What This Bill Does
This bill improves how the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) provides help to individuals after disasters. It creates a shared computer system for multiple federal agencies to work together on disaster assistance and establishes a single application form for people seeking federal disaster aid.
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Who It Affects
- Individuals and families affected by major disasters or emergencies
- Homeowners and renters seeking disaster assistance
- Emergency response workers (law enforcement, firefighters, paramedics, emergency managers)
- State and tribal governments
- FEMA and other federal agencies (Department of Housing and Urban Development, Small Business Administration, Department of Agriculture)
- Private insurance companies (indirectly, through comparison studies)
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Key Provisions
- **Unified Disaster Application System**: FEMA must build and maintain a shared online system allowing multiple federal agencies to collect, store and share disaster assistance information to speed up aid delivery and detect fraud (Sec. 2)
- **Single Application Form**: FEMA must develop one universal application that people can use to apply for federal disaster assistance (Sec. 3)
- **Housing Repair and Rebuilding Assistance**: The federal government can provide money to help people repair homes damaged by disasters, including costs to make homes accessible for people with disabilities (Sec. 4)
- **Direct Assistance for Repairs**: The federal government can provide direct help (not just money) to people who cannot use financial assistance and lack other resources to repair homes and make safety improvements (Sec. 5)
- **Dashboard Showing Assistance Data**: Within 90 days of a major disaster declaration, FEMA must publish a public website tool showing how many people applied for help, how many were approved or denied, and reasons for denials (Sec. 9)
- **Rental Assistance Study**: FEMA must study within one year how disaster assistance affects renters differently than homeowners and report findings to Congress (Sec. 12)
- **Emergency Worker Sheltering**: The federal government can reimburse state and local governments for housing emergency responders (and their family members living with them) during disasters for up to six months (Sec. 11)
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What Changes
**If this bill becomes law:**
- People applying for federal disaster aid will use one form instead of multiple applications
- Multiple federal agencies can share disaster application information securely through one system
- Homeowners can receive federal help to repair damaged homes, not just money
- Disaster survivors can get direct government help with repairs if they cannot get financial assistance elsewhere
- Renters will be considered for disaster assistance that covers local rent increases after disasters
- FEMA will publicly report statistics on who gets assistance and who is denied
- States can run their own disaster housing programs under new pilot authority with at least 75 percent federal funding
- Emergency responders can receive government-paid housing during and after disasters
- FEMA must post information about recovery resources available in disaster areas
- States can build websites listing all available disaster recovery funding and assistance options
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Important Definitions
- **Major disaster**: A disaster declared by the President under federal law (reference to Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act)
- **Individual assistance**: Direct federal help for individuals and households (housing, repairs, other needs)
- **Emergency response personnel**: Employees or contracted workers providing law enforcement, firefighting, rescue, medical, management or communications services, plus elected officials (except members of Congress) overseeing emergency response
- **Applicant**: A person who applies for disaster assistance or someone applying on their behalf
- **Disaster assistance information**: Personal, financial, demographic or other information collected to process disaster assistance applications
- **Block grant recipient**: A state, local government or Indian tribe receiving disaster assistance money
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Effective Date
Not specified in bill text for most provisions. However, the bill states that certain amendments only apply to money appropriated after the law is passed (Sec. 14).
IB
Union Calendar No. 319
118TH CONGRESS
2D SESSION
H. R. 1796
[Report No. 118–390, Part I]
To improve individual assistance provided by the Federal Emergency
Management Agency, and for other purposes.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
MARCH 24, 2023
Ms. TITUS (for herself, Mr. GRAVES of Louisiana, and Mr. CARTER of Lou-
isiana) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee
on Transportation and Infrastructure, and in addition to the Committees
on Financial Services, and Small Business, for a period to be subse-
quently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such
provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned
FEBRUARY 14, 2024
Additional sponsors: Mr. MOLINARO, Mrs. GONZA´LEZ-COLO´N, Mr. EDWARDS,
Ms. BALINT, Ms. TOKUDA, Mr. CASE, and Mr. NEGUSE
FEBRUARY 14, 2024
Reported from the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure with an
amendment
[Strike out all after the enacting clause and insert the part printed in italic]
FEBRUARY 14, 2024
Committees on Financial Services and Small Business discharged; committed
to the Committee of the Whole House on the State of the Union and or-
dered to be printed
[For text of introduced bill, see copy of bill as introduced on March 24, 2023]
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•HR 1796 RH
A BILL
To improve individual assistance provided by the Federal
Emergency Management Agency, and for other purposes.
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•HR 1796 RH
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; TABLE OF CONTENTS.
3
(a) SHORT TITLE.—This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Dis-
4
aster Survivors Fairness Act of 2023’’.
5
(b) TABLE OF CONTENTS.—The table of contents for
6
this Act is as follows:
7
Sec. 1. Short title; table of contents.
Sec. 2. Information sharing for federal agencies.
Sec. 3. Universal application for individual assistance.
Sec. 4. Repair and rebuilding.
Sec. 5. Direct assistance.
Sec. 6. State-managed housing pilot authority.
Sec. 7. Management costs.
Sec. 8. Funding for online guides for post-disaster assistance.
Sec. 9. Individual assistance dashboard.
Sec. 10. FEMA reports.
Sec. 11. Sheltering of emergency response personnel.
Sec. 12. Improved rental assistance.
Sec. 13. GAO report on preliminary damage assessments.
Sec. 14. Applicability.
Sec. 15. GAO report to Congress on challenges under public assistance alternative
procedures.
(c) DEFINITIONS.—Except as otherwise provided, the
8
terms used in this Act have the meanings given such terms
9
in section 102 of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and
10
Emergency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5122).
11
SEC. 2. INFORMATION SHARING FOR FEDERAL AGENCIES.
12
(a) ESTABLISHMENT OF UNIFIED DISASTER APPLICA-
13
TION SYSTEM.—
14
(1) IN GENERAL.—The Administrator of the Fed-
15
eral Emergency Management Agency shall establish
16
and maintain a web-based interagency electronic in-
17
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formation sharing system, to be known as the ‘‘uni-
1
fied disaster application system’’, to—
2
(A) facilitate the administration of the uni-
3
versal application for direct Federal disaster as-
4
sistance established under section 3;
5
(B) carry out the purposes of disaster as-
6
sistance programs swiftly, efficiently, and in ac-
7
cordance with applicable laws, regulations, and
8
the privacy and data protections provided under
9
this section; and
10
(C) support the detection, prevention, and
11
investigation of waste, fraud, abuse, or discrimi-
12
nation in the administration of disaster assist-
13
ance programs.
14
(2) AUTHORITIES
OF
ADMINISTRATOR.—In es-
15
tablishing and maintaining the unified disaster ap-
16
plication system under this subsection, the Adminis-
17
trator may collect and maintain disaster assistance
18
information received from a disaster assistance agen-
19
cy, a block grant recipient, or an applicant for a dis-
20
aster assistance program and share such information
21
with any other disaster assistance agency or block
22
grant recipient using such system.
23
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(3) REQUIREMENTS.—The Administrator shall
1
ensure that the unified disaster application system es-
2
tablished and maintained under this subsection—
3
(A) allows an applicant to receive status
4
updates on an application for disaster assistance
5
programs submitted though such system;
6
(B) allows for applicants to update disaster
7
assistance information throughout the recovery
8
journeys of such applicants in accordance with
9
established application timeframes;
10
(C) allows for the distribution to applicants
11
of information about additional recovery re-
12
sources that may be available in a disaster
13
stricken area;
14
(D) provides an applicant with information
15
and documentation relating to an application
16
for a disaster assistance program submitted by
17
such applicant; and
18
(E) contains any other capabilities deter-
19
mined necessary by the head of a disaster assist-
20
ance agency.
21
(b) DATA SECURITY.—The Administrator may facili-
22
tate the collection of disaster assistance information into
23
the unified disaster application system established under
24
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•HR 1796 RH
subsection (a) only after the following requirements have
1
been met:
2
(1) The Administrator certifies that the unified
3
disaster application system substantially complies
4
with the data security standards and best practices
5
established pursuant to subchapter II of chapter 35 of
6
title 44, United States Code, and any other applicable
7
Federal information security policy.
8
(2) The Secretary of Homeland Security pub-
9
lishes a privacy impact assessment for the unified
10
disaster application system, in accordance with sec-
11
tion 208(b)(1)(B) of the E-Government Act of 2002
12
(44 U.S.C. 3501 note).
13
(3) The Administrator, after consulting with dis-
14
aster assistance agencies, publishes standard rules of
15
behavior for disaster assistance agencies, block grant
16
recipients, and personnel granted access to disaster
17
assistance information to protect such information
18
from improper disclosure.
19
(c) COLLECTION
AND
SHARING
OF
ADDITIONAL
20
RECORDS AND INFORMATION.—
21
(1) IN GENERAL.—The Administrator may au-
22
thorize the additional collection, maintenance, shar-
23
ing, and use of disaster assistance information by
24
publishing a notice on the unified disaster applica-
25
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•HR 1796 RH
tion system established under subsection (a) that in-
1
cludes a detailed description of—
2
(A) the specific amendments to the collec-
3
tion, maintenance, and sharing of disaster as-
4
sistance information authorized;
5
(B) why each such amendment to how dis-
6
aster assistance information is collected, main-
7
tained, or shared is necessary to carry out the
8
purposes of a disaster assistance program and
9
consistent with the fair information practice
10
principles; and
11
(C) the disaster assistance agencies and
12
block grant recipients that will be granted access
13
to the additional information to carry out the
14
purposes of any disaster assistance program.
15
(2) NOTICE AND PUBLICATION REQUIREMENTS.—
16
The publication of a notice under paragraph (1) of a
17
revision to the unified disaster application system of
18
records prior to any new collection, or uses, of Pri-
19
vacy Act categories of records, to carry out the pur-
20
poses of a disaster assistance program with regard to
21
a disaster declared by the President under section 401
22
or 501 of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and
23
Emergency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5170; 5191),
24
shall be deemed to satisfy the notice and publication
25
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requirements of section 552a(e)(4) of title 5, United
1
States Code, for the entire period of performance for
2
any assistance provided under a disaster assistance
3
program.
4
(3) WAIVER OF INFORMATION COLLECTION RE-
5
QUIREMENTS.—
6
(A) IN GENERAL.—Upon the declaration of
7
a major disaster or emergency pursuant to sec-
8
tions 401 or 501 of the Robert T. Stafford Dis-
9
aster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (42
10
U.S.C. 5170; 5191) by the President, the Admin-
11
istrator may waive the requirements of sub-
12
chapter I of chapter 35 of title 44, United States
13
Code, with respect to voluntary collection of in-
14
formation for the entire period of performance
15
for any assistance provided under a disaster as-
16
sistance program.
17
(B) TRANSPARENCY.—Upon exercising the
18
waiver authority under subparagraph (A), the
19
Administrator shall—
20
(i) promptly post on a website of the
21
Federal Emergency Management Agency a
22
brief justification for such waiver, the an-
23
ticipated period of time such waiver will be
24
in effect, and the disaster assistance offices
25
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•HR 1796 RH
within the Federal Emergency Management
1
Agency to which such waiver shall apply;
2
and
3
(ii) update the information relating to
4
such waiver, as applicable.
5
(4) GAO REVIEW OF WAIVER OF INFORMATION
6
COLLECTION REQUIREMENTS.—
7
(A) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 1 year
8
after the date of enactment of this Act, the
9
Comptroller General of the United States shall
10
issue a report describing the benefits and poten-
11
tial risks associated with authorizing the waiver
12
of the information collection requirements de-
13
scribed in paragraph (3).
14
(B) CONTENTS.—The report required under
15
subparagraph (A) shall include an assessment of
16
the extent to which a waiver described in para-
17
graph (3) would—
18
(i) affect the paperwork burden for in-
19
dividuals, small businesses, State, local and
20
tribal governments, and other persons;
21
(ii) affect the consistent application of
22
Federal laws relating to—
23
(I) privacy and confidentiality;
24
(II) security of information; and
25
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•HR 1796 RH
(III) access to information; and
1
(iii) encourage or deter a State or
2
other entity from participating in the vol-
3
untary collection of information for the du-
4
ration of a major disaster or emergency.
5
(d) USE BY OTHER FEDERAL AGENCIES.—
6
(1) IN GENERAL.—The Administrator may per-
7
mit a Federal agency other than a disaster assistance
8
agency listed in subparagraphs (A) through (D) of
9
subsection (f)(3) to use the unified disaster applica-
10
tion system established under subsection (a) for the
11
purpose of facilitating disaster-related assistance if
12
such agency enters into an agreement containing the
13
terms described in paragraph (2).
14
(2) AGENCY AGREEMENT.—An agreement entered
15
into under paragraph (1) shall contain the following
16
terms:
17
(A) The Federal agency shall—
18
(i) collect, share, maintain, and use
19
disaster assistance information in compli-
20
ance with this section and any policies of
21
the Federal Emergency Management Agency
22
and any information protection and use
23
policies of such Federal agency; and
24
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•HR 1796 RH
(ii) train any personnel granted access
1
to disaster assistance information on the
2
rules of behavior established by the Admin-
3
istrator under subsection (b)(3).
4
(B) In the event of any unauthorized disclo-
5
sure of disaster assistance information, the Fed-
6
eral agency shall—
7
(i) notify the Administrator within 24
8
hours of discovering any such unauthorized
9
disclosure;
10
(ii) cooperate fully with the Adminis-
11
trator in the investigation and remediation
12
of any such disclosure;
13
(iii) cooperate fully in the prosecution
14
of a person responsible for such disclosure;
15
and
16
(iv) assume the responsibility for any
17
compensation, civil liability, or other reme-
18
diation measures, whether awarded by a
19
judgment of a court or agreed as a com-
20
promise of any potential claims by or on
21
behalf of an applicant, including by obtain-
22
ing credit monitoring and remediation serv-
23
ices, for an improper disclosure that is—
24
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(I) caused, directly or indirectly,
1
by the acts or omissions of officers, em-
2
ployees, and contractors of the agency;
3
or
4
(II) from any electronic system of
5
records that is created or maintained
6
by the agency pursuant to section
7
552a(e) of title 5, United States Code.
8
(3) PUBLICATION OF AGENCY AGREEMENT.—The
9
Administrator shall publish an agency agreement en-
10
tered into under this subsection on the same website
11
as the unified disaster application system established
12
under subsection (a).
13
(e) RULE OF CONSTRUCTION.—The sharing and use of
14
disaster assistance information that is subject to the re-
15
quirements of section 552a of title 5, United States Code,
16
by disaster assistance agencies and block grant recipients—
17
(1) shall not be—
18
(A) construed as a matching program for
19
purposes of section 552a(a)(8) of such title; or
20
(B) subject to the remaining computer
21
matching provisions of section 552a of such title;
22
and
23
(2) shall be in addition to any other law pro-
24
viding for the sharing or use of such information.
25
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(f) DEFINITIONS.—In this section:
1
(1) APPLICANT.—The term ‘‘applicant’’
[Text truncated for display. Full text available on Congress.gov.]