DISASTER Act of 2025
- Bill Number
- H.R. 2956
- Origin Chamber
- House
- Congress
- 119th Congress, Session 1
- Policy Area
- Emergency Management
- Status
- Introduced
- Latest Action
- 2025-04-17: Referred to the Subcommittee on Economic Development, Public Buildings, and Emergency Management.
- Last Updated
- 2026-06-23T08:05:46Z
AI-Generated Summary
Purpose of the Legislation
The "Disclosing Aid Spent to Ensure Relief Act of 2025" (or "DISASTER Act of 2025") aims to improve transparency in federal spending on disaster-related assistance. It requires the Director of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to submit an annual report to Congress detailing all such assistance provided by the federal government during the previous fiscal year. This addresses the lack of a single, public summary of these expenditures, helping Congress and the public understand the scope and cost of disaster aid amid budget constraints.
Key Provisions
- Reporting Requirement: Adds a new section (Sec. 1127) to chapter 11 of title 31, United States Code, mandating OMB to submit the report on the same day the President submits the annual federal budget to Congress under existing law (section 1105(a)).
- Scope of Coverage: The report must include federal obligations (committed funds) for disaster response (immediate actions), recovery (restoring affected areas), mitigation (reducing future risks), and related administrative costs. It covers spending by a wide range of agencies and programs, including:
- Department of Agriculture (e.g., Farm Service Agency, Forest Service).
- Department of Commerce (e.g., Economic Development Administration).
- U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (civil works).
- Department of Defense (military and operations).
- Department of Education, Health and Human Services, Homeland Security (including FEMA's emergency and disaster declarations), Housing and Urban Development.
- Department of the Interior, Justice, Labor, Transportation, Treasury, Veterans Affairs.
- Other entities like the Environmental Protection Agency, Small Business Administration, and General Services Administration.
- Report Contents: Must detail:
- Total amount of disaster-related obligations.
- Breakdown by agency, account, specific disaster, disaster type (e.g., hurricanes, floods), and spending category (e.g., response vs. recovery, loans vs. grants).
- Public Access: The report must be posted on the OMB website in a user-friendly format (searchable, sortable, and downloadable).
- Effective Date: Applies starting with the President's budget submission for fiscal year 2027 (likely in early 2026).
Significant Changes to Existing Law
This bill introduces a entirely new reporting mandate under U.S. law, as there is currently no centralized, public estimate of total federal disaster spending across agencies. It amends title 31 (which governs money and finance) by adding Sec. 1127 and updating the chapter's table of contents. Previously, disaster aid data was scattered across agency reports, making it hard to track comprehensively. The change promotes a unified view to support better budgeting and vulnerability reduction efforts.
Potential Impacts
- On Government Agencies: Increases accountability for agencies like FEMA and the Department of Defense by requiring detailed tracking of disaster spending, which could streamline multi-year recovery efforts and identify efficiencies in resource allocation.
- On Citizens: Provides clearer insight into how taxpayer dollars fund disaster aid, potentially building public trust and awareness of federal support for affected communities. It may indirectly help reduce future disaster costs through better mitigation planning.
- On International Relations: No direct impacts mentioned; the focus is domestic federal spending.
Main Stakeholders Affected
- Congress: Gains better data for appropriations decisions and oversight of executive branch spending.
- Federal Agencies and OMB: Must compile and report data annually, potentially adding administrative workload but improving coordination on disaster response.
- State and Local Governments: Benefits from enhanced visibility into federal aid, aiding their planning for infrastructure and community recovery.
- Citizens and Communities: Taxpayers and disaster victims receive more transparent information on aid distribution, while businesses (e.g., via Small Business Administration loans) may see indirect effects on program funding.
- General Public and Researchers: Easier access to sortable data supports analysis of disaster trends and fiscal policy.
Notable Legal, Constitutional, or Political Implications
- Legal: Establishes a statutory obligation enforceable through Congress's budget authority, with no specified penalties for non-compliance but potential for oversight hearings if unmet. It builds on existing budget laws without altering core disaster response frameworks like the Stafford Act (which governs FEMA declarations).
- Constitutional: Reinforces Congress's power of the purse (Article I, Section 9) by enhancing transparency in executive spending, ensuring legislative branch access to fiscal details without infringing on presidential budget prerogatives.
- Political: Promotes fiscal responsibility in an era of rising disaster costs due to climate and other factors, potentially influencing bipartisan budget debates. It highlights opportunities for cost savings through prevention, but could spark discussions on agency reporting burdens or data accuracy.
This summary was generated by AI and may contain inaccuracies. Refer to the official source document for the authoritative text.
Sponsor
Rep. Peters, Scott H. [D-CA-50]
Cosponsors (6)
Rep. Obernolte, Jay [R-CA-23], Rep. Scholten, Hillary J. [D-MI-3], Rep. Valadao, David G. [R-CA-22], Rep. Moskowitz, Jared [D-FL-23], Rep. Womack, Steve [R-AR-3], Rep. Bell, Wesley [D-MO-1]
Recent Actions
- 2025-04-17: Referred to the Subcommittee on Economic Development, Public Buildings, and Emergency Management.
- 2025-04-17: Referred to the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure.
- 2025-04-17: Introduced in House
- 2025-04-17: Introduced in House
Bill Versions
- Disclosing Aid Spent to Ensure Relief Act of 2025 — issued 2025-04-17 — PDF (9 pages)