119th Congress (2025-2026)

HR 153

Post-Disaster Assistance Online Accountability Act

In Second Chamber

Jurisdiction

US Congress

Session

119th Congress (2025-2026)

Official source

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House

Session

119th Congress (2025-2026)

Jurisdiction

US Congress

Bill overview

This bill, the Post-Disaster Assistance Online Accountability Act, requires federal agencies that provide disaster assistance to publish detailed information about their spending and projects online. Agencies like the Small Business Administration and the Department of Housing and Urban Development must submit quarterly reports on the total assistance provided, the amount spent, and a list of projects funded, including location and project details. This aims to increase transparency and accountability in the use of disaster relief funds.

Key provisions

Federal agencies must publish disaster assistance data quarterly.
Reports must include total assistance provided, amount expended, and a list of funded projects.
Projects listed must include name, description, completion status, award number, Catalog number, location, and reporting requirements.
The Office of Management and Budget will establish a subpage on the existing Federal Funding Accountability and Transparency Act website.
Agencies must coordinate with the OMB and the Secretary of the Treasury to ensure data is machine-readable.
The bill covers agencies providing assistance under the Stafford Disaster Relief Act, the Small Business Act, and the Housing and Community Development Act.
Eligible recipients include states and entities receiving disaster assistance directly from the federal government.
Specified natural disasters include fires, major disasters, and emergencies declared by the President.

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Legislative history

2025-01-03House

Referred to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, and in addition to the Committees on Small Business, and Financial Services, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.

2025-01-03House

2025-01-03

Introduced in House

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Jan 3, 2025XMLView source

119th CONGRESS — 1st Session

H. R. 153

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

A BILL

To provide for an online repository for certain reporting requirements for recipients of Federal disaster assistance, and for other purposes.

1.Short title

This Act may be cited as the

Post-Disaster Assistance Online Accountability Act

2.Subpage for transparency of disaster assistance

(a)Establishment of repository for reporting requirementsThe 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 agenciesNot 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 entityThe 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.

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 assistanceThe 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.

HR 153

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