I 

118TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 1796 

To improve individual assistance provided by the Federal Emergency 

Management Agency, and for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

MARCH 24, 2023 

Ms. TITUS (for herself, Mr. GRAVES of Louisiana, and Mr. CARTER of Louisiana) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee 

on Transportation and Infrastructure, and in addition to the Committees 

on Financial Services, and Small Business, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such 

provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned 

A BILL 

To improve individual assistance provided by the Federal 

Emergency Management Agency, and for other purposes. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE; TABLE OF CONTENTS. 

4 (a) SHORT TITLE.—This Act may be cited as the 

5 ‘‘Disaster Survivors Fairness Act of 2023’’. 

6 (b) TABLE OF CONTENTS.—The table of contents for 

7 this Act is as follows: 

Sec. 1. Short title; table of contents. 

Sec. 2. Information sharing for federal agencies. 

Sec. 3. Universal application for individual assistance. 


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Sec. 4. Repair and rebuilding. 

Sec. 5. Direct assistance. 

Sec. 6. State-managed housing pilot authority. 

Sec. 7. Management costs. 

Sec. 8. Funding for online guides for post-disaster assistance. 

Sec. 9. Individual assistance dashboard. 

Sec. 10. FEMA reports. 

Sec. 11. Sheltering of emergency response personnel. 

Sec. 12. Improved rental assistance. 

Sec. 13. GAO report on preliminary damage assessments. 

Sec. 14. Applicability. 

1 (c) DEFINITIONS.—Except as otherwise provided, the 

2 terms used in this Act have the meanings given such terms 

3 in section 102 of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief 

4 and Emergency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5122). 

5 SEC. 2. INFORMATION SHARING FOR FEDERAL AGENCIES. 

6 (a) ESTABLISHMENT OF UNIFIED DISASTER APPLI7 CATION SYSTEM.— 

8 (1) IN GENERAL.—The Administrator of the 

9 Federal Emergency Management Agency shall estab10 lish and maintain a web-based interagency electronic 

11 information sharing system, to be known as the 

12 ‘‘unified disaster application system’’, to— 

13 (A) facilitate the administration of the uni14 versal application for direct Federal disaster as15 sistance established under section 3; 

16 (B) carry out the purposes of disaster as17 sistance programs swiftly, efficiently, equitably, 

18 and in accordance with applicable laws, regula19 tions, and the privacy and data protections pro20 vided under this section; and 


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1 (C) support the detection, prevention, and 

2 investigation of waste, fraud, abuse, inequitable 

3 allocation of resources, or discrimination in the 

4 administration of disaster assistance programs. 

5 (2) AUTHORITIES OF ADMINISTRATOR.—In es6 tablishing and maintaining the unified disaster ap7 plication system under this subsection, the Adminis8 trator may collect and maintain disaster assistance 

9 information received from a disaster assistance 

10 agency, a block grant recipient, or an applicant for 

11 a disaster assistance program and share such infor12 mation with any other disaster assistance agency or 

13 block grant recipient using such system. 

14 (3) REQUIREMENTS.—The Administrator shall 

15 ensure that the unified disaster application system 

16 established and maintained under this subsection— 

17 (A) allows an applicant to receive status 

18 updates on an application for disaster assist19 ance programs submitted though such system; 

20 (B) allows for applicants to update disaster 

21 assistance information throughout the recovery 

22 journeys of such applicants in accordance with 

23 established application timeframes; 

24 (C) allows for the distribution to applicants 

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1 sources that may be available in a disaster 

2 stricken area; 

3 (D) provides an applicant with information 

4 and documentation relating to an application 

5 for a disaster assistance program submitted by 

6 such applicant; and 

7 (E) contains any other capabilities deter8 mined necessary by the head of a disaster as9 sistance agency. 

10 (b) DATA SECURITY.—The Administrator may facili11 tate the collection of disaster assistance information into 

12 the unified disaster application system established under 

13 subsection (a) only after the following requirements have 

14 been met: 

15 (1) The Administrator certifies that the unified 

16 disaster application system substantially complies 

17 with the data security standards and best practices 

18 established pursuant to subchapter II of chapter 35 

19 of title 44, United States Code, and any other appli20 cable Federal information security policy. 

21 (2) The Secretary of Homeland Security pub22 lishes a privacy impact assessment for the unified 

23 disaster application system, in accordance with sec24 tion 208(b)(1)(B) of the E-Government Act of 2002 

25 (44 U.S.C. 3501 note). 


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1 (3) The Administrator, after consulting with 

2 disaster assistance agencies, publishes standard 

3 rules of behavior for disaster assistance agencies, 

4 block grant recipients, and personnel granted access 

5 to disaster assistance information to protect such in6 formation from improper disclosure. 

7 (c) COLLECTION AND SHARING OF ADDITIONAL

8 RECORDS AND INFORMATION.— 

9 (1) IN GENERAL.—The Administrator may au10 thorize the additional collection, maintenance, shar11 ing, and use of disaster assistance information by 

12 publishing a notice on the unified disaster applica13 tion system established under subsection (a) that in14 cludes a detailed description of— 

15 (A) the specific amendments to the collec16 tion, maintenance, and sharing of disaster as17 sistance information authorized; 

18 (B) why each such amendment to how dis19 aster assistance information is collected, main20 tained, or shared is necessary to carry out the 

21 purposes of a disaster assistance program and 

22 consistent with the fair information practice 

23 principles; and 

24 (C) the disaster assistance agencies and 

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1 cess to the additional information to carry out 

2 the purposes of any disaster assistance pro3 gram. 

4 (2) NOTICE AND PUBLICATION REQUIRE5 MENTS.—The publication of a notice under para6 graph (1) of a revision to the unified disaster appli7 cation system of records prior to any new collection, 

8 or uses, of Privacy Act categories of records, to 

9 carry out the purposes of a disaster assistance pro10 gram with regard to a disaster declared by the 

11 President under section 401 or 501 of the Robert T. 

12 Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance 

13 Act (42 U.S.C. 5170; 5191), shall be deemed to sat14 isfy the notice and publication requirements of sec15 tion 552a(e)(4) of title 5, United States Code, for 

16 the entire period of performance for any assistance 

17 provided under a disaster assistance program. 

18 (3) WAIVER OF INFORMATION COLLECTION RE19 QUIREMENTS.— 

20 (A) IN GENERAL.—Upon the declaration of 

21 a major disaster or emergency pursuant to sec22 tions 401 or 501 of the Robert T. Stafford Dis23 aster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (42 

24 U.S.C. 5170; 5191) by the President, the Ad25 ministrator may waive the requirements of subVerDate Sep 11 2014 21:27 Apr 07, 2023 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00006 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H1796.IH H1796

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1 chapter I of chapter 35 of title 44, United 

2 States Code, with respect to voluntary collection 

3 of information for the entire period of perform4 ance for any assistance provided under a dis5 aster assistance program. 

6 (B) TRANSPARENCY.—Upon exercising the 

7 waiver authority under subparagraph (A), the 

8 Administrator shall— 

9 (i) promptly post on a website of the 

10 Federal Emergency Management Agency a 

11 brief justification for such waiver, the an12 ticipated period of time such waiver will be 

13 in effect, and the disaster assistance offices 

14 within the Federal Emergency Manage15 ment Agency to which such waiver shall 

16 apply; and 

17 (ii) update the information relating to 

18 such waiver, as applicable. 

19 (4) GAO REVIEW OF WAIVER OF INFORMATION

20 COLLECTION REQUIREMENTS.— 

21 (A) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 1 year 

22 after the date of enactment of this Act, the 

23 Comptroller General of the United States shall 

24 issue a report describing the benefits and poten25 tial risks associated with authorizing the waiver 


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1 of the information collection requirements de2 scribed in paragraph (3). 

3 (B) CONTENTS.—The report required 

4 under subparagraph (A) shall include an assess5 ment of the extent to which a waiver described 

6 in paragraph (3) would— 

7 (i) affect the paperwork burden for in8 dividuals, small businesses, State, local and 

9 tribal governments, and other persons; 

10 (ii) affect the consistent application of 

11 Federal laws relating to— 

12 (I) privacy and confidentiality; 

13 (II) security of information; and 

14 (III) access to information; and 

15 (iii) encourage or deter a State or 

16 other entity from participating in the vol17 untary collection of information for the du18 ration of a major disaster or emergency. 

19 (d) USE BY OTHER FEDERAL AGENCIES.— 

20 (1) IN GENERAL.—The Administrator may per21 mit a Federal agency other than a disaster assist22 ance agency listed in subparagraphs (A) through 

23 (D) of subsection (f)(3) to use the unified disaster 

24 application system established under subsection (a) 

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1 ance if such agency enters into an agreement con2 taining the terms described in paragraph (2). 

3 (2) AGENCY AGREEMENT.—An agreement en4 tered into under paragraph (1) shall contain the fol5 lowing terms: 

6 (A) The Federal agency shall— 

7 (i) collect, share, maintain, and use 

8 disaster assistance information in compli9 ance with this section and any policies of 

10 the Federal Emergency Management 

11 Agency and any information protection and 

12 use policies of such Federal agency; and 

13 (ii) train any personnel granted access 

14 to disaster assistance information on the 

15 rules of behavior established by the Admin16 istrator under subsection (b)(3). 

17 (B) In the event of any unauthorized dis18 closure of disaster assistance information, the 

19 Federal agency shall— 

20 (i) notify the Administrator within 24 

21 hours of discovering any such unauthorized 

22 disclosure; 

23 (ii) cooperate fully with the Adminis24 trator in the investigation and remediation 

25 of any such disclosure; 


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1 (iii) cooperate fully in the prosecution 

2 of a person responsible for such disclosure; 

3 and 

4 (iv) assume the responsibility for any 

5 compensation, civil liability, or other reme6 diation measures, whether awarded by a 

7 judgment of a court or agreed as a com8 promise of any potential claims by or on 

9 behalf of an applicant, including by obtain10 ing credit monitoring and remediation 

11 services, for an improper disclosure that 

12 is— 

13 (I) caused, directly or indirectly, 

14 by the acts or omissions of officers, 

15 employees, and contractors of the 

16 agency; or 

17 (II) from any electronic system 

18 of records that is created or main19 tained by the agency pursuant to sec20 tion 552a(e) of title 5, United States 

21 Code. 

22 (3) PUBLICATION OF AGENCY AGREEMENT.— 

23 The Administrator shall publish an agency agree24 ment entered into under this subsection on the same 


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1 website as the unified disaster application system es2 tablished under subsection (a). 

3 (e) RULE OF CONSTRUCTION.—The sharing and use 

4 of disaster assistance information that is subject to the 

5 requirements of section 552a of title 5, United States 

6 Code, by disaster assistance agencies and block grant re7 cipients— 

8 (1) shall not be— 

9 (A) construed as a matching program for 

10 purposes of section 552a(a)(8) of such title; or 

11 (B) subject to the remaining computer 

12 matching provisions of section 552a of such 

13 title; and 

14 (2) shall be in addition to any other law pro15 viding for the sharing or use of such information. 

16 (f) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 

17 (1) APPLICANT.—The term ‘‘applicant’’ 

18 means— 

19 (A) a person who applies for disaster as20 sistance from a disaster assistance program; 

21 and 

22 (B) a person on whose behalf a person de23 scribed in subparagraph (A) has applied for dis24 aster assistance. 


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1 (2) BLOCK GRANT RECIPIENT.—The term 

2 ‘‘block grant recipient’’ means a State, local govern3 ment, or Indian Tribe that receives assistance 

4 through the disaster assistance program described in 

5 paragraph (5)(B)(i). 

6 (3) DISASTER ASSISTANCE AGENCY.—The term 

7 ‘‘disaster assistance agency’’ means— 

8 (A) the Federal Emergency Management 

9 Agency; 

10 (B) the Department of Housing and 

11 Urban Development; 

12 (C) the Small Business Administration; 

13 (D) the Department of Agriculture; and 

14 (E) any other Federal agency that the Ad15 ministrator permits to use the unified disaster 

16 application system under subsection (d). 

17 (4) DISASTER ASSISTANCE INFORMATION.—The 

18 term ‘‘disaster assistance information’’ includes any 

19 personal, demographic, biographical, geographical, 

20 financial information, or other information that a 

21 disaster assistance agency or block grant recipient is 

22 authorized to collect, maintain, share, or use to proc23 ess an application for disaster assistance or other24 wise carry out a disaster assistance program. 


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1 (5) DISASTER ASSISTANCE PROGRAM.—The 

2 term ‘‘disaster assistance program’’ means— 

3 (A) any program that provides assistance 

4 to individuals and households under title IV or 

5 title V of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief 

6 and Emergency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5170 

7 et seq.); or 

8 (B) any other assistance program carried 

9 out by a disaster assistance agency that pro10 vides assistance to an individual, household, or 

11 organization related to a major disaster or 

12 emergency declared under sections 401 or 501 

13 of such Act, including— 

14 (i) assistance for activities related to 

15 disaster relief, long-term recovery, restora16 tion of infrastructure and housing, eco17 nomic revitalization, and mitigation that 

18 are authorized under title I of the Housing 

19 and Community Development Act of 1974 

20 (42 U.S.C. 5301 et seq.); 

21 (ii) any loan that is authorized under 

22 section 7(b) of the Small Business Act (15 

23 U.S.C. 636(b)); and 

24 (iii) the distribution of food benefit al25 lotments as authorized under section 412 


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1 of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief 

2 and Emergency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 

3 5179) and section 5(h) of the Food Stamp 

4 Act of 1977 (7 U.S.C. 2014(h)). 

5 SEC. 3. UNIVERSAL APPLICATION FOR INDIVIDUAL ASSIST6 ANCE. 

7 (a) UNIVERSAL APPLICATION.—The Administrator 

8 of the Federal Emergency Management Agency shall de9 velop and establish a universal application for direct Fed10 eral disaster assistance for individuals in areas impacted 

11 by emergencies or disasters. 

12 (b) CONSULTATION AND SUPPORT.— 

13 (1) CONSULTATION.—In carrying out this sec14 tion, the Administrator shall consult with the fol15 lowing: 

16 (A) The Director of the Office of Manage17 ment and Budget. 

18 (B) The Administrator of the Small Busi19 ness Administration. 

20 (C) The Secretary of Housing and Urban 

21 Development. 

22 (D) The Secretary of Agriculture. 

23 (2) SUPPORT.—The entities described in para24 graph (1) shall provide prompt support to the Ad25 ministrator. 


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1 (c) SURVEY.—The application established under sub2 section (a) shall include a voluntary survey to collect the 

3 demographic data of an applicant. 

4 (d) GAO ASSESSMENT ON IDENTITY THEFT AND

5 DISASTER FRAUD IN DISASTER ASSISTANCE PRO6 GRAMS.—Not later than 1 year after the date of enact7 ment of this Act, the Comptroller General of the United 

8 States shall— 

9 (1) conduct an assessment of improper and po10 tentially fraudulent Federal disaster assistance for 

11 individuals made to survivors of major disasters de12 clared in 2020 and 2021, including through identity 

13 theft; and 

14 (2) submit to the Committee on Transportation 

15 and Infrastructure of the House of Representatives 

16 and the Committee on Homeland Security and Gov17 ernmental Affairs of the Senate a report that de18 scribes— 

19 (A) the prevalence of improper and poten20 tially fraudulent Federal disaster assistance for 

21 individuals made to registrants who used invalid 

22 information to apply for disaster assistance, in23 cluding through identity theft; 

24 (B) the number of disaster survivors whose 

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1 viduals were denied due to another individual 

2 filing a fraudulent application using their per3 sonal identifying information; 

4 (C) the adequacy of existing fraud preven5 tion protocols in place on the Federal Emer6 gency Management Agency’s online application 

7 for Federal disaster assistance for individuals; 

8 and 

9 (D) recommendations for improving the 

10 identity verification protocols in place for Fed11 eral disaster assistance for individuals. 

12 SEC. 4. REPAIR AND REBUILDING. 

13 (a) IN GENERAL.—Section 408(b)(1) of the Robert 

14 T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act 

15 (42 U.S.C. 5174(b)(1)) is amended— 

16 (1) by striking ‘‘rendered uninhabitable’’ and 

17 inserting ‘‘damaged by a major disaster’’; and 

18 (2) by striking ‘‘uninhabitable, as a result of 

19 damage caused by a major disaster’’ and inserting 

20 ‘‘damaged by a major disaster’’. 

21 (b) HAZARD MITIGATION.—Section 408 of the Rob22 ert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance 

23 Act (42 U.S.C. 5174) is amended— 

24 (1) in subsection (c) by adding at the end the 

25 following: 


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1 ‘‘(5) HAZARD MITIGATION.— 

2 ‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—The President may 

3 provide financial assistance to individuals and 

4 households whose primary residence, utilities, or 

5 residential infrastructure are damaged by a 

6 major disaster, for cost-effective hazard mitiga7 tion measures that reduce threats to life and 

8 property, or future damage to such residence, 

9 utilities, or infrastructure in future disasters. 

10 ‘‘(B) RELATIONSHIP TO OTHER ASSIST11 ANCE.—A recipient of assistance provided 

12 under this paragraph shall not be required to 

13 show that the assistance can be met through 

14 other means, except insurance proceeds.’’; and 

15 (2) in subsection (h)— 

16 (A) in paragraph (1) by inserting ‘‘, finan17 cial assistance for hazard mitigation under sub18 section (c)(5)(A),’’ after ‘‘subsection 

19 (c)(1)(A)(i)’’; 

20 (B) in paragraph (3) by striking ‘‘para21 graphs (1) and (2)’’ and inserting ‘‘paragraphs 

22 (1), (2), and (3)’’; and 

23 (C) by adding at the end the following: 

24 ‘‘(5) HAZARD MITIGATION.—The maximum fi25 nancial assistance any individual or household may 


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1 receive under subsection (c)(5) shall be equivalent to 

2 the amount set forth in paragraph (1) with respect 

3 to a single major disaster.’’. 

4 SEC. 5. DIRECT ASSISTANCE. 

5 (a) IN GENERAL.—Section 408(c) of the Robert T. 

6 Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act 

7 (42 U.S.C. 5174(c)) is further amended by striking para8 graph (2) and inserting the following: 

9 ‘‘(2) REPAIRS.— 

10 ‘‘(A) FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE FOR RE11 PAIRS.—The President may provide financial 

12 assistance for the repair of owner-occupied pri13 vate residences, utilities, and residential infra14 structure (such as a private access route) dam15 aged by a major disaster, or with respect to in16 dividuals with disabilities, rendered inaccessible 

17 by a major disaster. 

18 ‘‘(B) DIRECT ASSISTANCE FOR REPAIRS.— 

19 ‘‘(i) IN GENERAL.—The President 

20 may provide direct assistance to individuals 

21 and households who are unable to make 

22 use of financial assistance under subpara23 graph (A) and when there is a lack of 

24 available resources, for— 


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1 ‘‘(I) the repair of owner-occupied 

2 private residences, utilities, and resi3 dential infrastructure (such as a pri4 vate access route) damaged by a 

5 major disaster, or with respect to indi6 viduals with disabilities, rendered in7 accessible by a disaster; and 

8 ‘‘(II) eligible hazard mitigation 

9 measures that reduce the likelihood 

10 and future damage to such residences, 

11 utilities, and infrastructure. 

12 ‘‘(ii) ELIGIBILITY.—A recipient of as13 sistance under this subparagraph shall not 

14 be eligible for assistance under paragraph 

15 (1), unless otherwise determined by the 

16 Administrator. 

17 ‘‘(C) RELATIONSHIP TO OTHER ASSIST18 ANCE.—A recipient of assistance provided 

19 under this paragraph shall not be required to 

20 show that the assistance can be met through 

21 other means, except insurance proceeds.’’. 

22 (b) STATE- OR INDIAN TRIBAL GOVERNMENT-AD23 MINISTERED ASSISTANCE AND OTHER NEEDS ASSIST24 ANCE.—Section 408(f) of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster 


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1 Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5174(f)) 

2 is amended— 

3 (1) by striking ‘‘subsections (c)(1)(B), (c)(4), 

4 and (e)’’ each place it appears and inserting ‘‘para5 graphs (1)(B), (2)(B), and (4) of subsection (c) and 

6 subsection (e)’’; and 

7 (2) in paragraph (3)(A) by striking ‘‘subsection 

8 (c)(1)(B), (c)(4), or (e)’’ and inserting ‘‘paragraph 

9 (1)(B), (2)(B), or (4) of subsection (c) or subsection 

10 (e)’’. 

11 SEC. 6. STATE-MANAGED HOUSING PILOT AUTHORITY. 

12 (a) IN GENERAL.—Section 408 of the Robert T. 

13 Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act 

14 (42 U.S.C. 5174) is amended— 

15 (1) in subsection (f)(3)— 

16 (A) in subparagraph (A)— 

17 (i) by striking ‘‘A State’’ and insert18 ing the following: 

19 ‘‘(i) IN GENERAL.—A State’’; and 

20 (ii) by adding at the end the fol21 lowing: 

22 ‘‘(ii) TRANSPARENCY.—The President 

23 shall make public the criteria used to 

24 evaluate applications under clause (i) and 

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1 ernment meets the criteria described in 

2 subparagraph (B) to administer grants de3 scribed in paragraph (1)(A).’’; 

4 (B) in subparagraph (C)(ii)— 

5 (i) in subclause (I) by striking ‘‘; 

6 and’’ and inserting a semicolon; 

7 (ii) in subclause (II) by striking the 

8 period at the end and inserting a semi9 colon; and 

10 (iii) by adding at the end the fol11 lowing: 

12 ‘‘(III) outline the approach of the 

13 State to help disaster survivors create 

14 a permanent housing plan; and 

15 ‘‘(IV) outline the approach of the 

16 State to provide individual disaster 

17 survivors some choice of communities 

18 and properties, as practicable.’’; 

19 (C) by striking subparagraph (F); 

20 (D) by redesignating subparagraphs (G), 

21 (H), (I), and (J) as subparagraphs (F), (G), 

22 (H), and (I), respectively; and 

23 (E) in subparagraph (I), as so redesig24 nated— 


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1 (i) in clause (ii) by striking ‘‘Not later 

2 than 2 years after the date of enactment 

3 of this paragraph, the’’ and inserting 

4 ‘‘The’’; and 

5 (ii) in clause (iii) by striking ‘‘2 

6 years’’ and inserting ‘‘10 years’’; and 

7 (2) in subsection (g)— 

8 (A) in paragraph (1) by striking ‘‘para9 graph (2)’’ and inserting ‘‘paragraphs (2) and 

10 (3)’’; and 

11 (B) by adding at the end the following: 

12 ‘‘(3) DISASTER ASSISTANCE.—In the case of as13 sistance provided under subsections (c)(1)(B), 

14 (c)(2)(B), and (c)(4), the Federal share shall be not 

15 less than 75 percent.’’. 

16 (b) GAO ASSESSMENT.—Upon the expiration of the 

17 authority to carry out section 408(f) of the Robert T. 

18 Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act 

19 (42 U.S.C. 5174(f)) as a pilot program, the Comptroller 

20 General of the United States shall issue a report on the 

21 effectiveness, successes, and challenges of any pilot pro22 gram carried out pursuant to such section and make rec23 ommendations on how to improve the provision of assist24 ance under such section. 


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1 SEC. 7. MANAGEMENT COSTS. 

2 (a) IN GENERAL.—Section 324(b)(2) of the Robert 

3 T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act 

4 (42 U.S.C. 5165b(b)(2)(C)) is amended by adding at the 

5 end the following: 

6 ‘‘(C) INDIVIDUAL ASSISTANCE.—A grantee 

7 under section 408(f) may be reimbursed not 

8 more than 12 percent of the total award 

9 amount under each such section. 

10 ‘‘(D) CRISIS COUNSELING ASSISTANCE, 

11 TRAINING, AND CASE MANAGEMENT SERV12 ICES.—A grantee and subgrantee, cumulatively, 

13 may be reimbursed not more than 15 percent of 

14 the total amount of the grant award under ei15 ther section 416 or 426.’’. 

16 (b) ADMINISTRATIVE COSTS.—Section 408(f)(1) of 

17 the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency As18 sistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5174) is amended— 

19 (1) by striking ‘‘(A) GRANT TO STATE.—’’ and 

20 all that follows through ‘‘subsection (g),’’ and insert21 ing ‘‘Subject to subsection (g),’’; and 

22 (2) by striking subparagraph (B). 

23 SEC. 8. FUNDING FOR ONLINE GUIDES FOR POST-DISASTER 

24 ASSISTANCE. 

25 (a) USE OF SERVICES OF OTHER AGENCIES.—Sec26 tion 201(a) of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and 


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1 Emergency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5131(a)) is amend2 ed— 

3 (1) in paragraph (7), by striking the period at 

4 the end and inserting ‘‘; and’’; and 

5 (2) by adding at the end the following: 

6 ‘‘(8) post-disaster assistance.’’. 

7 (b) GRANTS FOR ONLINE GUIDES FOR ASSIST8 ANCE.—Section 201 of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster 

9 Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5131) 

10 is amended by adding at the end the following: 

11 ‘‘(e) FUNDING FOR ONLINE GUIDES FOR ASSIST12 ANCE.— 

13 ‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—The Administrator of the 

14 Federal Emergency Management Agency may pro15 vide funding to a State agency established under 

16 subsection (c) to establish, update, or operate a 

17 website to provide information relating to post-dis18 aster recovery funding and resources to a community 

19 or an individual impacted by a major disaster or 

20 emergency. 

21 ‘‘(2) MANAGEMENT.—A website created under 

22 this subsection shall be— 

23 ‘‘(A) managed by the State agency; and 

24 ‘‘(B) suitable for the residents of the State 

25 of the State agency. 


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1 ‘‘(3) CONTENT.—The Administrator may pro2 vide funding to a State agency under this subsection 

3 to establish a website that contains only 1 or more 

4 of the following: 

5 ‘‘(A) A list of Federal, State, and local 

6 sources of post-disaster recovery funding or as7 sistance that may be available to a community 

8 after a major disaster or emergency. 

9 ‘‘(B) A list of Federal, State, and local 

10 sources of post-disaster recovery funding or as11 sistance that may be available to an individual 

12 impacted by a major disaster or emergency. 

13 ‘‘(C) A technical guide that lists and ex14 plains the costs and benefits of alternatives 

15 available to a community to mitigate the im16 pacts of a major disaster or emergency and pre17 pare for sequential hazards such as flooding 

18 after a wildfire. 

19 ‘‘(4) COOPERATION.—A State agency that re20 ceives funding under this subsection shall cooperate 

21 with the Secretary of the Interior, the Secretary of 

22 Agriculture, the Secretary of Housing and Urban 

23 Development, the Administrator of the Small Busi24 ness Administration, and the Administrator of the 


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1 Federal Emergency Management Agency in devel2 oping a website under this subsection. 

3 ‘‘(5) UPDATES.—A State agency that receives 

4 funding to establish a website under this subsection 

5 shall update the website not less than once every 6 

6 months.’’. 

7 SEC. 9. INDIVIDUAL ASSISTANCE DASHBOARD. 

8 Title IV of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and 

9 Emergency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5170 et seq.) is 

10 amended by adding at the end the following: 

11 ‘‘SEC. 431. INDIVIDUAL ASSISTANCE DASHBOARD. 

12 ‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 90 days after a 

13 declaration by the President that a major disaster exists 

14 under section 401, the Administrator of the Federal 

15 Emergency Management Agency shall publish on a 

16 website of the Agency an interactive web tool displaying 

17 the following information with respect to such disaster: 

18 ‘‘(1) The number of applications for assistance 

19 under section 408, including a description of the 

20 number of applications for assistance related to 

21 housing under such section and the number of appli22 cations for assistance to address other needs under 

23 section 408(e). 

24 ‘‘(2) The number of applications for such as25 sistance that are approved. 


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1 ‘‘(3) The number of applications for such as2 sistance that are denied. 

3 ‘‘(4) A ranked list of the reasons for the denial 

4 of such applications, including the number of appli5 cations for each reason for denial. 

6 ‘‘(5) If available, the dollar amount of assist7 ance provided pursuant to section 408 to applicants 

8 who are— 

9 ‘‘(A) property owners with a household an10 nual income— 

11 ‘‘(i) above the national median house12 hold income; and 

13 ‘‘(ii) below the national median house14 hold income; and 

15 ‘‘(B) renters with a household annual in16 come— 

17 ‘‘(i) above the national median house18 hold income; and 

19 ‘‘(ii) below the national median house20 hold income. 

21 ‘‘(6) The estimated percentage of residential 

22 property that was destroyed as a result of the major 

23 disaster, if available. 

24 ‘‘(7) Any other information that the Adminis25 trator determines to be relevant. 


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1 ‘‘(b) PERSONALLY IDENTIFIABLE INFORMATION.— 

2 The Administrator shall ensure that none of the informa3 tion published under subsection (a) contains the personally 

4 identifiable information of an applicant.’’. 

5 SEC. 10. FEMA REPORTS. 

6 (a) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 180 days after the 

7 date of enactment of this Act, the Administrator of the 

8 Federal Emergency Management Agency shall submit to 

9 the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure of 

10 the House of Representatives and the Committee on 

11 Homeland Security and Government Affairs of the Senate 

12 a report with respect to fiscal year 2016 through the most 

13 recent fiscal year ending before the date of enactment of 

14 this Act, and an annual report for any fiscal year begin15 ning on or after the date of enactment of this Act, describ16 ing— 

17 (1) the average amount of individual assistance 

18 and individual and household assistance provided 

19 under section 408 of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster 

20 Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 

21 5121 et seq.) to, and the rate of denial of individual 

22 assistance and individual and household assistance 

23 provided under such section for— 

24 (A) all individuals; 

25 (B) households; 


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1 (C) individuals and households with a re2 ported annual income under 75 percent of the 

3 national median household income; 

4 (D) individuals with a reported annual in5 come over 125 percent of the national median 

6 household income; and 

7 (E) individuals with a reported annual in8 come between 75 percent and 125 percent of 

9 the national median household income; and 

10 (2) an explanation for any factors causing an 

11 increase in the rate of denial of the assistance de12 scribed in paragraph (1), if applicable. 

13 (b) INFORMATION REQUIRED.—In the report sub14 mitted under subsection (a), the Administrator shall de15 scribe the number of homeowners and the number of rent16 ers for each category of individuals and households de17 scribed in subparagraphs (C) through (E) of subsection 

18 (a)(1). 

19 SEC. 11. SHELTERING OF EMERGENCY RESPONSE PER20 SONNEL. 

21 Section 403 of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief 

22 and Emergency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5170b) is 

23 amended by adding at the end the following: 

24 ‘‘(e) SHELTERING OF EMERGENCY RESPONSE PER25 SONNEL.— 


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1 ‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—For any major disaster for 

2 which the President has authorized emergency pro3 tective measures for an area within the jurisdiction 

4 of a State, tribal, or local government, the Adminis5 trator may reimburse the State, tribal, or local gov6 ernment for costs relating to sheltering emergency 

7 response personnel, including individuals that are a 

8 part of the same predisaster household as such per9 sonnel, in exclusive-use congregate or non-con10 gregate settings if the Governor of the State or chief 

11 executive of the tribal or local government deter12 mines that the damage or disruption to such area is 

13 of such a magnitude as to disrupt the provision of 

14 emergency protective measures within such area. 

15 ‘‘(2) LIMITATION OF ASSISTANCE.— 

16 ‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—The Administrator 

17 may only reimburse a State, tribal, or local gov18 ernment for the costs of sheltering emergency 

19 response personnel under paragraph (1) for 

20 such a period of time as the Administrator de21 termines reasonable based in the individual 

22 characteristics of and impacts to the affected 

23 area, including the extent of damage, the avail24 ability of alternative housing options, the availVerDate Sep 11 2014 21:27 Apr 07, 2023 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00030 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H1796.IH H1796

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1 ability of utilities, and disruptions to transpor2 tation infrastructure. 

3 ‘‘(B) MAXIMUM DURATION OF REIMBURSE4 MENT.—The period of reimbursement under 

5 subparagraph (A) may not exceed the 6-month 

6 period beginning on the date on which the inci7 dent period ends. 

8 ‘‘(3) DEFINITION.—In this subsection, the term 

9 ‘emergency response personnel’ means— 

10 ‘‘(A) employees or contracted employees 

11 providing law enforcement, fire suppression, 

12 rescue, emergency medical, emergency manage13 ment, or emergency communications services; 

14 and 

15 ‘‘(B) elected officials, except members of 

16 Congress, responsible for the overseeing or di17 recting emergency response operations or recov18 ery activities.’’. 

19 SEC. 12. IMPROVED RENTAL ASSISTANCE. 

20 (a) IN GENERAL.—Section 408(c)(1)(A)(ii) of the 

21 Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assist22 ance Act (42 U.S.C. 5174(c)(1)(A)(ii)) is amended by in23 serting ‘‘, including local post-disaster rent increases,’’ 

24 after ‘‘accommodation provided’’. 


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1 (b) STUDY.—Not later than 1 year after the date of 

2 enactment of this Act, the Administrator of the Federal 

3 Emergency Management Agency shall conduct a study to 

4 examine the unique challenges of renters when seeking 

5 Federal disaster assistance and any disparities of assist6 ance provided to homeowners and renters pursuant to sec7 tion 408 of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and 

8 Emergency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5174) and develop 

9 a plan that addresses any identified challenges and dis10 parities, including any recommendations for legislative ac11 tion. 

12 (c) REPORT TO CONGRESS.—Upon completion of the 

13 activities carried out under subsection (b), the Adminis14 trator shall submit to the Committee on Transportation 

15 and Infrastructure of the House of Representatives and 

16 the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental 

17 Affairs of the Senate a report containing the study and 

18 recommendations required under subsection (b). 

19 (d) CONSULTATION.—In completing the study and 

20 report required under subsections (b) and (c), the Admin21 istrator shall consult with appropriate Federal entities and 

22 stakeholders involved in disaster housing. 


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1 SEC. 13. GAO REPORT ON PRELIMINARY DAMAGE ASSESS2 MENTS. 

3 (a) IN GENERAL.—The Comptroller General of the 

4 United States shall conduct a study on the practices, in5 cluding the accuracy of such practices, that the Federal 

6 Emergency Management Agency uses when conducting 

7 preliminary damage assessments for the purposes of pro8 viding assistance under section 408 of the Robert T. Staf9 ford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (42. 

10 U.S.C. 5174). 

11 (b) CONTENTS.—The Comptroller General shall in12 clude in the study conducted under subsection (a) the fol13 lowing: 

14 (1) A comparison of the process and procedures 

15 used by the Federal Emergency Management Agen16 cy to complete preliminary damage assessments to 

17 the process and procedures used by private insur18 ance companies following a major disaster. 

19 (2) A review of training provided to individuals 

20 conducting preliminary damage assessments. 

21 (3) A comparison of damage estimates for 

22 homes owned by individuals above the national me23 dian income to homes owned by individuals at or 

24 below the national median income. 


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1 SEC. 14. APPLICABILITY. 

2 The amendments made by sections 4, 5, 7, 8, and 

3 11 shall only apply to amounts appropriated on or after 

4 the date of enactment of this Act. 

Æ 


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