[Congressional Record Volume 165, Number 125 (Wednesday, July 24, 2019)]
[House]
[Pages H7291-H7292]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




           POST-DISASTER ASSISTANCE ONLINE ACCOUNTABILITY ACT

  Mr. DeFAZIO. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the 
bill (H.R. 1307) to provide for an online repository for certain 
reporting requirements for recipients of Federal disaster assistance, 
and for other purposes.
  The Clerk read the title of the bill.
  The text of the bill is as follows:

                               H.R. 1307

       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 ``Post-Disaster Assistance 
     Online Accountability Act''.

     SEC. 2. SUBPAGE FOR TRANSPARENCY OF DISASTER ASSISTANCE.

       (a) Establishment of Repository for Reporting 
     Requirements.--The Director of the Office of Management and 
     Budget, in consultation with the Secretary of the Treasury 
     and the head of each covered Federal agency, shall establish 
     a subpage within the website established under section 2 of 
     the Federal Funding Accountability and Transparency Act of 
     2006 (31 U.S.C. 6101 note) to publish the information 
     required to be made available to the public under this 
     section.
       (b) Submission of Information by Federal Agencies.--Not 
     later than 30 days after the end of a calendar quarter, each 
     covered Federal agency that made disaster assistance 
     available to an eligible recipient during such quarter shall, 
     in coordination with the Director of the Office of Management 
     and Budget, make available to the public on the subpage 
     established under subsection (a) the information described in 
     subsection (c), and ensure that any data asset of the agency 
     is machine-readable.
       (c) Information Required.--The information described in 
     this subsection is, with respect to disaster assistance 
     provided by the covered Federal agency--
       (1) the total amount of disaster assistance provided by the 
     agency during such quarter;
       (2) the amount of disaster assistance provided by the 
     agency that was expended or obligated to projects or 
     activities; and
       (3) a detailed list of all projects or activities for which 
     disaster assistance dispersed by the agency was expended, 
     obligated, or used, including--
       (A) the name of the project or activity;
       (B) a description of the project or activity;
       (C) an evaluation of the completion status of the project 
     or activity;
       (D) any award identification number assigned to the 
     project;
       (E) the Catalog for Disaster Assistance number assigned by 
     the Federal Emergency Management Agency;
       (F) the location of the project, including ZIP codes; and
       (G) any reporting requirement information being collected 
     by a covered Federal agency with respect to that agency's 
     disaster assistance.
       (d) Guidance.--Each covered Federal agency, in coordination 
     with the Director of the Office of Management and Budget and 
     the Secretary of the Treasury, shall issue such guidance as 
     is necessary to meet the requirements of this Act.
       (e) Agreement With Private Entity.--The Director, if 
     necessary for purposes of transparency, may enter into an 
     agreement with a private entity, including a nonprofit 
     organization, to develop the subpage required under this 
     section.

     SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS.

       In this Act, the following definitions apply:
       (1) Covered federal agency.--The term ``covered Federal 
     agency'' means--
       (A) any agency providing assistance under the Robert T. 
     Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (42 
     U.S.C. 5121 et seq.);
       (B) the Small Business Administration; and
       (C) the Department of Housing and Urban Development.
       (2) Disaster assistance.--The term ``disaster assistance'' 
     means any funds that are made available by the Federal 
     Government in response to a specified natural disaster, 
     including--
       (A) any assistance provided by the Administrator of the 
     Small Business Administration as a result of a disaster 
     declared under section 7(b) of the Small Business Act (15 
     U.S.C. 636(b));
       (B) any assistance provided by the Secretary of Housing and 
     Urban Development for--
       (i) activities authorized under title I of the Housing and 
     Community Development Act of 1974 (42 U.S.C. 5301 et seq.) 
     related to disaster relief, long-term recovery, restoration 
     of infrastructure and housing, and economic revitalization in 
     the most impacted and distressed areas resulting from a major 
     disaster declared pursuant to the Robert T. Stafford Disaster 
     Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5121 et seq.); 
     and
       (ii) flood insurance coverage provided under the National 
     Flood Insurance Program pursuant to the National Flood 
     Insurance Act of 1968 (42 U.S.C. 4001 et seq.); and
       (C) any assistance provided under the Robert T. Stafford 
     Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5121 
     et seq.).
       (3) Eligible recipient.--The term ``eligible recipient''--

[[Page H7292]]

       (A) means any entity that receives disaster assistance 
     directly from the Federal Government (including disaster 
     assistance received through grant, loan, or contract) other 
     than an individual; and
       (B) includes a State that receives disaster assistance.
       (4) Specified natural disaster.--The term ``specified 
     natural disaster'' means--
       (A) a fire on public or private forest land or grassland 
     described in section 420 of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster 
     Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5187);
       (B) a major disaster declared by the President under 
     section 401 of such Act (42 U.S.C. 5170);
       (C) an emergency declared by the President under section 
     501 of such Act (42 U.S.C. 5191); and
       (D) any other natural disaster for which a disaster 
     declaration is made by the Federal Government.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
Oregon (Mr. DeFazio) and the gentleman from Missouri (Mr. Graves) each 
will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Oregon.


                             General Leave

  Mr. DeFAZIO. Madam 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. 1307.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Oregon?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. DeFAZIO. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  Madam Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 1307, the Post-Disaster 
Assistance Online Accountability Act, introduced by the gentleman from 
North Carolina (Mr. Meadows).
  When a major disaster strikes, the American people should know how 
and where their disaster funds are spent without wading through reams 
of inscrutable government paperwork.
  H.R. 1307 would simplify the data collection process for Federal 
disaster recovery projects and activities by establishing an online 
repository to which agencies could submit information on projects and 
spending.
  In order to increase transparency to the public, the bill would also 
create a page on USASpending.gov for the public to track agency 
disaster recovery activities and the amount of assistance expended, on 
a quarterly basis.

                              {time}  1415

  Federal agencies need to be accountable to the victims of disasters 
so that they can have peace of mind when they are at their most 
vulnerable.
  I strongly support the bill, and I urge my colleagues to join me.
  Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. GRAVES of Missouri. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I 
may consume.
  Madam Speaker, H.R. 1307, the Post-Disaster Assistance Online 
Accountability Act, is going to improve our oversight of Federal 
disaster assistance and projects.
  By increasing the accountability and transparency in Federal spending 
following disasters, this bill is going to help ensure that funds are 
invested more wisely and better able to help Americans who are trying 
to recover and rebuild their lives.
  H.R. 1307 is going to require various agencies that offer disaster 
assistance to publicly report data on disaster spending and 
obligations. It is critical, as we continue to work to reform and 
improve our disaster response and recovery programs, that we have the 
most accurate data available. That is important for our oversight, as 
well as for the taxpayers in holding agencies accountable.
  I want to thank the Economic Development, Public Buildings, and 
Emergency Management Subcommittee Ranking Member, Mr. Meadows, and Mr. 
Peters, for their work on this legislation. I encourage my colleagues 
to support it.
  Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. DeFAZIO. Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. GRAVES of Missouri. Madam Speaker, I yield such time as he may 
consume to the gentleman from North Carolina (Mr. Rouzer).
  Mr. ROUZER. Madam Speaker, I thank the chairman and the ranking 
member for their support and work on this bill as well.
  I certainly rise today in support of this measure sponsored and 
introduced by my friend and colleague, Mr. Meadows, also from North 
Carolina. We know firsthand just how badly this legislation is needed.
  In my district alone, which has been a victim of two major hurricanes 
in the last 3 years, Matthew in 2016, and Florence just this past fall, 
after both hurricanes, Congress appropriated disaster aid funding for 
rebuilding and recovery efforts. To date, very little of that money, 
quite honestly, has been channeled to the State.
  Taxpayers in North Carolina and across the rest of the country 
deserve to know how the Federal Government is spending these recovery 
funds, or whether they are being spent at all.
  More transparency means more accountability and making this disaster 
funding data available online to the public will help ensure that these 
dollars that Congress has appropriated are being spent in a timely and 
effective manner.
  As we continue to recover from Hurricanes Matthew and Florence, and 
prepare for yet another hurricane season this year, it is more 
important than ever that we make sure we are getting the most out of 
every single dollar that Congress appropriates. This bill will go a 
long way in helping to ensure just that.
  Mr. DeFAZIO. Madam Speaker, I have no further speakers. I reserve the 
balance of my time.
  Mr. GRAVES of Missouri. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I 
may consume.
  As has been demonstrated by the last four bills, the Transportation 
Committee is doing good work, and we produced four good, bipartisan 
bills. I am very proud of that.
  I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 1307, and I yield back the 
balance of my time.
  Mr. DeFAZIO. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  I want to thank the gentleman from Missouri. He has been a great 
partner in these and other ongoing efforts by the committee.
  I urge the positive adoption of this legislation, and I yield back 
the balance of my time.
  Miss GONZALEZ-COLON of Puerto Rico. Mr. Speaker, I rise as a 
cosponsor to H.R. 1307--the Post-Disaster Assistance Online 
Accountability Act, which establishes a centralized location where 
Federal Agencies will publish information on disaster assistance.
  This legislation requires reports every 3 months, that are available 
to the public regarding the total amount of assistance provided by 
agencies, the amount of funding that obligated, and where the funds are 
going, including all projects or activities that received funding.
  To date, roughly 32 percent, or $13.6 billion, of all funding, $42 
billion dollars, Congress has appropriated to Puerto Rico has actually 
been received by the communities and families who are trying to rebuild 
their lives on the island.
  With this legislation my constituents will know exactly how much 
funding is still expected to come to Puerto Rico and to their 
communities. They will be able to see the process that agencies are 
making for timely dispersals of funding and holding them accountable.
  Again, I want to thank Rep. Peters and Ranking Member Meadows again 
for their work on this Disaster recovery related bill.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from Oregon (Mr. DeFazio) that the House suspend the rules 
and pass the bill, H.R. 1307.
  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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