[114th Congress Public Law 132]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]



[[Page 130 STAT. 293]]

Public Law 114-132
114th Congress

                                 An Act


 
 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. <<NOTE: Feb. 29, 2016 -  [S. 2109]>> 

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled, <<NOTE: Directing 
Dollars to Disaster Relief Act of 2015. 42 USC 5121 note.>> 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Directing Dollars to Disaster Relief 
Act of 2015''.
SEC. 2. <<NOTE: 42 USC 5165e note.>>  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

[[Page 130 STAT. 294]]

            (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. <<NOTE: 42 USC 5165e.>>  INTEGRATED PLAN FOR 
                    ADMINISTRATIVE COST REDUCTION.

    (a) <<NOTE: Deadline.>>  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) <<NOTE: Deadline.>>  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) <<NOTE: Reports. Notification.>>  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. <<NOTE: Time periods. 42 USC 5165e note. Effective 
                    date.>>  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.

[[Page 130 STAT. 295]]

            (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) <<NOTE: Assessment.>>  an assessment of the 
        effectiveness of the plan developed under section 3(a)(1);
            (4) <<NOTE: Analysis.>>  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) <<NOTE: Public information. Web posting.>>  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.

    Approved February 29, 2016.

LEGISLATIVE HISTORY--S. 2109:
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

SENATE REPORTS: No. 114-173 (Comm. on Homeland Security and Governmental 
Affairs).
CONGRESSIONAL RECORD, Vol. 162 (2016):
            Feb. 9, considered and passed Senate.
            Feb. 23, considered and passed House.

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