Post-Disaster Assistance Online Accountability Act
This bill establishes a centralized location to publish information on disaster assistance provided by federal agencies.
The Small Business Administration, the Department of Housing and Urban Development, and any agencies providing disaster assistance must make available to the public on a quarterly basis information regarding (1) the total amount of assistance provided by the agency; (2) the amount provided that was expended or obligated; and (3) all projects or activities for which assistance was expended, obligated, or used.
[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 259 Introduced in House (IH)]
<DOC>
118th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 259
To provide for an online repository for certain reporting requirements
for recipients of Federal disaster assistance, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
January 10, 2023
Miss Gonzalez-Colon (for herself, Ms. Plaskett, and Ms. Malliotakis)
introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on
Transportation and Infrastructure, and in addition to the Committees on
Small Business, and Financial Services, for a period to be subsequently
determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such
provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To provide for an online repository for certain reporting requirements
for recipients of Federal disaster assistance, and for other purposes.
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''.
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.
<all>
Introduced in House
Introduced in House
Referred to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, and in addition to the Committees on Small Business, and Financial Services, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
Referred to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, and in addition to the Committees on Small Business, and Financial Services, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
Referred to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, and in addition to the Committees on Small Business, and Financial Services, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
Mr. Graves (MO) moved to suspend the rules and pass the bill.
Considered under suspension of the rules. (consideration: CR H295-297)
DEBATE - The House proceeded with forty minutes of debate on H.R. 259.
Passed/agreed to in House: On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill Agreed to by voice vote. (text: CR H295)
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On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill Agreed to by voice vote. (text: CR H295)
Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs.