I 
119TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 5501 
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 18, 2025 
Ms. VELA´ZQUEZ 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 Representa-
tives 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 
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the specific data needs across grant-awarding agencies. 
The report shall contain the following: 
(1) A list of all grants provided by grant-award-
ing agencies to support Puerto Rico’s recovery from 
Hurricanes Irma, Marı´a, and Fiona, the 2020 earth-
quakes, and the COVID–19 pandemic. The list shall 
specify the grant type, amount, and the specific dis-
aster or emergency to which it pertains. 
(2) An assessment of statistical products that 
details the stages of the grant process at which sta-
tistical 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 man-
aging disaster-related grants for Puerto Rico, includ-
ing issues related to lack of data coverage, dispari-
ties, reporting delays, and limitations in data reli-
ability. 
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(4) A description of the extent to which the 
identified data gaps have impeded effective grant al-
location, 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 in-
cluded. 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 INFORMA-
TION.—Any Federal official from whom the Comptroller 
General seeks information for purposes of the report re-
quired 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
COMMIT-
TEES.—The term ‘‘appropriate congressional com-
mittees’’ means— 
(A) the Committee on National Resources 
of the House of Representatives; and 
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(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, Mi-
nority Business Development Agency. 
(J) National Telecommunications and In-
formation Administration. 
(K) National Institute of Standards and 
Technology. 
(L) International Trade Administration. 
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(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 ‘‘sta-
tistical products’’ means Federal statistical inputs, 
estimates, and products used by grant-awarding 
agencies to develop and manage grant funding. 
Æ 
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