Budgeting for Disasters Act

I 116TH CONGRESS 1ST SESSION H. R. 3217 To require Congress to budget in advance for disasters and for other purposes. IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES JUNE 11, 2019 Mr. WALKER introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Com- mittee on the Budget, and in addition to the Committee on Rules, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the com- mittee concerned A BILL To require Congress to budget in advance for disasters and for other purposes. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa- 1 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 2 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 3 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Budgeting for Disas- 4 ters Act’’. 5 SEC. 2. TERMINATION OF EXEMPTIONS FROM THE ANNUAL 6 BUDGET CAPS. 7 Subparagraphs (D) and (F) of section 251(b)(2) of 8 the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act 9 VerDate Sep 11 2014 20:21 Jun 18, 2019 Jkt 089200 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H3217.IH H3217 pamtmann on DSKBFK8HB2PROD with BILLS 2 •HR 3217 IH of 1985 (2 U.S.C. 901(b)(2)) shall not apply with respect 1 to fiscal year 2020, or any fiscal year thereafter. 2 SEC. 3. EMERGENCY SPENDING POINT OF ORDER. 3 (a) IN GENERAL.—Section 314(e)(2) of the Congres- 4 sional Budget Act of 1974 (2 U.S.C. 645(e)(2)) is amend- 5 ed by striking ‘‘three-fifths’’ each place it appears and in- 6 serting ‘‘two-thirds’’. 7 (b) EFFECTIVE DATE.—The amendments made by 8 subsection (a) shall— 9 (1) take effect on the date of enactment of this 10 Act; and 11 (2) apply with respect to fiscal year 2020, and 12 each fiscal year thereafter. 13 SEC. 4. GAO REVIEW OF EMERGENCY SPENDING. 14 (a) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 1 year after the 15 date of enactment of this Act, the Comptroller General 16 of the United States shall submit to Congress a report 17 that— 18 (1) reviews amounts appropriated for each of 19 fiscal years 2009 through 2018 that were— 20 (A) designated as being for an emergency 21 requirement; 22 (B) designated as being for disaster relief; 23 or 24 VerDate Sep 11 2014 20:21 Jun 18, 2019 Jkt 089200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H3217.IH H3217 pamtmann on DSKBFK8HB2PROD with BILLS 3 •HR 3217 IH (C) made available to provide assistance 1 under the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief 2 and Emergency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5121 3 et seq.); 4 (2) identifies and reviews amounts appropriated 5 for any of fiscal years 2009 through 2018 that were 6 designated as being for an emergency requirement 7 and designated as being for disaster relief; and 8 (3) provides recommendations to— 9 (A) clarify the definition of emergency re- 10 quirements for purposes of appropriated 11 amounts being designated as being for an emer- 12 gency requirement; 13 (B) implement an appropriate time limit 14 for recipients to spend appropriated amounts 15 that are designated as being for an emergency 16 requirement; 17 (C) improve cost-sharing relating to major 18 disasters and emergencies among Federal, 19 State, and local governments; and 20 (D) improve forecasting and budgeting for 21 appropriations for emergency requirements and 22 disaster relief. 23 (b) DEFINITIONS.—In this section— 24 VerDate Sep 11 2014 20:21 Jun 18, 2019 Jkt 089200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H3217.IH H3217 pamtmann on DSKBFK8HB2PROD with BILLS 4 •HR 3217 IH (1) the term ‘‘emergency’’ means an emergency 1 declared by the President under section 501 of the 2 Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency 3 Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5191); 4 (2) the term ‘‘designated as being for an emer- 5 gency requirement’’, with respect to amounts appro- 6 priated, means that the amounts are designated as 7 an emergency requirement pursuant to— 8 (A) section 251(b)(2)(A)(i) of the Bal- 9 anced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control 10 Act of 1985 (2 U.S.C. 901(b)(2)(A)(i)); or 11 (B) a provision of a concurrent resolution 12 on the budget; 13 (3) the term ‘‘designated as being for disaster 14 relief’’, with respect to amounts appropriated, means 15 that the amounts are designated as being for dis- 16 aster relief pursuant to section 251(b)(2)(D) of the 17 Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control 18 Act of 1985 (2 U.S.C. 901(b)(2)(D)); and 19 (4) the term ‘‘major disaster’’ means a major 20 disaster declared by the President under section 401 21 of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emer- 22 gency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5170). 23 Æ VerDate Sep 11 2014 20:21 Jun 18, 2019 Jkt 089200 PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6301 E:\BILLS\H3217.IH H3217 pamtmann on DSKBFK8HB2PROD with BILLS