[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 162 (2016), Part 2]
[Senate]
[Pages 1562-1564]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]


            DIRECTING DOLLARS TO DISASTER RELIEF ACT OF 2015

  Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate 
proceed to the immediate consideration of Calendar No. 313, S. 2109.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will report the bill by title.
  The legislative clerk read as follows:

       A bill (S. 2109) to direct the Administrator of the Federal 
     Emergency Management Agency to develop an integrated plan to 
     reduce administrative costs under the Robert T. Stafford 
     Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act, and for other 
     purposes.

  There being no objection, the Senate proceeded to consider the bill, 
which had been reported from the Committee on Homeland Security and 
Governmental Affairs, with an amendment to strike all after the 
enacting clause and insert in lieu thereof the following:

     SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

       This Act may be cited as the ``Directing Dollars to 
     Disaster Relief Act of 2015''.

     SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS.

       In this Act--
       (1) the term ``administrative cost''--
       (A) means a cost incurred by the Agency in support of the 
     delivery of disaster assistance for a major disaster; and
       (B) does not include a cost incurred by a grantee or 
     subgrantee;
       (2) the term ``Administrator'' means the Administrator of 
     the Agency;
       (3) the term ``Agency'' means the Federal Emergency 
     Management Agency;
       (4) the term ``direct administrative cost'' means a cost 
     incurred by a grantee or subgrantee of a program authorized 
     by the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency 
     Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5121 et seq.) that can be 
     identified separately and assigned to a specific project;
       (5) the term ``hazard mitigation program'' means the hazard 
     mitigation grant program authorized under section 404 of the 
     Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance 
     Act (42 U.S.C. 5170c);
       (6) the term ``individual assistance program'' means the 
     individual assistance grant program authorized under sections 
     408, 410, 415, 416, 426, and 502(a) of the Robert T. Stafford 
     Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5174, 
     5177, 5182, 5183, 5189d, and 5192(a));
       (7) the term ``major disaster'' means a major disaster 
     declared by the President under section 401 of the Robert T. 
     Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (42 
     U.S.C. 5170);
       (8) the term ``mission assignment'' has the meaning given 
     the term in section 641 of the Post-Katrina Emergency 
     Management Reform Act of 2006 (6 U.S.C. 741); and
       (9) the term ``public assistance program'' means the public 
     assistance grant program authorized under sections 403(a)(3), 
     406, 418, 419, 428, and 502(a) of the Robert T. Stafford 
     Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 
     5170b(a)(3), 5172, 5185, 5186, 5189f, and 5192(a)).

[[Page 1563]]



     SEC. 3. INTEGRATED PLAN FOR ADMINISTRATIVE COST REDUCTION.

       (a) In General.--Not later than 365 days after the date of 
     enactment of this Act, the Administrator shall--
       (1) develop and implement an integrated plan to control and 
     reduce administrative costs for major disasters, which shall 
     include--
       (A) steps the Agency will take to reduce administrative 
     costs;
       (B) milestones needed for accomplishing the reduction of 
     administrative costs;
       (C) strategic goals for the average annual percentage of 
     administrative costs of major disasters for each fiscal year;
       (D) the assignment of clear roles and responsibilities, 
     including the designation of officials responsible for 
     monitoring and measuring performance; and
       (E) a timetable for implementation;
       (2) compare the costs and benefits of tracking the 
     administrative cost data for major disasters by the public 
     assistance, individual assistance, hazard mitigation, and 
     mission assignment programs, and if feasible, track this 
     information; and
       (3) clarify Agency guidance and minimum documentation 
     requirements for a direct administrative cost claimed by a 
     grantee or subgrantee of a public assistance grant program.
       (b) Congressional Update.--Not later than 90 days after the 
     date of enactment of this Act, the Administrator shall brief 
     the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs 
     of the Senate and the Committee on Transportation and 
     Infrastructure of the House of Representatives on the plan 
     required to be developed under subsection (a)(1).
       (c) Updates.--If the Administrator modifies the plan or the 
     timetable under subsection (a), the Administrator shall 
     submit to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental 
     Affairs of the Senate and the Committee on Transportation and 
     Infrastructure of the House of Representatives a report 
     notifying Congress of the modification, which shall include 
     the details of the modification.

     SEC. 4. REPORTING REQUIREMENT.

       (a) Annual Report.--Not later than November 30 of each 
     year, the Administrator shall submit to Committee on Homeland 
     Security and Governmental Affairs of the Senate and the 
     Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure of the House 
     of Representatives a report on the development and 
     implementation of the integrated plan required under section 
     3 for the previous fiscal year.
       (b) Report Updates.--
       (1) Three year update.--Not later than 3 years after the 
     date on which the Administrator submits a report under 
     subsection (a), the Administrator shall submit an updated 
     report for the previous 3-fiscal-year period.
       (2) Five year update.--Not later than 5 years after the 
     date on which the Administrator submits a report under 
     subsection (a), the Administrator shall submit an updated 
     report for the previous 5-fiscal-year period.
       (c) Contents of Reports.--Each report required under 
     subsections (a) and (b) shall contain, at a minimum--
       (1) the total amount spent on administrative costs for the 
     fiscal year period for which the report is being submitted;
       (2) the average annual percentage of administrative costs 
     for the fiscal year period for which the report is being 
     submitted;
       (3) an assessment of the effectiveness of the plan 
     developed under section 3(a)(1);
       (4) an analysis of--
       (A) whether the Agency is achieving the strategic goals 
     established under section 3(a)(1)(C); and
       (B) in the case of the Agency not achieving such strategic 
     goals, what is preventing the Agency from doing so;
       (5) any actions the Agency has identified as useful in 
     improving upon and reaching the goals for administrative 
     costs established under section 3(a)(1)(C); and
       (6) any data described in section 3(a)(2), if the Agency 
     determines it is feasible to track such data.
       (d) Public Availability.--Not later than 30 days after the 
     date on which the Administrator submits a report to Congress 
     under this section, the Administrator shall make the report 
     publicly available on the website of the Agency.

  Mr. McCONNELL. I ask unanimous consent that the Johnson amendment be 
agreed to; the committee-reported substitute amendment, as amended, be 
agreed to; the bill, as amended, be read a third time and passed, and 
the motion to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  The amendment (No. 3296) was agreed to, as follows:

      (Purpose: To sunset the reporting requirement after 7 years)

       On page 10, line 5, insert ``for 7 years beginning on the 
     date of enactment of this Act'' after ``each year''.

  The committee-reported amendment in the nature of a substitute, as 
amended, was agreed to.
  The bill (S. 2109), as amended, was ordered to be engrossed for a 
third reading, was read the third time, and passed, as follows:

                                S. 2109

       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 ``Directing Dollars to 
     Disaster Relief Act of 2015''.

     SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS.

       In this Act--
       (1) the term ``administrative cost''--
       (A) means a cost incurred by the Agency in support of the 
     delivery of disaster assistance for a major disaster; and
       (B) does not include a cost incurred by a grantee or 
     subgrantee;
       (2) the term ``Administrator'' means the Administrator of 
     the Agency;
       (3) the term ``Agency'' means the Federal Emergency 
     Management Agency;
       (4) the term ``direct administrative cost'' means a cost 
     incurred by a grantee or subgrantee of a program authorized 
     by the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency 
     Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5121 et seq.) that can be 
     identified separately and assigned to a specific project;
       (5) the term ``hazard mitigation program'' means the hazard 
     mitigation grant program authorized under section 404 of the 
     Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance 
     Act (42 U.S.C. 5170c);
       (6) the term ``individual assistance program'' means the 
     individual assistance grant program authorized under sections 
     408, 410, 415, 416, 426, and 502(a) of the Robert T. Stafford 
     Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5174, 
     5177, 5182, 5183, 5189d, and 5192(a));
       (7) the term ``major disaster'' means a major disaster 
     declared by the President under section 401 of the Robert T. 
     Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (42 
     U.S.C. 5170);
       (8) the term ``mission assignment'' has the meaning given 
     the term in section 641 of the Post-Katrina Emergency 
     Management Reform Act of 2006 (6 U.S.C. 741); and
       (9) the term ``public assistance program'' means the public 
     assistance grant program authorized under sections 403(a)(3), 
     406, 418, 419, 428, and 502(a) of the Robert T. Stafford 
     Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 
     5170b(a)(3), 5172, 5185, 5186, 5189f, and 5192(a)).

     SEC. 3. INTEGRATED PLAN FOR ADMINISTRATIVE COST REDUCTION.

       (a) In General.--Not later than 365 days after the date of 
     enactment of this Act, the Administrator shall--
       (1) develop and implement an integrated plan to control and 
     reduce administrative costs for major disasters, which shall 
     include--
       (A) steps the Agency will take to reduce administrative 
     costs;
       (B) milestones needed for accomplishing the reduction of 
     administrative costs;
       (C) strategic goals for the average annual percentage of 
     administrative costs of major disasters for each fiscal year;
       (D) the assignment of clear roles and responsibilities, 
     including the designation of officials responsible for 
     monitoring and measuring performance; and
       (E) a timetable for implementation;
       (2) compare the costs and benefits of tracking the 
     administrative cost data for major disasters by the public 
     assistance, individual assistance, hazard mitigation, and 
     mission assignment programs, and if feasible, track this 
     information; and
       (3) clarify Agency guidance and minimum documentation 
     requirements for a direct administrative cost claimed by a 
     grantee or subgrantee of a public assistance grant program.
       (b) Congressional Update.--Not later than 90 days after the 
     date of enactment of this Act, the Administrator shall brief 
     the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs 
     of the Senate and the Committee on Transportation and 
     Infrastructure of the House of Representatives on the plan 
     required to be developed under subsection (a)(1).
       (c) Updates.--If the Administrator modifies the plan or the 
     timetable under subsection (a), the Administrator shall 
     submit to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental 
     Affairs of the Senate and the Committee on Transportation and 
     Infrastructure of the House of Representatives a report 
     notifying Congress of the modification, which shall include 
     the details of the modification.

     SEC. 4. REPORTING REQUIREMENT.

       (a) Annual Report.--Not later than November 30 of each year 
     for 7 years beginning on the date of enactment of this Act, 
     the Administrator shall submit to Committee on Homeland 
     Security and Governmental Affairs of the Senate and the 
     Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure of the House 
     of Representatives a report on the development and 
     implementation of the integrated plan required under section 
     3 for the previous fiscal year.
       (b) Report Updates.--
       (1) Three year update.--Not later than 3 years after the 
     date on which the Administrator submits a report under 
     subsection (a), the Administrator shall submit an updated 
     report for the previous 3-fiscal-year period.
       (2) Five year update.--Not later than 5 years after the 
     date on which the Administrator submits a report under 
     subsection (a), the Administrator shall submit an updated 
     report for the previous 5-fiscal-year period.

[[Page 1564]]

       (c) Contents of Reports.--Each report required under 
     subsections (a) and (b) shall contain, at a minimum--
       (1) the total amount spent on administrative costs for the 
     fiscal year period for which the report is being submitted;
       (2) the average annual percentage of administrative costs 
     for the fiscal year period for which the report is being 
     submitted;
       (3) an assessment of the effectiveness of the plan 
     developed under section 3(a)(1);
       (4) an analysis of--
       (A) whether the Agency is achieving the strategic goals 
     established under section 3(a)(1)(C); and
       (B) in the case of the Agency not achieving such strategic 
     goals, what is preventing the Agency from doing so;
       (5) any actions the Agency has identified as useful in 
     improving upon and reaching the goals for administrative 
     costs established under section 3(a)(1)(C); and
       (6) any data described in section 3(a)(2), if the Agency 
     determines it is feasible to track such data.
       (d) Public Availability.--Not later than 30 days after the 
     date on which the Administrator submits a report to Congress 
     under this section, the Administrator shall make the report 
     publicly available on the website of the Agency.

                          ____________________