1、Congressional Research Service The Library of CongressCRS Report for CongressReceived through the CRS WebOrder Code RS21697August 2, 2004Overview of Components of the National Response Plan and Selected IssuesKeith Bea, CoordinatorSpecialist in American National GovernmentGovernment and Finance Divi
2、sionSummaryCongress and the President have directed the Department of Homeland Security(DHS) to consolidate existing emergency response plans into one national response plan(NRP) and develop a national incident management system (NIMS). The NRP,currently under development, will establish an overarch
3、ing structure to coordinatefederal resources in responding to a significant emergency including an attack, naturaldisaster, accidental hazardous material spill, or other crisis that overwhelms stateresources. The Administration plans to combine five existing plans into the NRP; itreleased an Initial
4、 NRP on October 10, 2003, and projects the final NRP to be completedin early 2005. DHS released the NIMS on March 1, 2004, thereby establishing astandard incident command system (ICS) to guide the response to major catastrophes.Related issues that Congress may consider include the implication of ins