[Congressional Record Volume 168, Number 100 (Monday, June 13, 2022)]
[House]
[Pages H5456-H5458]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
POST-DISASTER ASSISTANCE ONLINE ACCOUNTABILITY ACT
Mr. DeFAZIO. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the
bill (H.R. 2020) 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. 2020
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
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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''--
(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 South Dakota (Mr. Johnson)
each will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Oregon.
General Leave
Mr. DeFAZIO. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members
may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their
remarks and include extraneous material on H.R. 2020.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentleman from Oregon?
There was no objection.
Mr. DeFAZIO. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 2020. This bill would create a
new online system for tracking Federal disaster projects and
assistance.
When a major disaster strikes, the American people should know how
and where their disaster funds are being spent without wading through
reams of governmental paperwork. This legislation simplifies the data
collection process for Federal disaster recovery projects.
To increase transparency to the public, the bill would also create a
page on USAspending.gov where everyone can track agency disaster
recovery activities and the amount of assistance expended by an agency
on a quarterly basis. Federal agencies need to be held accountable to
the victims of disasters so that they can have peace of mind when they
are at their most vulnerable.
Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues on both sides to join me and
support this legislation, and I reserve the balance of my time.
House of Representatives,
Committee on Small Business,
Washington, DC, June 10, 2022.
Hon. Peter A. DeFazio,
Chairman, Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure,
House of Representatives, Washington, DC.
Dear Chairman DeFazio: I am writing with respect to H.R.
2020, the ``Post-Disaster Assistance Online Accountability
Act''. Thank you for consulting with the Committee on Small
Business regarding the matters in H.R. 2020 that fall within
the Committee's jurisdiction.
As a result of your consultation with us on this measure
and in order to expeditiously move the bill to the floor, I
forego further consideration of H.R. 2020. The Committee on
Small Business takes this action with our mutual
understanding that we do not waive any jurisdiction over the
subject matter contained in this or similar legislation, and
the Committee will be appropriately consulted and involved as
the bill or similar legislation moves forward so that we may
address any remaining issues that fall within our
jurisdiction. Further, I request your support for the
appointment of an appropriate number of conferees from the
Committee on Small Business during any House-Senate
conference involving this or similar legislation.
Finally, I would appreciate your response to this letter
confirming our understanding regarding H.R. 2020 and would
ask that a copy of our exchange of letters on this matter be
included in the Committee Report and the Congressional Record
during floor consideration of the measure. Thank you for the
cooperative spirit in which you have worked regarding this
matter and others between our respective committees.
Sincerely,
Nydia M. Velazquez,
Chairwoman.
____
Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, House of
Representatives,
Washington, DC, June 10, 2022.
Hon. Nydia M. Velazquez,
Chairwoman, Committee on Small Business,
House of Representatives, Washington, DC.
Dear Ms. Velazquez: Thank you for your letter regarding
H.R. 2020, the Post-Disaster Assistance Online Accountability
Act. I appreciate your decision to waive formal consideration
of the bill.
I agree that the Committee on Small Business has valid
jurisdictional claims to certain provisions in this important
legislation, and I further agree that by forgoing formal
consideration of the bill, the Committee on Small Business is
not waiving any jurisdiction over any relevant subject
matter. Additionally, if requested I will support the
appointment of conferees from the Committee on Small Business
should a House-Senate conference be convened on this
legislation. Finally, this exchange of letters will be
included in the Congressional Record when the bill is
considered on the floor.
Thank you again, and I look forward to continuing to work
collaboratively with the Committee on Small Business on this
important issue.
Sincerely,
Peter A. DeFazio,
Chair.
Mr. JOHNSON of South Dakota. Mr. Speaker, I have no further speakers,
and I yield myself the balance of my time.
Mr. Speaker, it is often said that sunshine is the best disinfectant.
It is said so often because it is true, and certainly, it is true in
public affairs.
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This is a commonsense accountability measure introduced by my
Republican colleague from Puerto Rico (Miss Gonzalez-Colon), and I
applaud her for this.
It is going to increase transparency for post-disaster Federal
assistance. It makes sure for citizens who are curious--exactly as the
chairman said--who want this information about what the Federal
Government has done to help communities in need without their having to
go on some massive research project. This gives them an opportunity in
a clear and concise way to get a sense of what their Federal Government
has done to respond to these disasters. This increased transparency is
going to allow the American taxpayers to see where their hard-earned
dollars are going.
Mr. Speaker, I urge support of this legislation, and I yield back the
balance of my time.
Mr. DeFAZIO. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time.
Mr. Speaker, again, as the gentleman has just said, having some
transparency when you have a number of Federal agencies coming into a
community that has just been devastated, whether it is in my region by
wildfire or on the Gulf Coast by a hurricane or in the Midwest and the
South by tornado, people need timely and good information about how the
disaster relief is flowing from the Federal Government, in what
amounts, and to what places so that there can be actual oversight by
people who were directly impacted by the disaster.
That is why I believe this legislation has tremendous merit. I
recommend that my colleagues lend their full support to it, and I yield
back the balance of my time.
Ms. JACKSON LEE, Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 2020,
the ``Post-Disaster Assistance Online Accountability Act.''
H.R. 2020 is a bipartisan initiative to establish an online
repository for reporting requirements for recipients of Federal
disaster assistance.
I would like to thank my colleague, Delegate Gonzalez-Colon, for
introducing this legislation to increase transparency of post-disaster
assistance.
The Office of Management and Budget (0MB) along with the Sectretary
of the Treasury and the head of each covered Federal agency will
collaborate to create a subpage within the website,
www.usaspending.gov, to make the following information available to the
public:
Total amount of disaster assistance provided by the agency during
quarter;
Amount of disaster assistance provided by the agency that was
expanded or obligated to projects or activities; and
Detailed list of all projects or activities for which disaster
assistance dispersed by the agency was expended including:
Name and description of project or activity;
Evaluation of the completion status;
Any award identification number assigned;
Catalog Disaster Assistance number assigned by FEMA;
Location of the project, including zip codes; and
Any reporting requirement information collected by a covered Federal
agency with respect to that agency's disaster assistance.
H.R. 2020 will require the submission of information by covered
federal agencies every 3 months.
When enacted, H.R. 2020 would include natural disasters that are
major disasters or emergency declared by the President as well as any
other natural disaster made by the Federal Government.
Within the past decade, we have witnessed an increase in the number
of natural disasters and extreme weather as a result of climate change.
In 2021, the NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information
(NCEI) found that the United States experienced 20 separate billion-
dollar weather and climate disasters.
Houston alone has been the site of 7 federally declared disasters
since 2015 notably including Hurricane Harvey and Winter Storm Uri.
The growing number of natural disasters makes this legislation
increasingly relevant to maintain accountability of post-disaster
funds.
H.R. 2020 creates a necessary online reference portal that will be
accessible by mayors, legislators, and residents to know the status of
funds and their use.
These funds are vital to communities devastated by natural disasters
and it is important that we ensure the funds are used for their
assigned use.
Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting H.R. 2020.
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. 2020.
The question was taken.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. In the opinion of the Chair, two-thirds
being in the affirmative, the ayes have it.
Mr. GOOD of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and
nays.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to section 3(s) of House Resolution
8, the yeas and nays are ordered.
Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX, further proceedings on this question
are postponed.
____________________