[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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