S. 3071Senate118th Congress (2023-2025)In Committee

Disaster Management Costs Modernization Act

Introduced October 18, 2023

AI-Generated Summary

Updated January 20, 2026 at 12:20 PM UTC

The Disaster Management Costs Modernization Act amends the Stafford Disaster Relief Act to let states, Indian tribes, and territories use any leftover management funds from disaster recovery grants for other disaster management activities. By defining “excess funds for management costs” and authorizing the President to make those funds available, the bill aims to encourage the timely closure of recovery projects. It applies to grants for disasters declared after the law takes effect and includes a GAO study to assess the adequacy of management cost allocations, without providing new appropriations.

Key Provisions

  • Defines “excess funds for management costs” as the difference between authorized management cost amounts and the amount actually spent when a grant closes.
  • Allows the President to make those excess funds available to grantees for activities such as capacity building, preparedness, mitigation, and other disaster management tasks.
  • Permits use of excess funds for any major disaster, emergency, preparedness measure, or mitigation activity for up to five years after they are made available.
  • Applies to any disaster grant declared on or after enactment and funded with appropriations made after enactment.
  • Requires the GAO to report within 180 days on actual management costs and whether the set‑aside amounts are appropriate.
  • Specifies that no additional appropriations are authorized to fund these changes.

Legislative Activity

Stay on top of the latest movement without scrolling through every action

4 earlier actions
SenateCalendars Latest Action

Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 497.

September 10, 2024

View full timeline
SenateIntro Referral

Introduced in Senate

October 18, 2023

SenateIntro Referral

Read twice and referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs.

October 18, 2023

SenateCommittee

Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs. Ordered to be reported with amendments favorably.

October 25, 2023

SenateCommittee

Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs. Reported by Senator Peters with amendments. With written report No. 118-218.

September 10, 2024

SenateCalendars

Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 497.

September 10, 2024

Bill Text

2 versions available

Reading Mode
Latest
Reported to SenateIssued September 10, 2024

II

Calendar No. 497

118th CONGRESS

2d Session

S. 3071

[Report No. 118–218]

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

October 18, 2023

Ms. Hassan (for herself, Mr. Lankford, and Mr. Rounds) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs

September 10, 2024

Reported by Mr. Peters, with amendments

Omit the part struck through and insert the part printed in italic

A BILL

To amend section 324 of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act to incentivize States, Indian Tribes, and Territories to close disaster recovery projects by authorizing the use of excess funds for management costs for other disaster recovery projects.

1.

Short title

This Act may be cited as the Disaster Management Costs Modernization Act.

2.

Use of excess funds for management costs

(a)

In general

Section 324 of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5165b) is amended—

(1)

in subsection (b)(2)—

(A)

by redesignating subparagraphs (A) and (B) as clauses (i) and (ii), respectively, and adjusting the margins accordingly; and

(B)

in the matter preceding clause (i), as so redesignated, by striking provide the following percentage rates and inserting “provide—

(A)

excess funds for management costs as described in subsection (c); and

(B)

the following percentage rates

;

(2)

by redesignating subsection (c) as subsection (d); and

(3)

by inserting after subsection (b) the following:

(c)

Use of excess funds for management costs

(1)

Definition

In this subsection, the term excess funds for management costs means the difference between—

(A)

the amount of the applicable specific management costs authorized under subsection (b)(1) and subsection (b)(2)(B); and

(B)

as of the date on which the grant award is closed, the amount of funding for management costs activities expended by the grantee or subgrantee receiving the financial assistance for costs described in subparagraph (A).

(2)

Availability of excess funds for management costs

The President may make available to a grantee or subgrantee receiving financial assistance under section 403, 404, 406, 407, or 502 any excess funds for management costs.

(3)

Use of funds

Excess funds for management costs made available to a grantee or subgrantee under paragraph (2) may be used for—

(A)

activities associated with building capacity to prepare for, recover from, or mitigate the impacts of a major disaster or emergency declared under section 401 or 501, respectively; and

(B)

management costs associated with any—

(i)

major disaster;

(ii)

emergency;

(iii)

disaster preparedness measure; or

(iv)

mitigation activity or measure authorized under section 203, 204, 205, or 404.

(4)

Availability

Excess funds for management costs made available to a grantee or subgrantee under paragraph (2) shall remain available to the grantee or subgrantee until the date that is 5 years after the date on which the excess funds for management costs are made available under paragraph (2).

.

(b)

Applicability

The amendments made by subsection (a) shall apply with respect to any grant award in relation to a major disaster or emergency declared under section 401 or 501, respectively, of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5170, 5191)—

(1)

the declaration of which is open on, or made on or after, the date of enactment of this Act; and

(2)

that is funded with amounts appropriated on or after the date of enactment of this Act.

(c)

GAO study

Not later than 180 days after the date of enactment of this Act, the Comptroller General of the United States shall submit to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs of the Senate and the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure of the House of Representatives a report—

(1)

on the actual management costs described in section 324 of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5165b) during the period of a major disaster declaration under section 401 of such Act (42 U.S.C. 5170) to determine whether the amount set aside for those management costs after the date of enactment of this Act is appropriate; and

(2)

that includes the management costs described in section 324 of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5165b) for each disaster declared under during the period of a major disaster declaration under section 401 of such Act (42 U.S.C. 5170) during the 5-year period preceding the date of the report, the amount set aside for those management costs, the use of those management costs, the length of each disaster, and the reason for the length of each disaster.

(d)

No additional funds

No additional funds are authorized to be appropriated to carry out the amendments made by subsection (a).

September 10, 2024

Reported with amendments