[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. This 
bill will help disaster survivors by taking a step toward streamlining 
the Federal Government's fragmented approach to disaster assistance.
  I urge my colleagues to support this bill, and, hopefully, the Senate 
will move it through. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. GRAVES. Mr. Speaker, in closing, H.R. 152 is a good government 
bill that will help improve disaster recovery efforts. It has 
previously passed the House in the 116th, 117th, and 118th Congresses.
  Mr. Speaker, I urge support for this bill, and I yield back the 
balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from Missouri (Mr. Graves) that the House suspend the rules 
and pass the bill, H.R. 152.
  The question was taken.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. In the opinion of the Chair, two-thirds 
being in the affirmative, the ayes have it.
  Mr. GRAVES. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.
  The yeas and nays were ordered.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX, further 
proceedings on this motion will be postponed.

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