[Pages H101-H103]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

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POST-DISASTER ASSISTANCE ONLINE ACCOUNTABILITY ACT

Mr. GRAVES. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the
bill (H.R. 153) 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. 153

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''.

[[Page H102]]

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.

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. 153.
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. 153, the Post-Disaster Assistance Online
Accountability Act, will increase transparency for post-disaster
Federal assistance. H.R. 153 will do this by requiring agencies that
provide Federal disaster assistance to update a central website
quarterly with information on their disaster assistance programs. That
way, the American taxpayer can see exactly where their hard-earned
dollars are going.
H.R. 153 passed the House in the 116th, 117th, and 118th Congresses,
and I urge continued support for this commonsense legislation.
Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Mississippi (Mr. Ezell) for
his leadership on this important legislation, and I reserve the balance
of my time.
Ms. HOYLE of Oregon. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may
consume.
Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 153. This bill would create a
new online system for tracking Federal disaster projects and
assistance.
People should know how and where their disaster funds are being spent
without wading through reams of government paperwork. The legislation
simplifies the data collection process for Federal disaster recovery
projects. To increase transparency, this bill would also create a page
on USAspending.gov where anyone can track agency disaster recovery
activities and the amount of assistance expended by the agency on a
quarterly basis.
Federal agencies need to be accountable to the victims of disasters
and to the taxpayers who funded these agencies' really important work.
We also need to allow Federal disaster victims peace of mind when they
are at their most vulnerable.
Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to join
me and support this legislation, and I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. GRAVES. Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the gentleman from
Mississippi (Mr. Ezell), who is the sponsor of the legislation.
Mr. EZELL. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to speak on my bill, H.R. 153,
the Post-Disaster Assistance Online Accountability Act, which aims to
improve transparency in the Federal disaster assistance process.
When disaster strikes, the priority is to save lives and to help
communities recover. However, in doing so, one of the biggest
challenges in the aftermath of a disaster is ensuring that aid is
distributed fairly and timely to those who need it most.
Transparency builds trust in government. Without clear information,
communities may feel left in the dark about how aid is being allocated.
This is where the Post-Disaster Assistance Online Accountability Act
comes in.
This bill requires FEMA to publicly share key information about the
damage caused by disasters and how assistance is being distributed. It
ensures the public can track recovery efforts in real time and
understand how resources are being allocated. This helps communities,
local governments, and organizations involved in recovery make more
informed decisions.
The bill also mandates that FEMA provide detailed, easy-to-access
data, such as the extent of the damage, the areas affected, and the
estimated cost of recovery.
Ultimately, this bill holds FEMA and the government accountable to
the American people. By strengthening trust, H.R. 153 is a vital step
toward building a more transparent, responsive disaster recovery
system.

[[Page H103]]

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this bill.
Ms. HOYLE of Oregon. Mr. Speaker, the House passed this bipartisan
bill on suspension in the 116th, 117th, and 118th Congresses. I look
forward to the Senate taking up this bill, given how important it is
with the massive natural disasters that we are seeing. I certainly hope
that we in Congress fund the IT infrastructure so that we can get this
done and get this done quickly.
Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. GRAVES. Mr. Speaker, in closing, I hope we can continue to show
support for this commonsense accountability measure. It is going to
help improve transparency for Federal disaster spending.
Mr. Speaker, I urge support of the 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. 153.
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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