U.S. GOVERNMENT PUBLISHING OFFICE

WASHINGTON : 

1 

69–010 

" ! SENATE 115TH CONGRESS

1st Session 

REPORT

2017

115–159 

Calendar No. 223 

FEMA ACCOUNTABILITY, MODERNIZATION 

AND TRANSPARENCY ACT OF 2017 

R E P O R T 

OF THE

COMMITTEE ON HOMELAND SECURITY AND 

GOVERNMENTAL AFFAIRS 

UNITED STATES SENATE 

TO ACCOMPANY

H.R. 1679 

TO ENSURE THAT THE FEDERAL EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT 

AGENCY’S CURRENT EFFORTS TO MODERNIZE ITS GRANT 

MANAGEMENT SYSTEM INCLUDES APPLICANT ACCESSIBILITY AND 

TRANSPARENCY, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES 

SEPTEMBER 18, 2017.—Ordered to be printed 


congress.#13
(II) 

COMMITTEE ON HOMELAND SECURITY AND GOVERNMENTAL AFFAIRS 

RON JOHNSON, Wisconsin, Chairman 

JOHN MCCAIN, Arizona 

ROB PORTMAN, Ohio 

RAND PAUL, Kentucky 

JAMES LANKFORD, Oklahoma 

MICHAEL B. ENZI, Wyoming 

JOHN HOEVEN, North Dakota 

STEVE DAINES, Montana 

CLAIRE MCCASKILL, Missouri 

THOMAS R. CARPER, Delaware 

JON TESTER, Montana 

HEIDI HEITKAMP, North Dakota 

GARY C. PETERS, Michigan 

MAGGIE HASSAN, New Hampshire 

KAMALA D. HARRIS, California 

CHRISTOPHER R. HIXON, Staff Director 

GABRIELLE D’ADAMO SINGER, Chief Counsel 

COLLEEN E. BERNY, Professional Staff Member 

MARGARET E. DAUM, Minority Staff Director 

STACIA M. CARDILLE, Minority Chief Counsel 

CHARLES A. MOSKOWITZ, Minority Senior Legislative Counsel 

SUE RAMANATHAN, Minority Counsel 

DANIEL J. WEBB, Minority U.S. Government Accountability Office Detailee 

LAURA W. KILBRIDE, Chief Clerk 

Calendar No. 223 

115TH CONGRESS REPORT " ! SENATE 1st Session 115–159 

FEMA ACCOUNTABILITY, MODERNIZATION AND 

TRANSPARENCY ACT OF 2017 

SEPTEMBER 18, 2017.—Ordered to be printed 

Mr. JOHNSON, from the Committee on Homeland Security and 

Governmental Affairs, submitted the following 

R E P O R T 

[To accompany H.R. 1679] 

[Including cost estimate of the Congressional Budget Office] 

The Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs, 

to which was referred the bill (H.R. 1679) to ensure that the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s current efforts to modernize 

its grant management system includes applicant accessibility and 

transparency, and for other purposes, having considered the same, 

reports favorably thereon without amendment and recommends 

that the bill do pass. 

CONTENTS 

Page 

I. Purpose and Summary .................................................................................. 1 

II. Background and Need for the Legislation ................................................... 2 

III. Legislative History ......................................................................................... 3 

IV. Section-by-Section Analysis .......................................................................... 4 

V. Evaluation of Regulatory Impact .................................................................. 4 

VI. Congressional Budget Office Cost Estimate ................................................ 4 

VII. Changes in Existing Law Made by the Act, as Reported ........................... 5 

I. PURPOSE AND SUMMARY

H.R. 1679, the FEMA Accountability, Modernization and Transparency Act of 2017, establishes requirements for the Federal 

Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) ongoing efforts to modernize its grant systems. 

The Act requires FEMA to implement improvements for administering disaster assistance grants, including an online interface for 

applicants; mechanisms to eliminate duplication of benefits; a 

2 

1 Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance (Stafford) Act § 102, 42 U.S.C. 

§ 5122 (2016); see also Fed. Emergency Mgmt. Agency, The Disaster Declaration Process, https:// 

www.fema.gov/disaster-declaration-process (last updated Apr. 6, 2017) [hereinafter The Disaster 

Declaration Process]. 2Stafford Act § 502, 42 U.S.C. § 5192 (2016); see also The Disaster Declaration Process, supra 

note 1. 3Stafford Act, 42 U.S.C. § 5121 et seq. (2016). 

4The Disaster Declaration Process, supra note 1. 5Fed. Emergency Mgmt. Agency, Preparedness (Non-Disaster) Grants, https://www.fema.gov/ 

preparedness-non-disaster-grants (last updated July 20, 2017). 6 Id. 

7 High Risk: Government Operations Susceptible to Waste, Fraud, and Mismanagement: Hearing Before the S. Comm. on Homeland Sec. & Governmental Affairs, 115th Cong. 8 (2017) (statemeans for the agency to share information with state, local, and 

tribal governments, if appropriate; and any additional tools to improve implementation that the FEMA Administrator deems necessary. The FEMA Administrator is responsible for delivering these 

capabilities in increments to the extent practicable. 

II. BACKGROUND AND THE NEED FOR LEGISLATION

Disaster and preparedness grants 

Under the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance (Stafford) Act, 

[t]he President can declare a major disaster for any natural event, including any hurricane, tornado, storm, high 

water, wind-driven water, tidal wave, tsunami, earthquake, volcanic eruption, landslide, mudslide, snowstorm, 

or drought, or, regardless of cause, fire, flood, or explosion, 

that the President determines has caused damage of such 

severity that it is beyond the combined capabilities of state 

and local governments to respond.1

The President may also issue emergency declarations, which 

‘‘supplement State and local or Indian tribal government efforts in 

providing emergency services, such as the protection of lives, property, public health, and safety, or to lessen or avert the threat of 

a catastrophe in any part of the United States.’’ 2 FEMA coordinates the Federal response and is authorized under the Stafford 

Act to provide assistance to state governments, local governments, 

and individuals.3 After a major disaster declaration, grants that 

can be deployed, if they meet the requirements, include public assistance (PA), individual assistance, and hazard mitigation assistance.4

In addition to disaster assistance, ‘‘FEMA provides state and 

local governments with preparedness program funding in the form 

of Preparedness (non-disaster) Grants to enhance the capacity of 

state and local emergency responders to prevent, respond to, and 

recover from a weapons of mass destruction terrorism incident involving chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear and other explosive devices, and cyber-attacks.’’ 5 FEMA Preparedness Grants include the Emergency Management Performance Grant Program; 

Homeland Security Grant Program; Intercity Bus Security Grant 

Program; Intercity Passenger Rail Security Grant Program; Nonprofit Security Grant Program; Port Security Grant Program; Tribal Homeland Security Grant Program; and Transit Security Grant 

Program.6 FEMA awards an average of $10 billion per year in disaster grants and preparedness grants.7

3 

ment of John Roth, Inspector Gen., U.S. Dept. of Homeland Sec.), available at https:// 

www.oig.dhs.gov/sites/default/files/assets/TM/2017/oigtm-jr-021517.pdf. 8 Id. at 9. 9 Id. 

10 Id. 11 U.S. Gov’t Accountability Office, Disaster Recovery: FEMA’s Public Assistance Grant Program Experienced Challenges with Gulf Coast Rebuilding (Dec. 18, 2008), https://www.gao.gov/ 

assets/290/284493.pdf. 12Statement of John Roth, supra note 7, at 9. 13Fed. Emergency Mgmt. Agency, The Grants Management Modernization Program, https:// 

www.fema.gov/grants-management-modernization-program (last updated Aug. 3, 2017). 14 Id. 15 Id. 

Grants management modernization 

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Office of Inspector 

General (OIG) and the U.S. Government Accountability Office 

(GAO) have identified issues within FEMA grant programs and 

emphasized the need for a better grants management system. Earlier this year, the Inspector General testified before the Committee 

that although FEMA effectively responds to disasters, significant 

problems remain with its management of recovery grants.8 According to the Inspector General, FEMA has not held grantees accountable for managing subgrantees.9 As a result, ‘‘the entire layer of 

oversight intended to monitor the billions of dollars awarded by 

FEMA in disaster assistance grants is ineffective, inefficient, and 

vulnerable to fraud, waste, and abuse.’’ 10 In addition, the GAO has 

identified numerous issues and challenges with disaster grants, including inconsistencies in PA project approvals across regions and 

project closeout timeframes.11

The DHS OIG has also identified issues within the FEMA Preparedness Grants program. For example, the DHS OIG found that 

FEMA had not sufficiently examined recurring recommendations 

because they ‘‘did not clearly communicate internal roles and responsibilities and did not have policies and procedures to conduct 

substantive trend analyses of audit recommendations.’’ 12

In 2015, FEMA implemented the Grants Management Modernization program to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of 

FEMA’s grant operations.13 The purpose of the program is to 

streamline the agency’s 40-plus grant programs into a single grants 

management information technology platform.14 Also, when possible, it intends to provide unified business processes and a common grants management life cycle.15

To help ensure FEMA’s grants modernization effort continues, 

this legislation directs FEMA to integrate improvements for administering disaster assistance grants, including an online interface for 

applicants; mechanisms to eliminate duplication of benefits; a 

means for agencies to share information with state, local, and tribal governments, if appropriate; and any additional tools to improve 

implementation the FEMA Administrator deems necessary. 

III. LEGISLATIVE HISTORY

Representative Garret Graves (R–LA) introduced H.R. 1679, the 

FEMA Accountability, Modernization and Transparency Act of 

2017, on March 22, 2017. The bill passed the House on May 2, 

2017. 

The bill was referred to the Committee on Homeland Security 

and Governmental Affairs. The Committee considered H.R. 1679 at 

4 

a business meeting on July 26, 2017. The Committee favorably reported the bill by voice vote en bloc. Senators present for the vote 

were Johnson, Portman, Lankford, Daines, McCaskill, Tester, 

Heitkamp, Peters, Hassan, and Harris. 

IV. SECTION-BY-SECTION ANALYSIS OF THE ACT, AS REPORTED

Section 1: Short title 

This section provides the Act’s short title, the ‘‘FEMA Accountability, Modernization and Transparency Act of 2017’’. 

Sec. 2. Requirements 

Section 2 ensures that the ongoing modernization of FEMA’s 

grant systems includes improvements for administering disaster 

assistance grants, including an online interface; mechanisms to 

eliminate duplication of benefits; enables agencies to share information with state, local, and tribal governments, if appropriate; 

and facilitates any additional tools to improve implementation that 

the FEMA Administrator deems necessary. 

Sec. 3. No additional funds authorized 

This section states that no additional funds are authorized to 

carry out this Act. 

V. EVALUATION OF REGULATORY IMPACT

Pursuant to the requirements of paragraph 11(b) of rule XXVI of 

the Standing Rules of the Senate, the Committee has considered 

the regulatory impact of this Act and determined that the Act will 

have no regulatory impact within the meaning of the rules. The 

Committee agrees with the Congressional Budget Office’s statement that the Act contains no intergovernmental or private-sector 

mandates as defined in the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act 

(UMRA) and would impose no costs on state, local, or tribal governments. 

VI. CONGRESSIONAL BUDGET OFFICE COST ESTIMATE

AUGUST 4, 2017. 

Hon. RON JOHNSON, 

Chairman, Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs, United States Senate, Washington, DC. 

DEAR MR. CHAIRMAN: The Congressional Budget Office has prepared the enclosed cost estimate for H.R. 1679, the FEMA Accountability, Modernization and Transparency Act of 2017. 

If you wish further details on this estimate, we will be pleased 

to provide them. The CBO staff contact is Robert Reese. 

Sincerely, 

KEITH HALL. 

Enclosure. 

H.R. 1679—FEMA Accountability, Modernization and Transparency Act of 2017 

H.R. 1679 would require the Federal Emergency Management 

Agency (FEMA) to integrate three specific components into the 

agency’s ongoing project to upgrade its grant management system. 

5 

The act also would direct FEMA to implement the new system incrementally. 

Under current law, FEMA is building a new information technology system that will streamline the application and approval 

process for more than 40 grants authorized under the Robert T. 

Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act. The new 

system will integrate the grants into one grant-management system, as opposed to the nine systems FEMA is currently using. 

FEMA expects to begin building the new system in 2018 and expects that it that will cost $105 million over a three-year period to 

build the system and $15 million each year thereafter to maintain. 

H.R. 1679 would direct FEMA to include in the new system: • An online interface for applicants to complete grant application forms, • Mechanisms to eliminate duplication of grant benefits, and • The capability to share information among other federal 

agencies and levels of government. 

Based on information provided by FEMA, CBO expects that the 

requirements outlined in H.R. 1679 will be met through the agency’s current plans to upgrade its grants management system; therefore, CBO estimates that implementing H.R. 1679 would have no 

effect on the federal budget. 

Enacting H.R. 1679 would not affect direct spending or revenues; 

therefore, pay-as-you-go procedures do not apply. CBO estimates 

that enacting H.R. 1679 would not increase net direct spending or 

on-budget deficits in any of the four consecutive 10-year periods beginning in 2028. 

H.R. 1679 contains no intergovernmental or private-sector mandates as defined in the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act and would 

impose no costs on state, local, or tribal governments. 

On May 2, 2017, CBO transmitted a cost estimate for H.R. 1679, 

the FEMA Accountability, Modernization and Transparency Act of 

2017, as ordered reported by the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure on March 29, 2017. The two versions of 

the legislation are similar and CBO’s estimates of their budgetary 

effects are the same. 

The CBO staff contact for this estimate is Robert Reese. The estimate was approved by H. Samuel Papenfuss, Deputy Assistant Director for Budget Analysis. 

VII. CHANGES IN EXISTING LAW MADE BY THE ACT, AS REPORTED

Because this legislation would not repeal or amend any provision 

of current law, it would not make changes in existing law within 

the meaning of clauses (a) and (b) of paragraph 12 of rule XXVI 

of the Standing Rules of the Senate. 

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