Federal Disaster Assistance Coordination Act
- Bill Number
- H.R. 152
- Origin Chamber
- House
- Congress
- 119th Congress, Session 1
- Policy Area
- Emergency Management
- Status
- Passed House
- Latest Action
- 2025-01-14: Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs.
- Last Updated
- 2026-07-10T20:23:20Z
AI-Generated Summary
Purpose
The Federal Disaster Assistance Coordination Act (H.R. 152) aims to improve the efficiency and coordination of federal disaster response by streamlining how information is collected from disaster victims and grantees, reducing duplication in damage assessments after disasters, and enhancing public access to data on federal aid. It builds on existing disaster recovery laws to make processes less burdensome and more timely.
Key Provisions
- Streamlining Information Collection: Within two years of enactment, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Administrator must work with agencies like the Small Business Administration (SBA) and Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to study and create a plan that simplifies how disaster applicants and recipients provide information, making it less repetitive and time-consuming while staying within legal limits.
- Public Reporting on Assistance: FEMA must develop a plan for ongoing collection and sharing of data on federal disaster aid awarded, including setting up and maintaining a public website to display this information.
- Preliminary Damage Assessments: FEMA must regularly convene a working group with officials from agencies like Labor, Health and Human Services, Transportation, and Commerce to:
- Identify overlaps or inefficiencies in initial damage evaluations after disaster declarations.
- Explore whether one federal agency could handle assessments for all others.
- Consider new technologies, such as drones (unmanned aircraft systems), to speed up these evaluations, following rules from a 2017 transparency law.
- Reporting and Transparency: FEMA must submit a single comprehensive report combining the plans and working group findings (with possible recommendations) to key congressional committees (House Transportation and Infrastructure; Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs). The report must be publicly posted on FEMA's website in easy-to-download, accessible formats (e.g., machine-readable if possible). Various public and private sources can be used for the report.
- Congressional Briefing: Within 180 days of submitting the report, FEMA and the Council of the Inspectors General on Integrity and Efficiency must brief Congress on request about the findings and recommendations.
- Technical Update: Amends the table of contents in the 2018 FAA Reauthorization Act to reflect the new section title.
Significant Changes to Existing Law
This act replaces Section 1223 of the Disaster Recovery Reform Act of 2018 (part of Public Law 115-254) with expanded requirements. The original section focused more narrowly on disaster recovery processes; the new version shifts emphasis to proactive studies, inter-agency coordination, technology integration, and public transparency in information handling and damage assessments, without altering core disaster aid eligibility or funding rules.
Potential Impacts
- On Government Agencies: Increases coordination demands on FEMA and partner agencies (e.g., SBA, HUD), potentially reducing administrative overlaps but requiring new resources for studies, working groups, and website maintenance. This could lead to faster disaster responses overall.
- On Citizens: Disaster victims and aid recipients (grantees) may face simpler application processes with less paperwork duplication, speeding up access to help like housing, business loans, or recovery funds. Public website access promotes greater transparency about aid distribution.
- On International Relations: No direct impacts, as the act focuses on domestic U.S. disaster management.
Main Stakeholders Affected
- Federal Agencies: Primarily FEMA (leading role), plus SBA, HUD, Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, Transportation, Commerce, Office of Management and Budget, and the Council of the Inspectors General.
- Disaster Victims and Grantees: Individuals, businesses, and communities applying for or receiving federal aid after events like hurricanes or floods.
- Congress and Oversight Bodies: House and Senate committees overseeing homeland security and infrastructure, benefiting from reports and briefings.
- General Public: Gains from accessible online data on disaster aid, improving awareness and accountability.
Notable Legal, Constitutional, or Political Implications
- Legal: Ensures all changes comply with existing laws (e.g., the 2017 FEMA Accountability Act for technology use) and emphasizes using open data sources, which could strengthen data privacy protections for applicants by reducing redundant collections. No new enforcement powers or penalties are introduced.
- Constitutional: Aligns with Congress's authority under the Commerce Clause to regulate interstate disaster response; promotes transparency without infringing on individual rights.
- Political: Encourages bipartisan efficiency in disaster policy, potentially reducing criticism of slow federal responses (e.g., post-hurricane delays). By mandating public reports, it enhances government accountability, which could influence future funding debates for FEMA and related programs.
This summary was generated by AI and may contain inaccuracies. Refer to the official source document for the authoritative text.
Sponsor
Cosponsors (2)
Rescom. Hernández, Pablo [D-PR-At Large], Del. Plaskett, Stacey E. [D-VI-At Large]
Recent Actions
- 2025-01-14: Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs.
- 2025-01-13: Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
- 2025-01-13: On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill Agreed to by the Yeas and Nays: (2/3 required): 405 - 5 (Roll no. 9). (text: CR H100-101) (Roll call 9)
- 2025-01-13: Passed/agreed to in House: On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill Agreed to by the Yeas and Nays: (2/3 required): 405 - 5 (Roll no. 9). (text: CR H100-101) (Roll call 9)
- 2025-01-13: Considered as unfinished business. (consideration: CR H107-108)
- 2025-01-13: At the conclusion of debate, the Yeas and Nays were demanded and ordered. Pursuant to the provisions of clause 8, rule XX, the Chair announced that further proceedings on the motion would be postponed.
- 2025-01-13: DEBATE - The House proceeded with forty minutes of debate on H.R. 152.
- 2025-01-13: Considered under suspension of the rules. (consideration: CR H100-101)
- 2025-01-13: Mr. Graves moved to suspend the rules and pass the bill.
- 2025-01-04: Referred to the Subcommittee on Economic Development, Public Buildings, and Emergency Management.
- 2025-01-03: Referred to the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure.
- 2025-01-03: Introduced in House
- 2025-01-03: Introduced in House
Bill Versions
- Federal Disaster Assistance Coordination Act — issued 2025-01-13 — PDF (6 pages)
- Federal Disaster Assistance Coordination Act — issued 2025-01-03 — PDF (5 pages)
- Federal Disaster Assistance Coordination Act — issued 2025-01-14 — PDF (5 pages)