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FACE Act

Public Law 116-272 · S. 979 · 116th Congress · began in the Senate

Signed by Donald Trump (R) on Dec 31, 2020 · Emergency Management

Sponsor: Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL)

Cosponsors (5): Sen. Ron Johnson,

Passage votesYeaNay

  • HouseRecorded vote: 386 yea, 1 nay386–1
  • SenateUnanimous consent
Data notes

The final version of the law, as each chamber passed it. A chamber that passed it by voice vote or unanimous consent has no count. “Method not stated” means the record does not say how the chamber voted. Where the record has a member-by-member vote, the “Who voted for it” section shows who voted yea.

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Summary

The Congressional Research Service’s plain-language summary of what the law does.

Federal Advance Contracts Enhancement Act or the FACE Act

This bill directs the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to report to Congress on advance contracts. Advance contracts are established prior to disasters to provide life-sustaining goods and services in the immediate aftermath of a disaster.

The report must include (1) information required in the initial report on recurring disaster response requirements; and (2) an updated strategy that defines the objectives of advance contracts, how such contracts contribute to FEMA disaster response operations, how to maximize the award of advance contracts to small business concerns, and whether and how such contracts should be prioritized in relation to new post-disaster contract awards.

The bill sets forth additional duties of FEMA with respect to advance contracts, including requiring FEMA to (1) update and implement guidance for its program office and acquisition personnel to identify acquisition planning time frames and considerations across the entire acquisition planning process, and (2) communicate the purpose and use of a master acquisition planning schedule.

Who voted for it

Every House member of the 116th Congress on the ideology compass. Highlighted: the 386 who voted yea on final passage. Faded: everyone else, including those who voted nay, did not vote, or had not yet taken office.

386 yea1 nay42 present or did not vote

ProEstablishmentAnti
Economic left–right
More liberalMore conservative

Democrats who voted yea(230)

Republicans who voted yea(156)

Data notes

The House’s recorded vote on the final version of the law (roll call 945 in Voteview), matched to the vote the record cites and checked against its totals. Positions are each member’s DW-NOMINATE score for that Congress, as on the Ideology page; left to right is more liberal to more conservative. Paired and announced yea votes count as yea. Lists follow the compass, most liberal first. A name links to a profile only for members of the current Congress. A law passed by voice vote or unanimous consent has no member list, and neither does a vote Voteview has not yet recorded.

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Committees

The committees the bill was sent to, and what each did with it.

Data notes

A committee links to its page only where it exists in the current Congress; older and renamed committees are named without a link.

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Related bills

1 bill the Library of Congress relates to this one.

Data notes

Related bills are identified by the Congressional Research Service, the House and the Senate: companion and identical bills, bills with similar text, bills that were folded into this law, and rules that brought it to the floor. A bill that is itself a public law in this site’s data links here; the others link to Congress.gov.

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Timeline

From introduction to signing, newest first: the committees, the floor and the president. 20 actions.

  1. Dec 31, 2020Became lawBecame law · Became Public Law No: 116-272.
  2. Became lawBecame law · Signed by President.
  3. Dec 21, 2020FloorFloor · Presented to President.
  4. Dec 18, 2020FloorFloor · Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
  5. FloorFloor · On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill Agreed to by the Yeas and Nays: (2/3 required): 386 - 1 (Roll no. 246).House roll call 246
  6. FloorFloor · Considered as unfinished business.
  7. FloorFloor · At the conclusion of debate, the Yeas and Nays were demanded and ordered. Pursuant to the provisions of clause 8, rule XX, the Chair announced that further proceedings on the motion would be postponed.
  8. FloorFloor · DEBATE - The House proceeded with forty minutes of debate on S. 979.
  9. FloorFloor · Considered under suspension of the rules.
  10. FloorFloor · Ms. Norton moved to suspend the rules and pass the bill.
  11. Nov 12, 2019CommitteeCommittee · Referred to the Subcommittee on Economic Development, Public Buildings, and Emergency Management.
  12. Nov 8, 2019FloorFloor · Received in the House.
  13. FloorFloor · Message on Senate action sent to the House.
  14. CommitteeCommittee · Referred to the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure.
  15. Nov 7, 2019FloorFloor · Passed Senate with amendments by Unanimous Consent.
  16. Sep 10, 2019CalendarCalendar · Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 188.
  17. CommitteeCommittee · Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs. Reported by Senator Johnson with amendments. With written report No. 116-84.
  18. Jun 19, 2019CommitteeCommittee · Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs. Ordered to be reported with an amendment favorably.
  19. Apr 2, 2019CommitteeCommittee · Read twice and referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs.
  20. IntroducedIntroduced · Introduced in Senate
Data notes

Every action the Library of Congress lists for the bill, from introduction to signing, plus the dated committee hearings. The source lists many steps twice (the chamber’s own entry and the Library of Congress copy, or a presidential and a became-law entry with the same words); those are shown once. Amendments are listed in their own section.

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Amendments

No amendments to this bill are on record.

Data notes

Amendments offered to this bill in either chamber, as the Library of Congress records them: each with a status read from its last recorded step: agreed to, rejected, withdrawn, ruled out of order, fell with another amendment, or offered with no vote recorded (most Senate amendments are only ever offered). The wording of each amendment is the source’s. Amendments to amendments and amendments to other bills are not listed.

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Official record

The bill’s full text is on Congress.gov. Data through Oct 7, 2026.