115 HR 1679 RS: FEMA Accountability, Modernization and Transparency Act of 2017 U.S. House of Representatives 2017-05-03 text/xml EN Pursuant to Title 17 Section 105 of the United States Code, this file is not subject to copyright protection and is in the public domain.

IICalendar No. 223115th CONGRESS1st SessionH. R. 1679[Report No. 115–159]IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATESMay 3, 2017 Received; read twice and referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental AffairsSeptember 18, 2017Reported by Mr. Johnson, without amendmentAN ACTTo ensure that the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s current efforts to modernize its grant management system includes applicant accessibility and transparency, and for other purposes.

1.

Short title

This Act may be cited as the FEMA Accountability, Modernization and Transparency Act of 2017.

2.

Requirements

(a)

In general

The Administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency shall ensure the ongoing modernization of the grant systems for the administration of assistance under the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5121 et seq.) includes the following: (1)An online interface, including online assistance, for applicants to complete application forms, submit materials, and access the status of applications. (2)Mechanisms to eliminate duplication of benefits. (3)If appropriate, enable the sharing of information among agencies and with State, local, and tribal governments, to eliminate the need to file multiple applications and speed disaster recovery. (4)Any additional tools the Administrator determines will improve the implementation of this section. (b)

Implementation

To the extent practicable, the Administrator shall deliver the system capabilities described in subsection (a) in increments or iterations as working components for applicant use.

3.

No additional funds authorized

No additional funds are authorized to carry out the requirements of this Act. Such requirements shall be carried out using amounts otherwise authorized.

September 18, 2017Reported without amendment