HR 5395
Disaster Relief Disbursement Accountability Act
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Bill overview
This bill aims to improve the speed at which disaster relief funds are distributed after a disaster declaration. It requires the Administrator of FEMA to take steps to ensure funds are disbursed quickly to eligible entities, particularly through programs like the hazard mitigation grant program and public assistance program. The bill also mandates recipients to report on how long it takes to distribute funds to subrecipients, and requires the Administrator to compile and report this information to Congress.
Key provisions
- Requires FEMA to expedite the disbursement of disaster relief funds.
- Mandates recipients to report on average disbursement times to subrecipients.
- Establishes reporting requirements for recipients of disaster assistance.
- Directs the Administrator to submit reports to Congress summarizing disbursement timelines.
- Focuses on the hazard mitigation grant program and public assistance program.
- Sets deadlines for initial and annual recipient reports.
- Addresses reporting for both retroactive and future disaster declarations.
Who is affected
- Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)
- Disaster Relief Recipients
- State and Local Governments
- Subrecipients of Disaster Relief Funds
- Congress
Notable changes
- Introduces reporting requirements for disbursement timelines.
- Creates a system for tracking and reporting on the speed of fund distribution.
Sponsors
Official sponsors from legislative records.
Primary sponsor
Pablo Jose [D-PR-At Large] Rescom. Hernández
Cosponsors
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119th CONGRESS — 1st Session
H. R. 5395
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
A BILL
To amend the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act to direct the expedient disbursement of funds, and for other purposes.
This Act may be cited as the Disaster Relief Disbursement Accountability Act
.
Title VI of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5195 et seq.) is amended by adding at the end the following:
For each major disaster or emergency for which a declaration was made under section 401 or 501 and for which assistance is being disbursed as of the date of enactment of this section, each recipient of assistance for such major disaster or emergency under the hazard mitigation grant program under section 404 or the public assistance program under sections 403, 406, 407, 428, or 502 shall, not later than 1 year after such date of enactment, submit to the Administrator a report that describes the average amount of time the recipient takes to disburse such assistance to a subrecipient.
Not later than 3 years after the date of enactment of this section, and annually thereafter, the Administrator shall submit to the Committees on Homeland Security and Transportation and Infrastructure of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs of the Senate a report containing a summary of the information provided under subsection (b).