Post-Disaster Assistance Online Accountability Act
Floor Speech
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Mr. DeFAZIO. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 2020) 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. 2020
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.
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Mr. DeFAZIO. 2020.
Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 2020. This bill would create a new online system for tracking Federal disaster projects and assistance.
When a major disaster strikes, the American people should know how and where their disaster funds are being spent without wading through reams of governmental paperwork. This legislation simplifies the data collection process for Federal disaster recovery projects.
To increase transparency to the public, the bill would also create a page on USAspending.gov where everyone can track agency disaster recovery activities and the amount of assistance expended by an agency on a quarterly basis. Federal agencies need to be held accountable to the victims of disasters so that they can have peace of mind when they are at their most vulnerable.
House of Representatives, Committee on Small Business, Washington, DC, June 10, 2022. Hon. Peter A. DeFazio, Chairman, Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, House of Representatives, Washington, DC.
Dear Chairman DeFazio: I am writing with respect to H.R. 2020, the ``Post-Disaster Assistance Online Accountability Act''. Thank you for consulting with the Committee on Small Business regarding the matters in H.R. 2020 that fall within the Committee's jurisdiction.
As a result of your consultation with us on this measure and in order to expeditiously move the bill to the floor, I forego further consideration of H.R. 2020. The Committee on Small Business takes this action with our mutual understanding that we do not waive any jurisdiction over the subject matter contained in this or similar legislation, and the Committee will be appropriately consulted and involved as the bill or similar legislation moves forward so that we may address any remaining issues that fall within our jurisdiction. Further, I request your support for the appointment of an appropriate number of conferees from the Committee on Small Business during any House-Senate conference involving this or similar legislation.
Finally, I would appreciate your response to this letter confirming our understanding regarding H.R. 2020 and would ask that a copy of our exchange of letters on this matter be included in the Committee Report and the Congressional Record during floor consideration of the measure. Thank you for the cooperative spirit in which you have worked regarding this matter and others between our respective committees. Sincerely, Nydia M. Velazquez, Chairwoman. ____ Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, House of Representatives, Washington, DC, June 10, 2022. Hon. Nydia M. Velazquez, Chairwoman, Committee on Small Business, House of Representatives, Washington, DC.
Dear Ms. Velazquez: Thank you for your letter regarding H.R. 2020, the Post-Disaster Assistance Online Accountability Act. I appreciate your decision to waive formal consideration of the bill.
I agree that the Committee on Small Business has valid jurisdictional claims to certain provisions in this important legislation, and I further agree that by forgoing formal consideration of the bill, the Committee on Small Business is not waiving any jurisdiction over any relevant subject matter. Finally, this exchange of letters will be included in the Congressional Record when the bill is considered on the floor.
Thank you again, and I look forward to continuing to work collaboratively with the Committee on Small Business on this important issue. Sincerely, Peter A. DeFazio, Chair.
Mr. JOHNSON of South Dakota. Mr. Speaker, I have no further speakers, and I yield myself the balance of my time.
Mr. Speaker, it is often said that sunshine is the best disinfectant. It is said so often because it is true, and certainly, it is true in public affairs.
This is a commonsense accountability measure introduced by my Republican colleague from Puerto Rico (Miss Gonzalez-Colon), and I applaud her for this.
It is going to increase transparency for post-disaster Federal assistance. It makes sure for citizens who are curious--exactly as the chairman said--who want this information about what the Federal Government has done to help communities in need without their having to go on some massive research project. This gives them an opportunity in a clear and concise way to get a sense of what their Federal Government has done to respond to these disasters. This increased transparency is going to allow the American taxpayers to see where their hard-earned dollars are going.
Mr. Speaker, I urge support of this legislation, and I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. Speaker, again, as the gentleman has just said, having some transparency when you have a number of Federal agencies coming into a community that has just been devastated, whether it is in my region by wildfire or on the Gulf Coast by a hurricane or in the Midwest and the South by tornado, people need timely and good information about how the disaster relief is flowing from the Federal Government, in what amounts, and to what places so that there can be actual oversight by people who were directly impacted by the disaster.
That is why I believe this legislation has tremendous merit. I recommend that my colleagues lend their full support to it, and I yield back the balance of my time.
Ms. JACKSON LEE, Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 2020, the ``Post-Disaster Assistance Online Accountability Act.''
H.R. 2020 is a bipartisan initiative to establish an online repository for reporting requirements for recipients of Federal disaster assistance.
I would like to thank my colleague, Delegate Gonzalez-Colon, for introducing this legislation to increase transparency of post-disaster assistance.
The Office of Management and Budget (0MB) along with the Sectretary of the Treasury and the head of each covered Federal agency will collaborate to create a subpage within the website, www.usaspending.gov, to make the following information available to the public:
Total amount of disaster assistance provided by the agency during quarter;
Amount of disaster assistance provided by the agency that was expanded or obligated to projects or activities; and
Detailed list of all projects or activities for which disaster assistance dispersed by the agency was expended including:
Name and description of project or activity;
Evaluation of the completion status;
Any award identification number assigned;
Catalog Disaster Assistance number assigned by FEMA;
Location of the project, including zip codes; and
Any reporting requirement information collected by a covered Federal agency with respect to that agency's disaster assistance.
H.R. 2020 will require the submission of information by covered federal agencies every 3 months.
When enacted, H.R. 2020 would include natural disasters that are major disasters or emergency declared by the President as well as any other natural disaster made by the Federal Government.
Within the past decade, we have witnessed an increase in the number of natural disasters and extreme weather as a result of climate change.
In 2021, the NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI) found that the United States experienced 20 separate billion- dollar weather and climate disasters.
Houston alone has been the site of 7 federally declared disasters since 2015 notably including Hurricane Harvey and Winter Storm Uri.
The growing number of natural disasters makes this legislation increasingly relevant to maintain accountability of post-disaster funds.
H.R. 2020 creates a necessary online reference portal that will be accessible by mayors, legislators, and residents to know the status of funds and their use.
These funds are vital to communities devastated by natural disasters and it is important that we ensure the funds are used for their assigned use.
Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting H.R. 2020.
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