HR 152 — Federal Disaster Assistance Coordination Act

Summary

Federal Disaster Assistance Coordination ActThis bill requires the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to streamline disaster information collection, convene a working group on preliminary damage assessments, and provide a report to Congress.FEMA must (1) conduct a study and develop a plan under which the collection of information from disaster assistance applicants and grantees will be made 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.Additionally, not later than two years after enactment of the bill, FEMA must convene a working group on a regular basis to (1) identify 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 (i.e., drones), to expedite the administration of preliminary damage assessments.FEMA must submit a comprehensive report on the plans for streamlining and consolidating information collection and the findings and recommendations of the working group to Congress with a briefing. The report must be made available to the public and posted on FEMA's website.

Bill Text

Compared against current U.S. Code AI-generated reading aid — verify against the official bill.

The bill amends existing law by adding provisions for a study to streamline and consolidate information collection and preliminary damage assessments in disaster response.

• Section 1223 of the Disaster Recovery Reform Act of 2018

  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 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.

  This change establishes a new study requirement for streamlining information collection and damage assessments after disasters.

• Section 1223 of the Disaster Recovery Reform Act of 2018

  SEC. 1223. STUDY TO STREAMLINE AND CONSOLIDATE INFORMATION COLLECTION AND PRELIMINARY DAMAGE ASSESSMENTS. → SEC. 1223. STUDY TO STREAMLINE AND CONSOLIDATE INFORMATION COLLECTION AND PRELIMINARY DAMAGE ASSESSMENTS.

  This change updates the title of the section to match the new focus of the study.

Action History

1. January 14, 2025

   Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs.

2. January 13, 2025

   Mr. Graves moved to suspend the rules and pass the bill.

3. January 13, 2025

   Considered under suspension of the rules. (consideration: CR H100-101)

4. January 13, 2025

   DEBATE - The House proceeded with forty minutes of debate on H.R. 152.

5. January 13, 2025

   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.

6. January 13, 2025

   Considered as unfinished business. (consideration: CR H107-108)

7. January 13, 2025

   Passed/agreed to in House: On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill Agreed to by the Yeas and Nays: (2/3 required): 405 - 5 (Roll no. 9). (text: CR H100-101)

8. January 13, 2025

   On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill Agreed to by the Yeas and Nays: (2/3 required): 405 - 5 (Roll no. 9). (text: CR H100-101)

9. January 13, 2025

   Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.

10. January 04, 2025

    Referred to the Subcommittee on Economic Development, Public Buildings, and Emergency Management.

11. January 03, 2025

    Introduced in House

12. January 03, 2025

    Introduced in House

13. January 03, 2025

    Referred to the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure.

Sponsors

• Pablo Jose Hernández · Cosponsor
• Stacey E. Plaskett · Cosponsor
• Mike Ezell · Primary

Votes

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