119 S4022 IS: Disaster Recovery Improvement Act
U.S. Senate
2026-03-05
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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.
1.This Act may be cited as the Disaster Recovery Improvement Act
. 2.Findings; sense of Congress (a)Congress finds the following:
(1)Numerous programs administered by Federal agencies, while not dedicated exclusively to disaster recovery, play a critical role in supporting and expediting recovery efforts. (2)The delayed delivery of Federal disaster relief funding to local communities in the wake of recent natural disasters, including Hurricane Helene, revealed new and longstanding bottlenecks in Federal disaster response.
(3)State and local governments should have greater input in how the Federal Government administers disaster relief assistance and responsibility for responding to natural disasters. (b)It is the sense of Congress that Federal agencies must incorporate recommendations from State and local governments to improve their disaster response capability.
3.Disaster Recovery Improvement Task Force
(a)Not later than 90 days after the date of enactment of this Act, the Administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency shall establish an interagency task force on expediting disaster relief funding to be known as the Disaster Recovery Improvement Task Force
. (b) (1)The interagency task force established under subsection (a), shall consist of—
(A)a senior official from the Federal Emergency Management Agency, appointed by the Administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, to serve as chair; (B)a senior official, appointed by the head of the respective agency of the official, experienced in handling disaster recovery matters from each of—
(i)the Small Business Administration; (ii)the Department of Housing and Urban Development;
(iii) the Department of Agriculture; (iv)the Department of Health and Human Services;
(v)the Department of Labor; (vi)the Department of Transportation;
(vii)the Department of Commerce; (viii)the Department of the Treasury;
(ix)the Department of the Interior; (x)the Environmental Protection Agency;
(xi)the Army Corp of Engineers; and (xii)the Office of Management and Budget;
(C) 4 state governors, jointly appointed by the Chairs and Ranking Members of the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs of the Senate and the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure of the House of Representatives, representing States that, during the 3-year period immediately preceding appointment to the interagency task force, have experienced a major disaster, as defined in section 401 of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5170), of which— (i) 1 was a hurricane;
(ii) 1 was a wildfire; (iii) 1 was a tornado; and
(iv) 1 was an earthquake; and (D) 4 county commissioners, jointly appointed by the Chairs and Ranking Members of the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs of the Senate and the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure of the House of Representatives, representing a county in a State that, during the 3-year period immediately preceding appointment to the interagency task force, have experienced a major disaster, as defined in section 401 of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5170), of which—
(i) 1 was a hurricane; (ii) 1 was a wildfire;
(iii) 1 was a tornado; and (iv) 1 was an earthquake.
(2) Members of Congress representing the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs of the Senate and the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure of the House of Representatives may serve on the interagency task force established under subsection (a) as advisory members in a non-voting capacity. (c) (1) Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of this Act, the interagency task force established under subsection (a) shall submit to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs of the Senate, the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure of the House of Representatives, and the Committee on Homeland Security of the House of Representatives and make publicly available a report that—
(A) identifies the programs, including temporary programs, for which Congress appropriates funds to aid recovery purposes relating to the consequences of natural disasters; (B) contains recommendations for Federal agencies on the most effective way to expedite disaster relief efforts, including recommendations to—
(i) streamline the establishment and administration of temporary programs; (ii) improve the timeliness, accessibility, and clarity of applications for funding; and
(iii) reduce delays in the review and obligation of funds with respect to applications received; (C) identifies the different types of funding mechanisms for which Congress provides appropriations to Federal agencies for disaster relief, including grants, loans, reimbursements, and contract authority;
(D) contains recommendations to Federal agencies and Congress on the most effective way to expedite the expenditure of the funds identified under subparagraph (C) toward disaster relief; (E) contains recommendations for Federal agencies and Congress to strengthen State capacity to prepare for, respond to, and recover from natural disasters;
(F) identifies factors that cause delays in disaster relief program funding being made available or obligated, including during transitions from one presidential administration to another presidential administration; (G) includes recommendations on how outgoing and incoming Presidential administrations can equip themselves to set up and deliver disaster relief aid without delay, including an assessment of actions required of both outgoing and incoming Presidential administrations to ensure continuity and uninterrupted delivery of disaster relief funding;
(H) evaluates barriers within Federal agencies and across Federal agencies that delay the obligation or expenditure of disaster relief funds and provides recommendations to address those barriers; and (I) assesses specific actions taken by Federal agencies over time that have improved or hindered interagency coordination, State and local engagement, and the timely delivery of disaster relief funding.
(2)In making recommendations for the report under paragraph (1), the interagency task force shall make recommendations for ways to expedite making available and obligating specific funding appropriated by Congress to certain agencies, including— (A) to the Federal Emergency Management Agency, including with respect to Public Assistance funding under section 406 of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5172) and Hazard Mitigation Grant Program funding under section 404 of that Act (42 U.S.C. 5170);
(B)to the Department of Housing and Urban Development, including with respect to funding under the Community Development Block Grant Disaster Recovery program; (C)to the Department of Agriculture, including with respect to funding for necessary expenses relating to losses of revenue or quality or production of crops as a consequence of a major disaster, as defined in section 404 of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5170);
(D)to the Department of Agriculture, including with respect to Forest Service operations, forest and rangeland research, state, private, and tribal forestry, and National Forest System funding for necessary expenses relating to the consequences of disaster relief; (E)to the Department of Labor, including with respect to Disaster Recovery Dislocated Worker Grant funding under section 170 of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (29 U.S.C. 3225);
(F)to the Department of Commerce, including with respect to Economic Development Administration funding under the Public Works and Economic Development Act of 1965 (42 U.S.C. 3121 et seq.); (G)to the Department of the Interior, including with respect to National Park Service Historic Preservation Fund and construction funding for necessary expenses relating to the consequences of disaster relief; and
(H)to the Environmental Protection Agency, including with respect to Clean Water State Revolving Fund funding under title VI of the Federal Water Pollution Control Act (33 U.S.C. 1381 et seq.). (3)Not later than 180 days after the date on which the interagency task force submits the report under paragraph (1), the interagency task force shall submit to the congressional committees described in that paragraph a report detailing—
(A)which of the recommendations contained in the report under paragraph (1) shall be implemented by Federal agencies and why those recommendations in the report not being implemented are not selected for implementation; (B)how the recommendations selected for implementation will be carried out; and
(C)legislative recommendations for Congress to support the recommendations selected for implementation. (d)No additional funds are authorized to be appropriated to carry out this Act.
(e)The interagency task force established under subsection (a) shall terminate on the date that is 90 days after the date on which the interagency task force submits the report under subsection (c)(3).