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[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 9744 Introduced in House (IH)]

<DOC>

118th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 9744

  To require a study on the critical data gaps experienced by Federal 
       agencies providing grants for the recovery of Puerto Rico.

_______________________________________________________________________

                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           September 20, 2024

Ms. Velazquez (for herself, Mr. Espaillat, Ms. Adams, Mrs. Ramirez, Mr. 
Torres of New York, Ms. Ocasio-Cortez, Mr. Thompson of Mississippi, and 
Mr. Grijalva) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
                     Committee on Natural Resources

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL

 
  To require a study on the critical data gaps experienced by Federal 
       agencies providing grants for the recovery of Puerto Rico.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Data Improvement for Puerto Rico 
Recovery Act''.

SEC. 2. STUDY REQUIRED.

    (a) In General.--Not later than 1 year after the date of the 
enactment of this Act, the Comptroller General shall complete and 
submit to the appropriate congressional committees a report containing 
the results of a study on the specific data needs across grant-awarding 
agencies. The report shall contain the following:
            (1) A list of all grants provided by grant-awarding 
        agencies to support Puerto Rico's recovery from Hurricanes 
        Irma, Maria, and Fiona, the 2020 earthquakes, and the COVID-19 
        pandemic. The list shall specify the grant type, amount, and 
        the specific disaster or emergency to which it pertains.
            (2) An assessment of statistical products that details the 
        stages of the grant process at which statistical products were 
        used, including--
                    (A) notice of funding opportunity;
                    (B) development;
                    (C) application review;
                    (D) award selection;
                    (E) formulation of terms and conditions; and
                    (F) technical assistance.
            (3) An evaluation of the most critical data needs 
        identified by grant-awarding agencies in managing disaster-
        related grants for Puerto Rico, including issues related to 
        lack of data coverage, disparities, reporting delays, and 
        limitations in data reliability.
            (4) A description of the extent to which the identified 
        data gaps have impeded effective grant allocation, management, 
        and evaluation for Puerto Rico, including any specific examples 
        where grant execution was hindered.
            (5) Where applicable, a list of Federal products that 
        currently exclude Puerto Rico, but which could improve grant 
        processes if the Puerto Rico was included. The grant-awarding 
        agencies shall provide recommendations on integrating Puerto 
        Rico into such Federal products to enhance grant allocation and 
        oversight.
    (b) Access To Prompt and Complete Information.--Any Federal 
official from whom the Comptroller General seeks information for 
purposes of the report required by subsection (a) shall comprehensively 
respond to such request for information, not later than 90 days after 
the receipt of that request.
    (c) Definitions.--In this Act:
            (1) Appropriate congressional committees.--The term 
        ``appropriate congressional committees'' means--
                    (A) the Committee on National Resources of the 
                House of Representatives; and
                    (B) the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources 
                of the Senate.
            (2) Grant-awarding agencies.--The term ``grant-awarding 
        agencies'' means relevant agencies what have allocated, 
        obligated, or disbursed recovery funds for Puerto Rico.
            (3) Relevant agencies.--The term ``relevant agencies'' 
        means the following:
                    (A) Environmental Protection Agency.
                    (B) Federal Communications Commission.
                    (C) Federal Emergency Management Agency.
                    (D) General Services Administration.
                    (E) National Science Foundation.
                    (F) Small Business Administration.
                    (G) Army Corps of Engineers.
                    (H) Department of Agriculture.
                    (I) Department of Commerce, including the Economic 
                Development Administration, Minority Business 
                Development Agency.
                    (J) National Telecommunications and Information 
                Administration.
                    (K) National Institute of Standards and Technology.
                    (L) International Trade Administration.
                    (M) National Oceanic and Atmospheric 
                Administration.
                    (N) Department of Energy.
                    (O) Department of Health and Human Services.
                    (P) Department of Homeland Security.
                    (Q) Department of Housing and Urban Development.
                    (R) Department of Justice.
                    (S) Department of Labor.
                    (T) Department of the Interior.
                    (U) Department of Transportation.
                    (V) Department of Veterans Affairs.
            (4) Statistical products.--The term ``statistical 
        products'' means Federal statistical inputs, estimates, and 
        products used by grant-awarding agencies to develop and manage 
        grant funding.
                                 <all>
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