recommendations on the agency’s work, disbanded its 40 members, according to a Friday letter from Rob Long, the council’s staff director.
Fetched verbatim passage. AI summary (separate from source): Strong reporting documented that FEMA dissolved the NAC’s sitting membership in January 2025, a later-term weakening of the operational advisory channel even though the statutory council authority remains listed in official records.
unverified · Source version 86670 · locator unknown
Section 508 of the Homeland Security Act of 2002 (6 U.S.C. 318) is amended—
Unverified model/legacy excerpt; not proof. AI summary (separate from source): A later Congress introduced FEMA reform legislation that would amend the National Advisory Council statute, showing continuing legislative attention to the advisory-council framework but not enacted delivery by Collins.
Public state: unverifiedAs of unknown · legacy_unverified · . Original AI recommendation (not independently established): partial.same_termA for effort
Susan Collins materially advanced the goal by publicly committing to it, sponsoring/cosponsoring first-responder-focused DHS legislation, and helping pass related Senate amendments and proposals. The evidence does not show that the specific outcome was fully enacted into law; at least one Senate-passed effort was not included in final legislation, so this is strong legislative effort but only partial delivery.
provider codex_cli · model gpt-5.4-mini · confidence 97%
Public state: unverifiedAs of unknown · legacy_unverified · . Original AI recommendation (not independently established): partial.same_termA for effort
Collins materially advanced legislation in the 2003-2009 Senate term that addressed the promise: she publicly committed to strengthening DHS partnerships with state and local first responders, cosponsored first-responder interoperability legislation, and helped win Senate approval for a Collins-Lieberman amendment requiring greater first-responder input. However, the evidence does not show that the broader promised outcome was fully enacted into law or that DHS policy and strategy were definitively changed to give first responders the promised voice. This supports substantial same-term effort and partial delivery, not full delivery.
provider codex_cli · model gpt-5.5 · confidence 86%