[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 16 (Wednesday, January 25, 2023)]
[House]
[Pages H295-H297]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
POST-DISASTER ASSISTANCE ONLINE ACCOUNTABILITY ACT
Mr. GRAVES of Missouri. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and
pass the bill (H.R. 259) 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. 259
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''--
(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.
[[Page H296]]
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from
Missouri (Mr. Graves) and the gentleman from Washington (Mr. Larsen)
each will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Missouri.
General Leave
Mr. GRAVES of Missouri. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all
Members have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their
remarks and insert extraneous material into the Record on H.R. 259.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentleman from Missouri?
There was no objection.
Mr. GRAVES of Missouri. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I
may consume.
Mr. Speaker, H.R. 259, the Post-Disaster Assistance Online
Accountability Act, introduced by our Republican colleague from Puerto
Rico (Mrs. Gonzalez-Colon), will increase transparency for post-
disaster Federal assistance.
H.R. 259 requires agencies that provide Federal disaster assistance
to update a central website quarterly with information on their
disaster assistance programs. This increased transparency is going to
allow the American taxpayers to see where their hard-earned dollars are
going and which areas are receiving the most Federal assistance for
post-disaster recovery.
The Post-Disaster Assistance Online Accountability Act passed the
House last Congress overwhelmingly by a vote of 412 yeas to 2 nays. I
hope we can repeat this very strong showing this Congress.
Mr. Speaker, I urge support of this legislation, and I reserve the
balance of my time.
House of Representatives,
Committee on Small Business,
Washington, DC, January 19, 2023.
Hon. Sam Graves,
Chairman, Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure,
House of Representatives, Washington, DC.
Dear Chairman Graves: I write concerning H.R. 259, the Post
Disaster-Assistance Online Accountability Act. The bill was
referred primarily to the Committee on Transportation and
Infrastructure, with additional referrals to the Committee on
Financial Services and the Committee on Small Business.
Specifically, provisions of H.R. 259 fall within the Rule X
jurisdiction of the Committee on Small Business.
I recognize and appreciate your desire to bring this
legislation before the House of Representatives in an
expeditious manner, and accordingly, the Committee on Small
Business will forgo action on the bill. However, this is
conditional on our mutual understanding that doing so will
not prejudice the Committee on Small Business with respect to
the appointment of conferees or to any future jurisdictional
claim over the subject matter contained in the bill or
similar legislation that falls within the Committee on Small
Business's Rule X jurisdiction. Further, should a conference
on the bill be necessary, I appreciate your agreement to
support my request to have the Committee represented on the
conference committee.
Finally, I would ask that a copy of this letter and your
response acknowledging our jurisdictional interest in the
bill be included in the Congressional Record during
consideration of H.R. 259 on the House floor.
Sincerely,
Roger Williams,
Chairman,
House Committee on Small Business.
____
Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure,
House of Representatives,
Washington, DC, January 19, 2023.
Hon. Roger Williams Chairman,
Chairman, Committee on Small Business,
House of Representatives, Washington, DC.
Dear Chairman Williams: Thank you for your letter regarding
H.R. 259, the Post Disaster Assistance Online Accountability
Act. I appreciate your willingness to work cooperatively to
ensure that H.R. 259 is considered expeditiously before the
House of Representatives.
In response to your letter, I recognize that this bill
contains provisions that fall within the jurisdiction of the
Committee on Small Business. I also acknowledge that your
Committee's decision to forgo consideration would not
prejudice your Committee regarding the appointment of
conferees, to any future jurisdictional claim over the
subject matters contained in the bill, or to similar
legislation falling under your Committee's Rule X
jurisdiction. In addition, should a conference on this bill
become necessary, I would support your request to have
members of the Committee on Small Business represented on the
conference committee.
I will ensure that our exchange of letters is included in
the Congressional Record during consideration on the House
floor. Thank you again, I appreciate your cooperation
regarding this legislation and look forward to continuing to
work with you as this measure moves through the legislative
process.
Sincerely,
Sam Graves,
Chairman.
____
Committee on Financial Services,
House of Representatives,
Washington, DC, January 20, 2023.
Hon. Sam Graves,
Chairman, Committee on Transportation & Infrastructure, House
of Representatives, Washington, DC.
Dear Chairman Graves: I am writing concerning H.R. 259, the
``Post-Disaster Assistance Online Accountability Act.'' Per
your request, I agree that the Committee on Financial
Services shall be discharged from further consideration of
the bill so that it may proceed expeditiously to the House
Floor. The Committee takes this action with the mutual
understanding that, by foregoing consideration of H.R. 259 at
this time, we do not waive any jurisdiction over the subject
matter contained in this or similar legislation, and that the
Committee will be appropriately consulted and involved on
this or similar legislation as it moves forward. The
Committee also reserves the right to see appointment of an
appropriate number of conferees to any conference with the
Senate involving this or similar legislation, and we request
your support for any such request.
Finally, as you mentioned in your letter, I ask that a copy
of our exchange of letters on this bill be included in your
committee's report to accompany the legislation, as well as
in the Congressional Record during floor consideration
thereof.
Sincerely,
Patrick McHenry,
Chairman, Committee on Financial Services.
____
Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, House of
Representatives,
Washington, DC, January 17, 2023.
Hon. Patrick McHenry,
Chairman, Committee on Financial Services,
Washington, DC.
Dear Chairman McHenry: I am writing to you concerning H.R.
259, the ``Post-Disaster Assistance Online Accountability
Act.'' The bill was referred primarily to the Committee on
Transportation and Infrastructure, with additional referrals
to the Committee on Financial Services and the Committee on
Small Business.
I ask that you allow the Committee on Financial Services to
be discharged from further consideration of the bill so that
it may be scheduled by the Majority Leader. This discharge in
no way affects your jurisdiction over the subject matter of
the bill, and it will not serve as precedent for futural
referrals. In addition, should a conference on the bill be
necessary, I would support your request to have the Committee
on Financial Services represented on the conference
committee. Finally, I would be pleased to include this letter
and any response in the Congressional Record during floor
consideration, to memorialize our understanding.
Thank you for your consideration of my request.
Sincerely,
Sam Graves,
Chairman.
Mr. LARSEN of Washington. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I
may consume.
Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 259. This bill, introduced by
Resident Commissioner Gonzalez-Colon and Delegate Plaskett would create
a new online system for tracking Federal disaster projects and
assistance.
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, the bill also creates 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 accountable to the victims of disasters
and allow them peace of mind when they are at their most vulnerable.
Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues on both sides to join with me and
support this legislation, and I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. GRAVES of Missouri. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as she may
consume to the gentlewoman from Puerto Rico (Mrs. Gonzalez-Colon).
Mrs. GONZALEZ-COLON. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 259, the
Post-Disaster Assistance Online Accountability Act.
Again, I thank Chairman Graves for moving forward with this
bipartisan initiative, for making it possible so early in this
Congress, and for it to be considered today.
I also thank my sister from the Virgin Islands, Stacey Plaskett, as
well as Representatives Malliotakis and Cleaver for their support and
as cosponsors on this legislation.
[[Page H297]]
H.R. 259 would provide an innovative and comprehensive approach to
tracking Federal disaster projects and assistance, as well as the
funds.
It establishes a single online repository to report information about
Federal disaster assistance to provide transparency to the American
taxpayer.
This proposal, developed in collaboration with the Project of
Government Oversight, would establish a subpage for transparency of
disaster assistance on the USASpending.gov website to better inform the
public about the status of the use of disaster funding. And believe me,
Mr. Speaker, every time I go back to the district every weekend this is
the first question I receive from my constituents: What happened with
the funds to the bridge?
What happened with the funds to the school?
What happened to the funds to the roads that are still damaged 5
years after a hurricane?
Many people ask themselves these questions: Where is the Federal
funding that has been approved by Congress?
Where is the money that has been allocated to the Federal agencies?
Does a contractor have it?
Did the local government spend the money well?
Those are general questions that everybody, at least in Puerto Rico,
are asking.
So this bill would require agencies that offered disaster assistance,
including the Department of Housing and Urban Development, the Small
Business Administration, the Department of Agriculture, and many
others, to regularly submit updated information to the Office of
Management and Budget to ensure that the best possible data is
available in an easily accessible format.
The data to be published would include: the amount of disaster
assistance provided by the agencies; the amount of disaster assistance
that has been obligated or expended to projects or activities; and a
detailed list of all projects or activities for which disaster
assistance dispersed by the agency was expended, obligated, or used,
including a description of the project or activity, as well as an
evaluation of the completion status of that project.
I think this will help not just the general public, not just American
taxpayers, but also the government agencies to know where the funding
is and when those projects are going to be completed.
During the last few years, my district, like many others represented
here in the House, has faced multiple hardships due to disasters. In
Puerto Rico, we are still working through the aftermath of Hurricanes
Irma and Maria, the earthquakes of 2020, and last year's Hurricane
Fiona. Much of the support has been approved for rebuilding--this
Congress passed legislation allocating billions of Federal funding not
just to Puerto Rico, but to Texas, to California, and to many other
States--and, of course, we need better accountability and oversight to
ensure this funding is being used as intended by Congress.
H.R. 259 will foster accessibility and transparency of information to
track Federal funding and its status. It will also enable local mayors
and legislators, nongovernmental organizations, and individual
constituents to know what funding has been used for, where the funding
will go, and how much funding is left to be spent, among other
information.
In Puerto Rico we have put money here for hospitals, for piers, and
for bridges, and people don't even know where the money is because the
projects have not even begun yet. This kind of information will not
only help Federal and local agencies but mostly the American taxpayers.
This will allow better awareness of progress and utilization of
resources and to ensure that streams of available funding are not
overlooked or underutilized.
The transparency provided with this bill will be essential for better
congressional oversight of disaster recovery in all the States and
communities where it has been received so agencies can account for how
effectively it is being used, and if it is getting to the hands of the
individuals and communities that need it and that it was intended to go
to.
Mr. Speaker, passing this legislation will assist efforts to improve
Federal disaster response and make it more accountable and effective. I
urge my colleagues to vote for passage of H.R. 259, the Post-Disaster
Assistance Online Accountability Act.
Mr. LARSEN of Washington. Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for
time, and I am prepared to close.
Mr. Speaker, the House passed this bipartisan bill on suspension as
well in the past two Congresses. I look forward to passing this
commonsense transparency measure again today.
Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support it, and I yield back the
balance of my time.
Mr. GRAVES of Missouri. Mr. Speaker, in closing, this commonsense
accountability measure is going to enable taxpayers to get a greater
sense of where their money is going and allow agencies to see where
they can coordinate post-disaster recovery efforts.
Mr. Speaker, I urge support of this legislation, and I yield back the
balance of my time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the
gentleman from Missouri (Mr. Graves) that the House suspend the rules
and pass the bill, H.R. 259.
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.
____________________