200 
‘‘(D) how the President, in consultation 
with the Administrator— 
‘‘(i) determined whether the disaster 
impacted a rural or economically distressed 
community or communities; and 
‘‘(ii) considered whether there was se-
vere local impact or were recent multiple 
disasters in the impacted area. 
‘‘(2) APPLICABILITY.—This subsection shall not 
apply in any case in which the President makes a 
declaration under this section for a major disaster 
that is requested through expedited procedures, in-
cluding pursuant to section 206.36(d) of title 44, 
Code of Federal Regulations.’’. 
SEC. 417. FAST-MOVING DISASTERS WORKING GROUP. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 90 days after the 
date of enactment of this Act, the Administrator of the 
Federal Emergency Management Agency shall convene a 
working group to review and develop best practices for 
preparing for, mitigating against, public alerting, and re-
sponding to fast-moving disasters. 
(b) MEMBERSHIP.—The working group established 
under subsection (a) shall be composed of— 
(1) representatives from the Federal Emergency 
Management Agency; 
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(2) representatives from the United States 
Coast Guard; 
(3) representatives from the Department of De-
fense; 
(4) representatives from the National Weather 
Service of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric 
Administration; 
(5) representatives of States, Tribal govern-
ments, and units of local government; and 
(6) subject matter experts in emergency man-
agement, public alerts and warnings, emergency 
evacuations, and preparedness and response. 
(c) BEST PRACTICES.—Not later than 1 year after 
the convening of the working group pursuant to subsection 
(a), the Administrator shall issue, and make publicly avail-
able, a report on— 
(1) best practices to guide Federal, State, Trib-
al and local governments in preparing for, mitigating 
against, public alerting, and responding to fast-mov-
ing disasters; 
(2) proposed changes to plans and policies of 
relevant Federal agencies to better assist in pre-
paring for, mitigating against, public alerting, and 
responding to fast-moving disasters; and 
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(3) any needed legislative proposals that would 
support preparing for, mitigating against, public 
alerting, and responding to fast-moving disasters. 
(d) FAST-MOVING DISASTER DEFINED.—In this sec-
tion, the term ‘‘fast-moving disaster’’ means an event that 
develops or spreads rapidly, causing significant damage 
and necessitating immediate response, including flash 
flooding, wildfires, mudslides, and tornados. 
SEC. 418. PUBLIC ASSISTANCE DASHBOARD. 
Title IV of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and 
Emergency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5170 et seq.) is fur-
ther amended by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘SEC. 432. PUBLIC ASSISTANCE DASHBOARD. 
‘‘For each major disaster that is declared by the 
President under section 401 on or after the date that is 
180 days after the date of enactment of the FEMA Act 
of 2025, the Administrator shall, not later than 90 days 
after such declaration, make publicly available on the 
website of the Agency an interactive, publicly accessible 
dashboard that tracks the following information with re-
spect to each such disaster: 
‘‘(1) Information on each cost estimate sub-
mitted under section 409, including information on 
each applicant, date of each submission, descriptions 
for each project, cost of each project with a break-
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down of the Federal cost-share and non-Federal 
cost-share. 
‘‘(2) Status of the Agency review and approval 
of each cost estimate submitted pursuant to section 
409, including the date a project is approved and 
the date the grant is issued. 
‘‘(3) An explanation for any cost estimate that 
is not approved or if the grant is not provided in the 
timeline as required by section 409 and any correc-
tive action taken by the Agency to conform with the 
requirements of section 409. 
‘‘(4) Project-level progress updates, consistent 
with the reporting requirements established under 
section 409. 
‘‘(5) Information on requests made under sec-
tion 801, including dates and amounts of each re-
quest, timelines for submissions of required informa-
tion, and dates of approval and disbursement of 
funds. 
‘‘(6) Any other information the Administrator 
determines to be appropriate to ensure transparency 
and accountability in the administration of public 
assistance.’’. 
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SEC. 419. IMPROVING DISASTER WORKFORCE RETENTION. 
(a) IMPROVING DISASTER WORKFORCE RETENTION 
IN NONCONTIGUOUS COMMUNITIES.— 
(1) IN
GENERAL.—The Administrator of the 
Federal Emergency Management Agency shall con-
duct a study on the effectiveness of practices of the 
Agency relating to hiring, recruitment, and retention 
in noncontiguous communities by soliciting feedback 
from staff in such communities. 
(2) CONTENTS.—In conducting the study under 
paragraph (1), the Administrator shall— 
(A) evaluate the recruitment strategies of 
the Agency and efforts of the Agency to broad-
en the pool of qualified local candidates; 
(B) prioritize input from communities in 
which there are the most severe staffing short-
ages; and 
(C) identify specific steps that the Agency 
can take to improve opportunities for staff in 
noncontiguous communities. 
(3) BRIEFING.—Not later than 6 months after 
the date of enactment of this Act, the Administrator 
shall brief the Committee on Transportation and In-
frastructure and the Committee on Homeland Secu-
rity of the House of Representatives and the Com-
mittee on Homeland Security and Governmental Af-
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fairs of the Senate on the results of the study con-
ducted under paragraph (1). 
(4) POLICIES.—The Administrator shall take 
such actions as are necessary to revise any policies, 
guidance, or regulations of the Agency to address 
the disaster workforce challenges in noncontiguous 
communities identified in the study conducted under 
paragraph (1). 
(b) GAO REVIEW OF DISASTER RESPONSE AND RE-
COVERY IN NONCONTIGUOUS COMMUNITIES.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—The Comptroller General of 
the United States shall conduct a study on the effec-
tiveness of disaster response and recovery practices 
in noncontiguous communities, with a particular 
focus on recovery efforts relating to damage caused 
by Super Typhoon Yutu, and compare such practices 
with the disaster response and recovery practices in 
contiguous communities. 
(2) CONTENTS.—In conducting the study under 
paragraph (1), the Comptroller General shall— 
(A) analyze ongoing recovery efforts from 
disasters that have impacted noncontiguous 
communities; 
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(B) analyze the level of coordination be-
tween the Federal Departments and Agencies 
tasked with disaster response and recovery; 
(C) assess how effectively Federal agencies 
coordinate with State emergency management 
offices; 
(D) assess the effectiveness of the Area of-
fices and Regional Advisory Councils of the 
Agency in assisting noncontiguous communities; 
and 
(E) make recommendations on how to im-
prove the disaster response and recovery out-
comes in noncontiguous communities. 
(3) REPORT.—Not later than 18 months after 
the date of enactment of this Act, the Comptroller 
General shall submit to the Committee on Transpor-
tation and Infrastructure and the Committee on 
Homeland Security of the House of Representatives 
and the Committee on Homeland Security and Gov-
ernmental Affairs of the Senate a report on the 
study conducted under paragraph (1). 
(c) PRELIMINARY DAMAGE ASSESSMENT PILOT PRO-
GRAM.— 
(1) ESTABLISHMENT.—Not later than 1 year 
after the date of enactment of this Act, the Adminis-
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trator of the Federal Emergency Management Agen-
cy shall establish a pilot program to implement new 
technology in carrying out a preliminary damage as-
sessment in a noncontiguous community in which a 
major disaster has been declared under section 401 
of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emer-
gency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5170). 
(2) PRIORITY.—In carrying out the pilot pro-
gram established under paragraph (1), the Adminis-
trator shall ensure that the most geographically re-
mote noncontiguous communities are prioritized. 
(3) BRIEFING.—Not later than 3 years after 
the date of enactment of this Act, the Administrator 
shall brief the Committee on Transportation and In-
frastructure and the Committee on Homeland Secu-
rity of the House of Representatives and the Com-
mittee on Homeland Security and Governmental Af-
fairs of the Senate on the implementation of the 
pilot program established under paragraph (1). 
(4) SUNSET.—The pilot program established 
under paragraph (1) shall terminate on September 
30, 2030. 
Æ 
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