POST-DISASTER ASSISTANCE ONLINE ACCOUNTABILITY ACT

POST-DISASTER ASSISTANCE ONLINE ACCOUNTABILITY ACT

Congressional Record, Volume 171 Issue 6 (Monday, January 13, 2025) [Congressional Record Volume 171, Number 6 (Monday, January 13, 2025)] [House] [Pages H101-H103] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [ www.gpo.gov ] {time} 1645 POST-DISASTER ASSISTANCE ONLINE ACCOUNTABILITY ACT Mr. GRAVES. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 153) to provide for an online repository for certain reporting requirements for recipients of Federal disaster assistance, and for other purposes. The Clerk read the title of the bill. The text of the bill is as follows: H.R. 153 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. This Act may be cited as the ``Post-Disaster Assistance Online Accountability Act''. [[Page H102]] SEC. 2. SUBPAGE FOR TRANSPARENCY OF DISASTER ASSISTANCE. (a) Establishment of Repository for Reporting Requirements.--The Director of the Office of Management and Budget, in consultation with the Secretary of the Treasury and the head of each covered Federal agency, shall establish a subpage within the website established under section 2 of the Federal Funding Accountability and Transparency Act of 2006 (31 U.S.C. 6101 note) to publish the information required to be made available to the public under this section. (b) Submission of Information by Federal Agencies.--Not later than 30 days after the end of a calendar quarter, each covered Federal agency that made disaster assistance available to an eligible recipient during such quarter shall, in coordination with the Director of the Office of Management and Budget, make available to the public on the subpage established under subsection (a) the information described in subsection (c), and ensure that any data asset of the agency is machine readable. (c) Information Required.--The information described in this subsection is, with respect to disaster assistance provided by the covered Federal agency-- (1) the total amount of disaster assistance provided by the agency during such quarter; (2) the amount of disaster assistance provided by the agency that was expended or obligated to projects or activities; and (3) a detailed list of all projects or activities for which disaster assistance dispersed by the agency was expended, obligated, or used, including-- (A) the name of the project or activity; (B) a description of the project or activity; (C) an evaluation of the completion status of the project or activity; (D) any award identification number assigned to the project; (E) the Catalog for Disaster Assistance number assigned by the Federal Emergency Management Agency; (F) the location of the project, including ZIP Codes; and (G) any reporting requirement information being collected by a covered Federal agency with respect to that agency's disaster assistance. (d) Guidance.--Each covered Federal agency, in coordination with the Director of the Office of Management and Budget and the Secretary of the Treasury, shall issue such guidance as is necessary to meet the requirements of this Act. (e) Agreement With Private Entity.--The Director, if necessary for purposes of transparency, may enter into an agreement with a private entity, including a nonprofit organization, to develop the subpage required under this section. SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS. In this Act, the following definitions apply: (1) Covered federal agency.--The term ``covered Federal agency'' means-- (A) any agency providing assistance under the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5121 et seq.); (B) the Small Business Administration; and (C) the Department of Housing and Urban Development. (2) Disaster assistance.--The term ``disaster assistance'' means any funds that are made available by the Federal Government in response to a specified natural disaster, including-- (A) any assistance provided by the Administrator of the Small Business Administration as a result of a disaster declared under section 7(b) of the Small Business Act (15 U.S.C. 636(b)); (B) any assistance provided by the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development for-- (i) activities authorized under title I of the Housing and Community Development Act of 1974 (42 U.S.C. 5301 et seq.) related to disaster relief, long-term recovery, restoration of infrastructure and housing, and economic revitalization in the most impacted and distressed areas resulting from a major disaster declared pursuant to the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5121 et seq.); and (ii) flood insurance coverage provided under the National Flood Insurance Program pursuant to the National Flood Insurance Act of 1968 (42 U.S.C. 4001 et seq.); and (C) any assistance provided under the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5121 et seq.). (3) Eligible recipient.--The term ``eligible recipient''-- (A) means any entity that receives disaster assistance directly from the Federal Government (including disaster assistance received through grant, loan, or contract) other than an individual; and (B) includes a State that receives disaster assistance. (4) Specified natural disaster.--The term ``specified natural disaster'' means-- (A) a fire on public or private forest land or grassland described in section 420 of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5187); (B) a major disaster declared by the President under section 401 of such Act (42 U.S.C. 5170); (C) an emergency declared by the President under section 501 of such Act (42 U.S.C. 5191); and (D) any other natural disaster for which a disaster declaration is made by the Federal Government. The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from Missouri (Mr. Graves) and the gentlewoman from Oregon (Ms. Hoyle) each will control 20 minutes. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Missouri. General Leave Mr. GRAVES. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and insert extraneous material into the Record on H.R. 153. The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the gentleman from Missouri? There was no objection. Mr. GRAVES. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, H.R. 153, the Post-Disaster Assistance Online Accountability Act, will increase transparency for post-disaster Federal assistance. H.R. 153 will do this by requiring agencies that provide Federal disaster assistance to update a central website quarterly with information on their disaster assistance programs. That way, the American taxpayer can see exactly where their hard-earned dollars are going. H.R. 153 passed the House in the 116th, 117th, and 118th Congresses, and I urge continued support for this commonsense legislation. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Mississippi (Mr. Ezell) for his leadership on this important legislation, and I reserve the balance of my time. Ms. HOYLE of Oregon. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 153. This bill would create a new online system for tracking Federal disaster projects and assistance. People should know how and where their disaster funds are being spent without wading through reams of government paperwork. The legislation simplifies the data collection process for Federal disaster recovery projects. To increase transparency, this bill would also create a page on USAspending.gov where anyone can track agency disaster recovery activities and the amount of assistance expended by the agency on a quarterly basis. Federal agencies need to be accountable to the victims of disasters and to the taxpayers who funded these agencies' really important work. We also need to allow Federal disaster victims peace of mind when they are at their most vulnerable. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to join me and support this legislation, and I reserve the balance of my time. Mr. GRAVES. Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the gentleman from Mississippi (Mr. Ezell), who is the sponsor of the legislation. Mr. EZELL. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to speak on my bill, H.R. 153, the Post-Disaster Assistance Online Accountability Act, which aims to improve transparency in the Federal disaster assistance process. When disaster strikes, the priority is to save lives and to help communities recover. However, in doing so, one of the biggest challenges in the aftermath of a disaster is ensuring that aid is distributed fairly and timely to those who need it most. Transparency builds trust in government. Without clear information, communities may feel left in the dark about how aid is being allocated. This is where the Post-Disaster Assistance Online Accountability Act comes in. This bill requires FEMA to publicly share key information about the damage caused by disasters and how assistance is being distributed. It ensures the public can track recovery efforts in real time and understand how resources are being allocated. This helps communities, local governments, and organizations involved in recovery make more informed decisions. The bill also mandates that FEMA provide detailed, easy-to-access data, such as the extent of the damage, the areas affected, and the estimated cost of recovery. Ultimately, this bill holds FEMA and the government accountable to the American people. By strengthening trust, H.R. 153 is a vital step toward building a more transparent, responsive disaster recovery system. [[Page H103]] Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this bill. Ms. HOYLE of Oregon. Mr. Speaker, the House passed this bipartisan bill on suspension in the 116th, 117th, and 118th Congresses. I look forward to the Senate taking up this bill, given how important it is with the massive natural disasters that we are seeing. I certainly hope that we in Congress

Referenced legislation: HR153, HR153