[Congressional Record Volume 162, Number 28 (Tuesday, February 23, 2016)]
[House]
[Pages H823-H824]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




            DIRECTING DOLLARS TO DISASTER RELIEF ACT OF 2015

  Mr. KATKO. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill 
(S. 2109) to direct the Administrator of the Federal Emergency 
Management Agency to develop an integrated plan to reduce 
administrative costs under the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and 
Emergency Assistance Act, and for other purposes.
  The Clerk read the title of the bill.
  The text of the bill is as follows:

                                S. 2109

       Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of 
     the United States of America in Congress assembled,

     SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

       This Act may be cited as the ``Directing Dollars to 
     Disaster Relief Act of 2015''.

     SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS.

       In this Act--
       (1) the term ``administrative cost''--
       (A) means a cost incurred by the Agency in support of the 
     delivery of disaster assistance for a major disaster; and
       (B) does not include a cost incurred by a grantee or 
     subgrantee;
       (2) the term ``Administrator'' means the Administrator of 
     the Agency;
       (3) the term ``Agency'' means the Federal Emergency 
     Management Agency;
       (4) the term ``direct administrative cost'' means a cost 
     incurred by a grantee or subgrantee of a program authorized 
     by the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency 
     Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5121 et seq.) that can be 
     identified separately and assigned to a specific project;
       (5) the term ``hazard mitigation program'' means the hazard 
     mitigation grant program authorized under section 404 of the 
     Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance 
     Act (42 U.S.C. 5170c);
       (6) the term ``individual assistance program'' means the 
     individual assistance grant program authorized under sections 
     408, 410, 415, 416, 426, and 502(a) of the Robert T. Stafford 
     Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5174, 
     5177, 5182, 5183, 5189d, and 5192(a));
       (7) the term ``major disaster'' means a major disaster 
     declared by the President under section 401 of the Robert T. 
     Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (42 
     U.S.C. 5170);
       (8) the term ``mission assignment'' has the meaning given 
     the term in section 641 of the Post-Katrina Emergency 
     Management Reform Act of 2006 (6 U.S.C. 741); and
       (9) the term ``public assistance program'' means the public 
     assistance grant program authorized under sections 403(a)(3), 
     406, 418, 419, 428, and 502(a) of the Robert T. Stafford 
     Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 
     5170b(a)(3), 5172, 5185, 5186, 5189f, and 5192(a)).

     SEC. 3. INTEGRATED PLAN FOR ADMINISTRATIVE COST REDUCTION.

       (a) In General.--Not later than 365 days after the date of 
     enactment of this Act, the Administrator shall--
       (1) develop and implement an integrated plan to control and 
     reduce administrative costs for major disasters, which shall 
     include--
       (A) steps the Agency will take to reduce administrative 
     costs;
       (B) milestones needed for accomplishing the reduction of 
     administrative costs;
       (C) strategic goals for the average annual percentage of 
     administrative costs of major disasters for each fiscal year;
       (D) the assignment of clear roles and responsibilities, 
     including the designation of officials responsible for 
     monitoring and measuring performance; and
       (E) a timetable for implementation;
       (2) compare the costs and benefits of tracking the 
     administrative cost data for major disasters by the public 
     assistance, individual assistance, hazard mitigation, and 
     mission assignment programs, and if feasible, track this 
     information; and
       (3) clarify Agency guidance and minimum documentation 
     requirements for a direct administrative cost claimed by a 
     grantee or subgrantee of a public assistance grant program.
       (b) Congressional Update.--Not later than 90 days after the 
     date of enactment of this Act, the Administrator shall brief 
     the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs 
     of the Senate and the Committee on Transportation and 
     Infrastructure of the House of Representatives on the plan 
     required to be developed under subsection (a)(1).
       (c) Updates.--If the Administrator modifies the plan or the 
     timetable under subsection (a), the Administrator shall 
     submit to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental 
     Affairs of the Senate and the Committee on Transportation and 
     Infrastructure of the House of Representatives a report 
     notifying Congress of the modification, which shall include 
     the details of the modification.

     SEC. 4. REPORTING REQUIREMENT.

       (a) Annual Report.--Not later than November 30 of each year 
     for 7 years beginning on the date of enactment of this Act, 
     the Administrator shall submit to Committee on Homeland 
     Security and Governmental Affairs of the Senate and the 
     Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure of the House 
     of Representatives a report on the development and 
     implementation of the integrated plan required under section 
     3 for the previous fiscal year.
       (b) Report Updates.--
       (1) Three year update.--Not later than 3 years after the 
     date on which the Administrator submits a report under 
     subsection (a), the Administrator shall submit an updated 
     report for the previous 3-fiscal-year period.
       (2) Five year update.--Not later than 5 years after the 
     date on which the Administrator submits a report under 
     subsection (a), the Administrator shall submit an updated 
     report for the previous 5-fiscal-year period.
       (c) Contents of Reports.--Each report required under 
     subsections (a) and (b) shall contain, at a minimum--
       (1) the total amount spent on administrative costs for the 
     fiscal year period for which the report is being submitted;
       (2) the average annual percentage of administrative costs 
     for the fiscal year period for which the report is being 
     submitted;
       (3) an assessment of the effectiveness of the plan 
     developed under section 3(a)(1);
       (4) an analysis of--
       (A) whether the Agency is achieving the strategic goals 
     established under section 3(a)(1)(C); and
       (B) in the case of the Agency not achieving such strategic 
     goals, what is preventing the Agency from doing so;
       (5) any actions the Agency has identified as useful in 
     improving upon and reaching the goals for administrative 
     costs established under section 3(a)(1)(C); and
       (6) any data described in section 3(a)(2), if the Agency 
     determines it is feasible to track such data.
       (d) Public Availability.--Not later than 30 days after the 
     date on which the Administrator submits a report to Congress 
     under this section, the Administrator shall make the report 
     publicly available on the website of the Agency.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from New 
York (Mr. Katko) and the gentleman from Indiana (Mr. Carson) each will 
control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from New York.


                             General Leave

  Mr. KATKO. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may 
have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and 
include extraneous materials on S. 2109.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from New York?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. KATKO. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  In the last 12 years, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, or 
FEMA, has provided almost $100 billion in disaster relief and disaster 
assistance. However, a significant and increasing amount of these funds 
have gone to cover FEMA's administrative costs that support the 
delivery of disaster assistance.
  The Government Accountability Office, or GAO, has been looking into 
this for some time and found that, between fiscal year 1989 and fiscal 
year 2011, the percentage of disaster assistance spent on 
administrative costs doubled from 9 to 18 percent.
  While FEMA has tried to implement internal controls to keep these 
costs to a minimum, GAO has found that FEMA's administrative costs have 
not decreased. In fact, GAO estimates that internal controls could save 
hundreds of millions of dollars in administrative costs.
  S. 2109, the Directing Dollars to Disaster Relief Act of 2015, seeks 
to control and reduce rising administrative costs from major disasters 
by requiring the administrator of FEMA to develop and implement a plan 
to control and reduce its internal administrative costs.
  I would like to commend and thank the chairman of the Senate 
Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs for introducing 
this important oversight measure, which will save taxpayer dollars.
  I would also like to thank the Senate chairman for working with us to 
ensure that the legislation includes a sunset provision and is 
consistent with our House protocols.
  As disasters become more frequent and severe, it will become critical 
to keep administrative costs in FEMA to a minimum, increase 
efficiencies, and ensure that resources are directed toward disaster 
victims and the restoration of infrastructure.
  I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting this legislation.

[[Page H824]]

  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. CARSON of Indiana. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  Mr. Speaker, S. 2109, the Directing Dollars to Disaster Relief Act of 
2015, requires the Federal Emergency Management Agency, or FEMA, to 
develop a plan to control and reduce its disaster-related 
administrative costs and other activities.
  The GAO has noted that FEMA's costs incurred in administering 
disaster-related activities have increased substantially. FEMA has 
acknowledged the increase and has struggled to address this issue.
  Most recently, in 2014, the GAO recommended that FEMA develop an 
integrated plan to control and reduce disaster-related administrative 
costs.
  GAO also recommended that FEMA assess the feasibility of tracking 
administrative costs by disaster program, such as public assistance and 
individual assistance.
  Finally, GAO recommended that FEMA clarify its guidance and minimum 
documentation requirements for State and local governments with respect 
to their direct administrative costs.
  This bill, Mr. Speaker, will codify these recommendations and 
statutorily require FEMA to take these actions.
  I appreciate the improvements this bill will make toward reducing 
overall disaster costs and losses, but this is not enough. We must do 
more to reduce these costs and losses, Mr. Speaker. There is no better 
way than to invest in predisaster mitigation.
  I introduced H.R. 830 to reauthorize the predisaster hazard 
mitigation program. We consistently talk about the potential to reduce 
disaster costs and save taxpayers money through predisaster mitigation.
  In fact, our subcommittee has noted the reports by the Congressional 
Budget Office and the National Institute of Building Sciences 
Multihazard Mitigation Council, which found that predisaster mitigation 
saves $3 to $4 for every dollar spent on mitigation activities.
  But there is more. Predisaster mitigation activities save lives and 
reduce injuries. It is time to stop talking and do more. Let us, Mr. 
Speaker, reauthorize the predisaster mitigation program at levels 
sufficient to significantly reduce disaster costs and save lives. Our 
citizens deserve this.
  I look forward to working with my good colleagues on the other side 
of the aisle to make sure that these strides will come to fruition.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. KATKO. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from New York (Mr. Katko) that the House suspend the rules 
and pass the bill, S. 2109.
  The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the 
rules were suspended and the bill was passed.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

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