WASHINGTON -- Warning the U.S. still remains ill-prepared to respond to a catastrophe on a scale of Hurricane Katrina, a Senate inquiry concludes that FEMA, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, should be scrapped and totally rebuilt.

A report scheduled for release Thursday concluded FEMA should be rebuilt into a more efficient, well-funded replacement.

The report follows a seven-month Senate inquiry. The bipartisan
Report called for another overhaul of the Homeland Security Department -- FEMA's parent agency.

It recommends creation of the National Preparedness and Response Authority, which would be in direct contact with the president during a major crisis. It would remain under the control of Homeland Security.

The report is due out the same time President Bush makes another trip to hurricane-ravaged areas of Mississippi and Louisiana. And it's already drawn criticism.

It's time to "stop playing around with organizational charts," a spokesman for Homeland Security said.

The new agency would have the same mission as FEMA had a year ago, before its disaster planning responsibilities were taken away, Former FEMA Director Michael Brown said.