What This Bill Does
This bill requires certain federal agencies to create a public online repository (a searchable database) that shows information about federal disaster assistance (emergency funding) given to organizations and states. The bill aims to make it easier for the public to track how disaster recovery money is being spent.
Who It Affects
Organizations and states that receive federal disaster assistance directly from the government. Federal agencies that provide disaster assistance, including the Small Business Administration, Department of Housing and Urban Development, and agencies providing assistance under the Stafford Act (a federal disaster relief law). The public, which gains access to information about disaster spending.
Key Provisions
• The Director of the Office of Management and Budget must establish a public subpage on an existing federal website to display information about disaster assistance spending (Sec. 2(a))
• Federal disaster assistance agencies must submit information about disaster assistance every 30 days after each calendar quarter ends, including the total amount spent and detailed lists of all projects funded (Sec. 2(b) and Sec. 2(c))
• The information published must include project names, descriptions, completion status, project locations including ZIP codes, and identification numbers assigned to each project (Sec. 2(c)(3))
• All data published online must be machine readable, meaning computers can process and search it (Sec. 2(b))
• The Director may hire a private nonprofit organization to help build and maintain the online repository if needed (Sec. 2(e))
What Changes
If this bill becomes law, federal disaster assistance agencies will be required to publicly report how they spend disaster aid money through a centralized online website that did not previously exist in this form. Citizens will be able to see which projects received federal disaster funding and track the status of those projects.
Important Definitions
"Covered Federal Agency" means any agency providing disaster assistance under the Stafford Act, the Small Business Administration, and the Department of Housing and Urban Development (Sec. 3(1))
"Disaster Assistance" means federal funds distributed in response to a natural disaster, including loans, grants and contracts from these agencies (Sec. 3(2))
"Eligible Recipient" means any organization (not an individual) that receives disaster assistance directly from the federal government, including states (Sec. 3(3))
"Specified Natural Disaster" means fires on forest or grassland, major disasters declared by the President, emergencies declared by the President, or any other natural disaster for which the federal government makes a disaster declaration (Sec. 3(4))
Effective Date
Not specified in bill text
IIB
118TH CONGRESS
1ST SESSION
H. R. 259
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
JANUARY 26, 2023
Received; read twice and referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and
Governmental Affairs
AN ACT
To provide for an online repository for certain reporting
requirements for recipients of Federal disaster assist-
ance, 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
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SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
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This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Post-Disaster Assist-
2
ance Online Accountability Act’’.
3
SEC. 2. SUBPAGE FOR TRANSPARENCY OF DISASTER AS-
4
SISTANCE.
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(a) ESTABLISHMENT OF REPOSITORY FOR REPORT-
6
ING REQUIREMENTS.—The Director of the Office of Man-
7
agement and Budget, in consultation with the Secretary
8
of the Treasury and the head of each covered Federal
9
agency, shall establish a subpage within the website estab-
10
lished under section 2 of the Federal Funding Account-
11
ability and Transparency Act of 2006 (31 U.S.C. 6101
12
note) to publish the information required to be made avail-
13
able to the public under this section.
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(b) SUBMISSION
OF INFORMATION
BY FEDERAL
15
AGENCIES.—Not later than 30 days after the end of a
16
calendar quarter, each covered Federal agency that made
17
disaster assistance available to an eligible recipient during
18
such quarter shall, in coordination with the Director of
19
the Office of Management and Budget, make available to
20
the public on the subpage established under subsection (a)
21
the information described in subsection (c), and ensure
22
that any data asset of the agency is machine readable.
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(c) INFORMATION REQUIRED.—The information de-
24
scribed in this subsection is, with respect to disaster as-
25
sistance provided by the covered Federal agency—
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HR 259 RFS
(1) the total amount of disaster assistance pro-
1
vided by the agency during such quarter;
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(2) the amount of disaster assistance provided
3
by the agency that was expended or obligated to
4
projects or activities; and
5
(3) a detailed list of all projects or activities for
6
which disaster assistance dispersed by the agency
7
was expended, obligated, or used, including—
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(A) the name of the project or activity;
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(B) a description of the project or activity;
10
(C) an evaluation of the completion status
11
of the project or activity;
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(D) any award identification number as-
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signed to the project;
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(E) the Catalog for Disaster Assistance
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number assigned by the Federal Emergency
16
Management Agency;
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(F) the location of the project, including
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ZIP Codes; and
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(G) any reporting requirement information
20
being collected by a covered Federal agency
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with respect to that agency’s disaster assist-
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ance.
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(d) GUIDANCE.—Each covered Federal agency, in co-
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ordination with the Director of the Office of Management
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HR 259 RFS
and Budget and the Secretary of the Treasury, shall issue
1
such guidance as is necessary to meet the requirements
2
of this Act.
3
(e) AGREEMENT WITH PRIVATE ENTITY.—The Di-
4
rector, if necessary for purposes of transparency, may
5
enter into an agreement with a private entity, including
6
a nonprofit organization, to develop the subpage required
7
under this section.
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SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS.
9
In this Act, the following definitions apply:
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(1) COVERED
FEDERAL
AGENCY.—The term
11
‘‘covered Federal agency’’ means—
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(A) any agency providing assistance under
13
the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and
14
Emergency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5121 et
15
seq.);
16
(B) the Small Business Administration;
17
and
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(C) the Department of Housing and Urban
19
Development.
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(2) DISASTER
ASSISTANCE.—The term ‘‘dis-
21
aster assistance’’ means any funds that are made
22
available by the Federal Government in response to
23
a specified natural disaster, including—
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(A) any assistance provided by the Admin-
1
istrator of the Small Business Administration
2
as a result of a disaster declared under section
3
7(b) of the Small Business Act (15 U.S.C.
4
636(b));
5
(B) any assistance provided by the Sec-
6
retary of Housing and Urban Development
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for—
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(i) activities authorized under title I
9
of the Housing and Community Develop-
10
ment Act of 1974 (42 U.S.C. 5301 et seq.)
11
related to disaster relief, long-term recov-
12
ery, restoration of infrastructure and hous-
13
ing, and economic revitalization in the
14
most impacted and distressed areas result-
15
ing from a major disaster declared pursu-
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ant to the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Re-
17
lief and Emergency Assistance Act (42
18
U.S.C. 5121 et seq.); and
19
(ii) flood insurance coverage provided
20
under the National Flood Insurance Pro-
21
gram pursuant to the National Flood In-
22
surance Act of 1968 (42 U.S.C. 4001 et
23
seq.); and
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(C) any assistance provided under the Rob-
1
ert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency
2
Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5121 et seq.).
3
(3) ELIGIBLE RECIPIENT.—The term ‘‘eligible
4
recipient’’—
5
(A) means any entity that receives disaster
6
assistance directly from the Federal Govern-
7
ment (including disaster assistance received
8
through grant, loan, or contract) other than an
9
individual; and
10
(B) includes a State that receives disaster
11
assistance.
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(4) SPECIFIED NATURAL DISASTER.—The term
13
‘‘specified natural disaster’’ means—
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(A) a fire on public or private forest land
15
or grassland described in section 420 of the
16
Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emer-
17
gency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5187);
18
(B) a major disaster declared by the Presi-
19
dent under section 401 of such Act (42 U.S.C.
20
5170);
21
(C) an emergency declared by the Presi-
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dent under section 501 of such Act (42 U.S.C.
23
5191); and
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(D) any other natural disaster for which a
1
disaster declaration is made by the Federal
2
Government.
3
Passed the House of Representatives January 25,
2023.
Attest:
CHERYL L. JOHNSON,
Clerk.
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