Post-Disaster Assistance Online Accountability Act

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 2020) to provide for an online repository for certain reporting requirements for recipients of Federal disaster assistance, and for other purposes.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on H.R. 2020.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 2020. This bill would create a new online system for tracking Federal disaster projects and assistance.

When a major disaster strikes, the American people should know how and where their disaster funds are being spent without wading through reams of governmental paperwork. This legislation simplifies the data collection process for Federal disaster recovery projects.

To increase transparency to the public, the bill would also create a page on USAspending.gov where everyone can track agency disaster recovery activities and the amount of assistance expended by an agency on a quarterly basis. Federal agencies need to be held accountable to the victims of disasters so that they can have peace of mind when they are at their most vulnerable.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues on both sides to join me and support this legislation, and I reserve the balance of my time.

House of Representatives,

Committee on Small Business,

Washington, DC, June 10, 2022.

Hon. Peter A. DeFazio,

Chairman, Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure,

House of Representatives, Washington, DC.

Dear Chairman DeFazio: I am writing with respect to H.R.

2020, the ``Post-Disaster Assistance Online Accountability

Act''. Thank you for consulting with the Committee on Small

Business regarding the matters in H.R. 2020 that fall within

the Committee's jurisdiction.

As a result of your consultation with us on this measure

and in order to expeditiously move the bill to the floor, I

forego further consideration of H.R. 2020. The Committee on

Small Business takes this action with our mutual

understanding that we do not waive any jurisdiction over the

subject matter contained in this or similar legislation, and

the Committee will be appropriately consulted and involved as

the bill or similar legislation moves forward so that we may

address any remaining issues that fall within our

jurisdiction. Further, I request your support for the

appointment of an appropriate number of conferees from the

Committee on Small Business during any House-Senate

conference involving this or similar legislation.

Finally, I would appreciate your response to this letter

confirming our understanding regarding H.R. 2020 and would

ask that a copy of our exchange of letters on this matter be

included in the Committee Report and the Congressional Record

during floor consideration of the measure. Thank you for the

cooperative spirit in which you have worked regarding this

matter and others between our respective committees.

Sincerely,

Nydia M. Velazquez,

Chairwoman.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, again, as the gentleman has just said, having some transparency when you have a number of Federal agencies coming into a community that has just been devastated, whether it is in my region by wildfire or on the Gulf Coast by a hurricane or in the Midwest and the South by tornado, people need timely and good information about how the disaster relief is flowing from the Federal Government, in what amounts, and to what places so that there can be actual oversight by people who were directly impacted by the disaster.

That is why I believe this legislation has tremendous merit. I recommend that my colleagues lend their full support to it, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Ms. JACKSON LEE, Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 2020, the ``Post-Disaster Assistance Online Accountability Act.''

H.R. 2020 is a bipartisan initiative to establish an online repository for reporting requirements for recipients of Federal disaster assistance.

I would like to thank my colleague, Delegate Gonzalez-Colon, for introducing this legislation to increase transparency of post-disaster assistance.

The Office of Management and Budget (0MB) along with the Sectretary of the Treasury and the head of each covered Federal agency will collaborate to create a subpage within the website, www.usaspending.gov, to make the following information available to the public:

Total amount of disaster assistance provided by the agency during quarter;

Amount of disaster assistance provided by the agency that was expanded or obligated to projects or activities; and

Detailed list of all projects or activities for which disaster assistance dispersed by the agency was expended including:

Name and description of project or activity;

Evaluation of the completion status;

Any award identification number assigned;

Catalog Disaster Assistance number assigned by FEMA;

Location of the project, including zip codes; and

Any reporting requirement information collected by a covered Federal agency with respect to that agency's disaster assistance.

H.R. 2020 will require the submission of information by covered federal agencies every 3 months.

When enacted, H.R. 2020 would include natural disasters that are major disasters or emergency declared by the President as well as any other natural disaster made by the Federal Government.

Within the past decade, we have witnessed an increase in the number of natural disasters and extreme weather as a result of climate change.

In 2021, the NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI) found that the United States experienced 20 separate billion- dollar weather and climate disasters.

Houston alone has been the site of 7 federally declared disasters since 2015 notably including Hurricane Harvey and Winter Storm Uri.

The growing number of natural disasters makes this legislation increasingly relevant to maintain accountability of post-disaster funds.

H.R. 2020 creates a necessary online reference portal that will be accessible by mayors, legislators, and residents to know the status of funds and their use.

These funds are vital to communities devastated by natural disasters and it is important that we ensure the funds are used for their assigned use.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting H.R. 2020.

Madam Speaker, I include in the Record a letter I've sent to Chairman DeFazio of the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee regarding H.R. 2020, the ``Post-Disaster Assistance Online Accountability Act,'' sponsored by Representative Gonzalez-Colon.

House of Representatives,

Committee on Financial Services,

Washington, DC, June 21, 2022.

Hon. Peter A. DeFazio,

Chairman, House Committee on Transportation and

Infrastructure, Washington, DC.

Dear Chairman DeFazio: I write concerning H.R. 2020, the

``Post-Disaster Assistance Online Accountability Act,''

sponsored by Representative Gonzalez-Colon. The Financial

Services Committee received an additional referral on this

bill but has not formally foregone any further consideration

of the bill because we were unfortunately not given

sufficient time to review it prior to it being brought to the

floor on suspension. While I support the apparent purpose of

this legislation, I am concerned that the Department of

Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and the Federal Emergency

Management Agency (FEMA) have not been consulted for their

opinion or technical drafting assistance on this legislation

when they will play key roles in implementing this bill.

I have shared the text of this legislation with both HUD

and FEMA and requested their input. I would appreciate your

cooperation in addressing any concerns from these agencies

and integrating any technical drafting changes they suggest

as you work to move this bill in the Senate. My staff will be

in touch as they receive feedback from these agencies.

I will be submitting a copy of this letter in the

Congressional Record and I look forward to working with you

on this and other issues where our Committees cross paths.

Sincerely,

Maxine Waters,

Chairwoman.

Mr. Speaker, I have no further speakers, and I yield myself the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, it is often said that sunshine is the best disinfectant. It is said so often because it is true, and certainly, it is true in public affairs.

This is a commonsense accountability measure introduced by my Republican colleague from Puerto Rico (Miss Gonzalez-Colon), and I applaud her for this.

It is going to increase transparency for post-disaster Federal assistance. It makes sure for citizens who are curious--exactly as the chairman said--who want this information about what the Federal Government has done to help communities in need without their having to go on some massive research project. This gives them an opportunity in a clear and concise way to get a sense of what their Federal Government has done to respond to these disasters. This increased transparency is going to allow the American taxpayers to see where their hard-earned dollars are going.

Mr. Speaker, I urge support of this legislation, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.