Post-Disaster Assistance Online Accountability Act
Floor Speech
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Mr. GRAVES of Missouri. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 259) 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. 259
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. GRAVES of Missouri. 259.
Mr. Speaker, H.R. 259, the Post-Disaster Assistance Online Accountability Act, introduced by our Republican colleague from Puerto Rico (Mrs. Gonzalez-Colon), will increase transparency for post- disaster Federal assistance.
H.R. 259 requires agencies that provide Federal disaster assistance to update a central website quarterly with information on their disaster assistance programs. This increased transparency is going to allow the American taxpayers to see where their hard-earned dollars are going and which areas are receiving the most Federal assistance for post-disaster recovery.
The Post-Disaster Assistance Online Accountability Act passed the House last Congress overwhelmingly by a vote of 412 yeas to 2 nays. I hope we can repeat this very strong showing this Congress.
Mr. Speaker, I urge support of this legislation, and I reserve the balance of my time. House of Representatives, Committee on Small Business, Washington, DC, January 19, 2023. Hon. Sam Graves, Chairman, Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, House of Representatives, Washington, DC.
Dear Chairman Graves: I write concerning H.R. 259, the Post Disaster-Assistance Online Accountability Act. The bill was referred primarily to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, with additional referrals to the Committee on Financial Services and the Committee on Small Business. Specifically, provisions of H.R. 259 fall within the Rule X jurisdiction of the Committee on Small Business.
I recognize and appreciate your desire to bring this legislation before the House of Representatives in an expeditious manner, and accordingly, the Committee on Small Business will forgo action on the bill. However, this is conditional on our mutual understanding that doing so will not prejudice the Committee on Small Business with respect to the appointment of conferees or to any future jurisdictional claim over the subject matter contained in the bill or similar legislation that falls within the Committee on Small Business's Rule X jurisdiction. Further, should a conference on the bill be necessary, I appreciate your agreement to support my request to have the Committee represented on the conference committee.
Finally, I would ask that a copy of this letter and your response acknowledging our jurisdictional interest in the bill be included in the Congressional Record during consideration of H.R. 259 on the House floor. Sincerely, Roger Williams, Chairman, House Committee on Small Business. ____ Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, House of Representatives, Washington, DC, January 19, 2023.
Hon. Roger Williams Chairman, Chairman, Committee on Small Business, House of Representatives, Washington, DC.
Dear Chairman Williams: Thank you for your letter regarding H.R. 259, the Post Disaster Assistance Online Accountability Act. I appreciate your willingness to work cooperatively to ensure that H.R. 259 is considered expeditiously before the House of Representatives.
In response to your letter, I recognize that this bill contains provisions that fall within the jurisdiction of the Committee on Small Business. I also acknowledge that your Committee's decision to forgo consideration would not prejudice your Committee regarding the appointment of conferees, to any future jurisdictional claim over the subject matters contained in the bill, or to similar legislation falling under your Committee's Rule X jurisdiction. In addition, should a conference on this bill become necessary, I would support your request to have members of the Committee on Small Business represented on the conference committee.
I will ensure that our exchange of letters is included in the Congressional Record during consideration on the House floor. Thank you again, I appreciate your cooperation regarding this legislation and look forward to continuing to work with you as this measure moves through the legislative process. Sincerely, Sam Graves, Chairman. ____ Committee on Financial Services, House of Representatives, Washington, DC, January 20, 2023. Hon. Sam Graves, Chairman, Committee on Transportation & Infrastructure, House of Representatives, Washington, DC.
Dear Chairman Graves: I am writing concerning H.R. 259, the ``Post-Disaster Assistance Online Accountability Act.'' Per your request, I agree that the Committee on Financial Services shall be discharged from further consideration of the bill so that it may proceed expeditiously to the House Floor. The Committee takes this action with the mutual understanding that, by foregoing consideration of H.R. 259 at this time, we do not waive any jurisdiction over the subject matter contained in this or similar legislation, and that the Committee will be appropriately consulted and involved on this or similar legislation as it moves forward. The Committee also reserves the right to see appointment of an appropriate number of conferees to any conference with the Senate involving this or similar legislation, and we request your support for any such request.
Finally, as you mentioned in your letter, I ask that a copy of our exchange of letters on this bill be included in your committee's report to accompany the legislation, as well as in the Congressional Record during floor consideration thereof. Sincerely, Patrick McHenry, Chairman, Committee on Financial Services. ____ Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, House of Representatives, Washington, DC, January 17, 2023. Hon. Patrick McHenry, Chairman, Committee on Financial Services, Washington, DC.
Dear Chairman McHenry: I am writing to you concerning H.R. 259, the ``Post-Disaster Assistance Online Accountability Act.'' The bill was referred primarily to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, with additional referrals to the Committee on Financial Services and the Committee on Small Business.
I ask that you allow the Committee on Financial Services to be discharged from further consideration of the bill so that it may be scheduled by the Majority Leader. This discharge in no way affects your jurisdiction over the subject matter of the bill, and it will not serve as precedent for futural referrals. In addition, should a conference on the bill be necessary, I would support your request to have the Committee on Financial Services represented on the conference committee. Finally, I would be pleased to include this letter and any response in the Congressional Record during floor consideration, to memorialize our understanding.
Thank you for your consideration of my request. Sincerely, Sam Graves, Chairman.
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Mr. GRAVES of Missouri. Mr. Speaker, in closing, this commonsense accountability measure is going to enable taxpayers to get a greater sense of where their money is going and allow agencies to see where they can coordinate post-disaster recovery efforts.
Mr. Speaker, I urge support of this legislation, and I yield back the balance of my time.
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