[Congressional Record Volume 163, Number 53 (Monday, March 27, 2017)]
[House]
[Pages H2449-H2450]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
DISASTER SIMPLIFIED ASSISTANCE VALUE ENHANCEMENT ACT
Mr. BARLETTA. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the
bill (H.R. 1214) to require the Administrator of the Federal Emergency
Management Agency to conduct a program to use simplified procedures to
issue public assistance for certain projects under the Robert T.
Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act, and for other
purposes, as amended.
The Clerk read the title of the bill.
The text of the bill is as follows:
H.R. 1214
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 ``Disaster Simplified
Assistance Value Enhancement Act'' or the ``Disaster SAVE
Act''.
SEC. 2. SIMPLIFIED PROCEDURE PROGRAM.
(a) Threshold.--The Administrator of the Federal Emergency
Management Agency shall immediately establish the threshold
for eligibility pursuant to section 422(b)(2) of the Robert
T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (42
U.S.C. 5189(b)(2)) at $500,000.
(b) Report.--Not later than May 1, 2021, the Administrator
shall submit to the Committee on Transportation and
Infrastructure of the House of Representatives and the
Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs of
the Senate a report containing the results of a comprehensive
review of the program conducted under section 422 of the
Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance
Act (42 U.S.C. 5189), as modified by this section, to include
an assessment of cost-effectiveness, speed of recovery,
capacity of the grantees, past performance, and
accountability measures.
(c) Sunset.--This Act shall expire on September 30, 2021.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from
Pennsylvania (Mr. Barletta) and the gentleman from Oregon (Mr. DeFazio)
each will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Pennsylvania.
General Leave
Mr. BARLETTA. 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 material on H.R. 1214, as amended.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentleman from Pennsylvania?
There was no objection.
Mr. BARLETTA. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, the purpose of H.R. 1214, the Disaster SAVE Act, is to
speed up small disaster reconstruction projects and lower their costs
by removing red tape.
One of my biggest priorities since becoming chairman of the
subcommittee has been reducing disaster costs and losses and reducing
disaster risks. I was mayor for 11 years, and I saw so many friends'
and neighbors' businesses and communities impacted by disasters.
One of the things I hear most often from my colleagues in Congress is
frustration about inconsistent guidance from FEMA and funding take
backs, even when there is no evidence of misuse. If you have ever had a
big disaster in your district, you know exactly what I am talking
about.
In my district, FEMA reversed its prior approval and has been
fighting for years with the local government over whether or not they
should have paved a temporary access road that was built after a major
flood. The cost of the gravel road was $230,000. The extra cost to pave
it, which the community covered with its own funds, was about $50,000.
The amount of money FEMA has wasted in salaries, administration, and
legal fees trying to take back the $230,000 likely exceeds the entire
project cost. This is red tape out of control, and it doesn't serve the
taxpayers well. We know there is a better way to manage these projects.
Under current law, FEMA runs projects under $130,000 in a manner
similar to an insurance settlement. FEMA reviews the damage, makes a
cost estimate, and issues a repair grant. The local government is
responsible for managing the grant on time and on budget.
In exchange, they have greater flexibility in how they bill back, and
they can enhance a project with their own funds. This approach
dramatically cuts administrative costs, rebuilds infrastructure faster,
eliminates the cost overruns for Federal taxpayers, and gives local
governments the flexibility to rebuild in a way that best meets their
needs.
The success of FEMA's small project program is well proven thanks to
the prior efforts of the Transportation Committee. The former chairman
of the subcommittee, from California, worked diligently to give FEMA
the flexibility to administratively increase the small project
threshold, which finally passed as part of the Hurricane Sandy
supplemental package.
H.R. 2114, the Disaster SAVE Act, will raise the current project cap
for this program from $130,000 to $500,000 and help all of our
constituents avoid the project nightmare my district is experiencing
right now. This will speed up rebuilding efforts and reduce disaster
recovery costs.
{time} 1715
The vast majority of FEMA's rebuilding projects are less than
$500,000, but FEMA continues to micromanage the administration of these
projects at a tremendous cost in time and money. FEMA testified in 2015
that increasing this threshold would result in lower administrative
costs, faster project completions, and fewer deobligations.
After 4 years, the program will sunset and Congress will decide,
based on outcomes, lessons learned, and stakeholder input, if the
program should continue or not. The House adopted
[[Page H2450]]
similar language last year when it passed the FEMA Disaster Assistance
Reform Act.
I urge my colleagues to support this bill, and I reserve the balance
of my time.
Mr. DeFAZIO. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
FEMA provides public assistance funds after a disaster or emergency
to State, tribal, and local governments and some private nonprofits.
These funds reimburse communities and other entities for activities
such as debris removal costs, emergency protective measures, and the
repair or replacement of disaster-damaged facilities.
Currently, for projects under--however they chose that number--
$122,100--I am surprised they didn't add on 10 cents--reimburses
grantees based on cost estimates rather than actual costs. This bill
would require FEMA to increase this threshold to $500,000. This would
be temporary authority, expiring on September 30, 2021. We would
require that this be closely tracked. There is a strong indication that
this will actually expedite reimbursement, ultimately save funds, and
will not subject these projects to abuse.
I am hopeful that my colleagues will support this legislation, and I
yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. BARLETTA. Mr. Speaker, again, I urge my colleagues to vote
``yes'' on H.R. 1214, as amended, and I yield back the balance of my
time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the
gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Barletta) that the House suspend the
rules and pass the bill, H.R. 1214, as amended.
The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the
rules were suspended and the bill, as amended, was passed.
A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.
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