I 

118TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 259 

To provide for an online repository for certain reporting requirements for 

recipients of Federal disaster assistance, and for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

JANUARY 10, 2023 

Miss GONZA ́LEZ-COLO ́N (for herself, Ms. PLASKETT, and Ms. MALLIOTAKIS) 

introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on 

Transportation and Infrastructure, and in addition to the Committees on 

Small Business, and Financial Services, 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 provide for an online repository for certain reporting 

requirements for recipients of Federal disaster assistance, 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. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Post-Disaster Assist5 ance Online Accountability Act’’. 


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1 SEC. 2. SUBPAGE FOR TRANSPARENCY OF DISASTER AS2 SISTANCE. 

3 (a) ESTABLISHMENT OF REPOSITORY FOR REPORT4 ING REQUIREMENTS.—The Director of the Office of Man5 agement and Budget, in consultation with the Secretary 

6 of the Treasury and the head of each covered Federal 

7 agency, shall establish a subpage within the website estab8 lished under section 2 of the Federal Funding Account9 ability and Transparency Act of 2006 (31 U.S.C. 6101 

10 note) to publish the information required to be made avail11 able to the public under this section. 

12 (b) SUBMISSION OF INFORMATION BY FEDERAL

13 AGENCIES.—Not later than 30 days after the end of a 

14 calendar quarter, each covered Federal agency that made 

15 disaster assistance available to an eligible recipient during 

16 such quarter shall, in coordination with the Director of 

17 the Office of Management and Budget, make available to 

18 the public on the subpage established under subsection (a) 

19 the information described in subsection (c), and ensure 

20 that any data asset of the agency is machine readable. 

21 (c) INFORMATION REQUIRED.—The information de22 scribed in this subsection is, with respect to disaster as23 sistance provided by the covered Federal agency— 

24 (1) the total amount of disaster assistance pro25 vided by the agency during such quarter; 


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1 (2) the amount of disaster assistance provided 

2 by the agency that was expended or obligated to 

3 projects or activities; and 

4 (3) a detailed list of all projects or activities for 

5 which disaster assistance dispersed by the agency 

6 was expended, obligated, or used, including— 

7 (A) the name of the project or activity; 

8 (B) a description of the project or activity; 

9 (C) an evaluation of the completion status 

10 of the project or activity; 

11 (D) any award identification number as12 signed to the project; 

13 (E) the Catalog for Disaster Assistance 

14 number assigned by the Federal Emergency 

15 Management Agency; 

16 (F) the location of the project, including 

17 ZIP Codes; and 

18 (G) any reporting requirement information 

19 being collected by a covered Federal agency 

20 with respect to that agency’s disaster assist21 ance. 

22 (d) GUIDANCE.—Each covered Federal agency, in co23 ordination with the Director of the Office of Management 

24 and Budget and the Secretary of the Treasury, shall issue 


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1 such guidance as is necessary to meet the requirements 

2 of this Act. 

3 (e) AGREEMENT WITH PRIVATE ENTITY.—The Di4 rector, if necessary for purposes of transparency, may 

5 enter into an agreement with a private entity, including 

6 a nonprofit organization, to develop the subpage required 

7 under this section. 

8 SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS. 

9 In this Act, the following definitions apply: 

10 (1) COVERED FEDERAL AGENCY.—The term 

11 ‘‘covered Federal agency’’ means— 

12 (A) any agency providing assistance under 

13 the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and 

14 Emergency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5121 et 

15 seq.); 

16 (B) the Small Business Administration; 

17 and 

18 (C) the Department of Housing and Urban 

19 Development. 

20 (2) DISASTER ASSISTANCE.—The term ‘‘dis21 aster assistance’’ means any funds that are made 

22 available by the Federal Government in response to 

23 a specified natural disaster, including— 

24 (A) any assistance provided by the Admin25 istrator of the Small Business Administration 


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1 as a result of a disaster declared under section 

2 7(b) of the Small Business Act (15 U.S.C. 

3 636(b)); 

4 (B) any assistance provided by the Sec5 retary of Housing and Urban Development 

6 for— 

7 (i) activities authorized under title I 

8 of the Housing and Community Develop9 ment Act of 1974 (42 U.S.C. 5301 et seq.) 

10 related to disaster relief, long-term recov11 ery, restoration of infrastructure and hous12 ing, and economic revitalization in the 

13 most impacted and distressed areas result14 ing from a major disaster declared pursu15 ant to the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Re16 lief and Emergency Assistance Act (42 

17 U.S.C. 5121 et seq.); and 

18 (ii) flood insurance coverage provided 

19 under the National Flood Insurance Pro20 gram pursuant to the National Flood In21 surance Act of 1968 (42 U.S.C. 4001 et 

22 seq.); and 

23 (C) any assistance provided under the Rob24 ert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency 

25 Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5121 et seq.). 


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1 (3) ELIGIBLE RECIPIENT.—The term ‘‘eligible 

2 recipient’’— 

3 (A) means any entity that receives disaster 

4 assistance directly from the Federal Govern5 ment (including disaster assistance received 

6 through grant, loan, or contract) other than an 

7 individual; and 

8 (B) includes a State that receives disaster 

9 assistance. 

10 (4) SPECIFIED NATURAL DISASTER.—The term 

11 ‘‘specified natural disaster’’ means— 

12 (A) a fire on public or private forest land 

13 or grassland described in section 420 of the 

14 Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emer15 gency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5187); 

16 (B) a major disaster declared by the Presi17 dent under section 401 of such Act (42 U.S.C. 

18 5170); 

19 (C) an emergency declared by the Presi20 dent under section 501 of such Act (42 U.S.C. 

21 5191); and 

22 (D) any other natural disaster for which a 

23 disaster declaration is made by the Federal 

24 Government. 

Æ 


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