Preventing Disaster Revictimization Act

Floor Speech

Mr. Speaker, I am the proud sponsor of H.R. 5953, the Preventing Disaster Revictimization Act. In the 2018 Disaster Recovery Reform Act, Congress made the recovery process fairer and more equitable for most communities. This bill builds upon those efforts by ensuring that spent funds aren't clawed back.

When a disaster victim applies in good faith to FEMA for assistance and receives it from the Agency, we fully expect those individuals need to move quickly to use the assistance for eligible expenses, like home repairs, to speed up recovery, to begin rebuilding their lives. These victims should never expect FEMA to come back weeks or months or sometimes even years later and say: Sorry, we made a mistake. Now, you, the victim, have to give back those funds that we have already distributed to you and that you have already put to good use.

To add insult to injury, FEMA's information on how disaster victims can appeal these decisions is incredibly confusing, and it is insufficient. Through no fault of their own, many disaster victims are faced with debt collectors and the full force of the Federal Government seeking repayment.

People acting in good faith to rebuild should not be revictimized because they relied upon FEMA's determination that they were qualified for assistance that they did receive.

Unfortunately, disaster victims have experienced this recently in my own district in a few of my communities, and one in particular, Craig, Missouri, and in other communities all across the country.

One constituent in my district was awarded just over $12,000 only to have FEMA show up after the money was spent to say that they messed up, that that individual didn't actually qualify for the money, in their determination, and that it needed to be paid back. That is simply wrong, and it can devastate someone who is already facing some very difficult circumstances.

H.R. 5953 is going to clarify that if FEMA makes an error and there is no evidence of fraud, the victim will not be revictimized, and their debt is automatically viewed as a hardship and waived.

In addition, the bill would also require FEMA to report back to Congress on its error rates and tell us what they are doing to be more accountable.

Mr. Speaker, I urge support for this legislation to ensure that the government does not revictimize disaster victims, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Miss GONZALEZ-COLON of Puerto Rico. Mr. Speaker, I thank the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure Ranking Member Sam Graves for leading this bill to prevent the Federal Emergency Management Agency from being able to collect disaster assistance funds that it has previously awarded to individuals and families who applied for Federal funding after they were affected by natural disasters.

I think this bill, H.R. 5953, the Preventing Disaster Revictimization Act, is more important than ever with the history we have in the past, with hurricanes and earthquakes here in the Nation as well. And we are experiencing all of those examples that he just mentioned.

This legislation is the result of the management of funding and poor recordkeeping practices, which are not the fault of those affected by natural disasters. I truly believe that FEMA should be there to support individuals and families when they need it most, not revictimize them when they are starting over.

As an example, in Puerto Rico, the island was devastated by hurricanes in 2017, then again by earthquakes earlier this year. We received more than $60 billion in disaster recovery funding that has been awarded to Puerto Rico and my constituents. How, now, can we tell those rebuilding that some of the funding that was given to them was by mistake? How does the Federal Government re-collect funding that was already used to buy materials to rebuild a home? It can't.

I think this legislation makes sure our constituents and our people are not on the hook for FEMA's mistakes. I think this is a great opportunity to use those funds wisely. That is the reason I want to say thank you, again, to Representative Sam Graves for leading this issue, protecting those who have already become victims, and I urge its passage.

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Mr. GRAVES of Missouri. Mr. Speaker, in closing, this bill, H.R. 5953, is going to ensure that disaster victims applying for FEMA assistance in good faith are not revictimized by the Agency if it realizes that it did make an error.

Residents in north Missouri and across this country need to be able to rely on FEMA's determination on eligibility for assistance and not have to look over their shoulder as they rebuild, wondering if they are going to have to give back money sometime down the road.

This bill also ensures that FEMA is working to prevent such errors in the future, making it a much better steward of the taxpayers' dollars and vital disaster funding.

Mr. Speaker, I urge support for this very important piece of legislation, and I yield back the balance of my time.

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