FEDERAL DISASTER ASSISTANCE COORDINATION ACT

FEDERAL DISASTER ASSISTANCE COORDINATION ACT

Congressional Record, Volume 171 Issue 6 (Monday, January 13, 2025) [Congressional Record Volume 171, Number 6 (Monday, January 13, 2025)] [House] [Pages H100-H101] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [ www.gpo.gov ] FEDERAL DISASTER ASSISTANCE COORDINATION ACT Mr. GRAVES. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 152) to amend the Disaster Recovery Reform Act of 2018 to develop a study regarding streamlining and consolidating information collection and preliminary damage assessments, and for other purposes. The Clerk read the title of the bill. The text of the bill is as follows: H.R. 152 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 ``Federal Disaster Assistance Coordination Act''. SEC. 2. STUDY TO STREAMLINE AND CONSOLIDATE INFORMATION COLLECTION AND PRELIMINARY DAMAGE ASSESSMENTS. (a) In General.--Section 1223 of the Disaster Recovery Reform Act of 2018 (Public Law 115-254) is amended to read as follows: ``SEC. 1223. STUDY TO STREAMLINE AND CONSOLIDATE INFORMATION COLLECTION AND PRELIMINARY DAMAGE ASSESSMENTS. ``(a) Information Collection.--Not later than 2 years after the date of enactment of this section, the Administrator, in coordination with the Small Business Administration, the Department of Housing and Urban Development, the Disaster Assistance Working Group of the Council of the Inspectors General on Integrity and Efficiency, and other appropriate agencies, shall-- ``(1) conduct a study and develop a plan, consistent with law, under which the collection of information from disaster assistance applicants and grantees will be modified, streamlined, expedited, efficient, flexible, consolidated, and simplified to be less burdensome, duplicative, and time consuming for applicants and grantees; and ``(2) develop a plan for the regular collection and reporting of information on Federal disaster assistance awarded, including the establishment and maintenance of a website for presenting the information to the public. ``(b) Preliminary Damage Assessments.--Not later than 2 years after the date of enactment of this section, the Administrator, in consultation with the Council of the Inspectors General on Integrity and Efficiency, shall convene a working group on a regular basis with the Secretary of Labor, the Director of the Office of Management and Budget, the Secretary of Health and Human Services, the Administrator of the Small Business Administration, the Secretary of Transportation, the Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Economic Development, and other appropriate agencies as the Administrator considers necessary, to-- ``(1) identify and describe the potential areas of duplication or fragmentation in preliminary damage assessments after disaster declarations; ``(2) determine the applicability of having one Federal agency make the assessments for all agencies; and ``(3) identify potential emerging technologies, such as unmanned aircraft systems, consistent with the requirements established in the FEMA Accountability, Modernization and Transparency Act of 2017 (42 U.S.C. 5121 note), to expedite the administration of preliminary damage assessments. ``(c) Comprehensive Report.--The Administrator shall submit one comprehensive report that comprises the plans developed under subsections (a)(1) and (a)(2) and a report of the findings of the working group convened under subsection (b), which may include recommendations, to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure of the House of Representatives and the Committee [[Page H101]] on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs of the Senate. ``(d) Public Availability.--The comprehensive report developed under subsection (c) shall be made available to the public and posted on the website of the Federal Emergency Management Agency-- ``(1) in pre-compressed, easily downloadable versions that are made available in all appropriate formats; and ``(2) in machine-readable format, if applicable. ``(e) Sources of Information.--In preparing the comprehensive report, any publication, database, or web-based resource, and any information compiled by any government agency, nongovernmental organization, or other entity that is made available may be used. ``(f) Briefing.--Not later than 180 days after submission of the comprehensive report, the Administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, or a designee, and a member of the Council of the Inspectors General on Integrity and Efficiency, or a designee, shall brief, upon request, the appropriate congressional committees on the findings and any recommendations made in the comprehensive report.''. (b) Technical Amendment.--The item relating to section 1223 in the table of contents of the FAA Reauthorization Act of 2018 (Public Law 115-254) is amended to read as follows: ``Sec. 1223. Study to streamline and consolidate information collection and preliminary damage assessments.''. 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. 152. 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. 152, the Federal Disaster Assistance Coordination Act, is a commonsense bill that is going to streamline and consolidate the collection of information following a disaster. While the Federal Emergency Management Agency is the lead Federal agency on disasters, there are often many Federal agencies involved in disaster response and recovery. I have experienced firsthand just how frustrating it can be when these Federal agencies fail to work together following a natural disaster. That is why I am proud to support H.R. 152, which would address this concern by amending the FEMA-led working group created in the Disaster Recovery Reform Act of 2018. Specifically, the working group is going to develop a plan to make the collection of information from disaster survivors less burdensome, duplicative, and time consuming. This working group is also going to coordinate with the Council of the Inspectors General on Integrity and Efficiency to identify ways to reduce duplication and streamline the Federal damage assessment process. I thank the gentleman from Mississippi (Mr. Ezell) for his leadership on this legislation. Mr. Speaker, I urge support of this legislation, and I reserve the balance of my time. Ms. HOYLE of Oregon. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. I rise in support of H.R. 152, the Federal Disaster Assistance Coordination Act. This legislation amends the Disaster Recovery Reform Act to help Federal agencies streamline and consolidate information collection and preliminary damage assessments following disasters. After a major disaster, there is no time to wait for bureaucracy. However, Federal recovery assistance following disasters is currently hampered by inefficient information collection and assessments conducted by multiple agencies. This bill will remove information collection barriers that currently impede disaster aid. It creates a working group to identify duplicative assessments and propose their elimination. Further, it would streamline Federal disaster recovery efforts by concluding that a single agency is sufficient to conduct damage assessments to account for the needs of disaster victims. The Federal Government can and should be doing this smarter. Mr. Speaker, I support this bill, and I urge my colleagues to do the same. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time. Mr. GRAVES. Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the gentleman from Mississippi (Mr. Ezell), the bill's sponsor. Mr. EZELL. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of my legislation, which aims to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of disaster assistance. Unfortunately, none of us are strangers to the effects of natural disasters, and we have all had these problems in our hometowns. Right now we are seeing how these events threaten lives, damage property, and strain local, State, and Federal resources. In the aftermath, millions of Americans are left seeking help to rebuild their lives and their communities. However, when seeking necessary Federal relief, applying for disaster assistance can be a frustrating and confusing process. This leads to delays, frustration, and even disqualification from receiving the aid. This is where my bill comes in. H.R. 152 works to eliminate inefficiencies and expedite the application process by ensuring only one information submission is needed. Survivors are already facing difficult circumstances, and the application process should not add to their stress. H.R. 152 represents a crucial step forward toward achieving a more effective disaster recovery system that prioritizes the needs of Americans and ensures they receive the help in a timely manner. I urge my colleagues to support this bill. Ms. HOYLE of Oregon. Mr. Speaker, as stewards of taxpayer dollars, we need to ensure that we are spending our money as efficiently as possible. Government should work. As we have seen in fires in Oregon, hurricanes in North Carolina and Florida, and currently the horrific fires in Los Angeles, when people suffer from a natural disaster, it is imperative that they get the help that they need. They have lost everything, and the last thing we should be doing is dragging them through duplicative bureaucracy. That is why this bill is so important. This bipartisan bill passed the House on suspension in the 116th, 117th, and 118th Congresses

Referenced legislation: HR152, HR152