IB 
Union Calendar No. 43 
117TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION 
H. R. 539 
[Report No. 117–61, Part I] 
To amend the Disaster Recovery Reform Act of 2018 to require the Adminis-
trator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency to waive certain 
debts owed to the United States related to covered assistance provided 
to an individual or household, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JANUARY 28, 2021 
Mr. GRAVES of Missouri (for himself, Mr. LAMALFA, Mr. GARAMENDI, Miss 
GONZA´LEZ-COLO´N, Mr. THOMPSON of California, Mr. HUFFMAN, and 
Mr. CARBAJAL) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, and in addition to the 
Committee on the Budget, for a period to be subsequently determined by 
the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall with-
in the jurisdiction of the committee concerned 
JUNE 14, 2021 
Additional sponsors: Mr. WEBSTER of Florida, Mr. DELGADO, and Ms. 
PLASKETT 
JUNE 14, 2021 
Reported from the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure 
JUNE 14, 2021 
Committee on the Budget discharged; committed to the Committee of the 
Whole House on the State of the Union and ordered to be printed 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
02:06 Jun 15, 2021
Jkt 019200
PO 00000
Frm 00001
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6652
E:\BILLS\H539.RH
H539
kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS
A BILL 
To amend the Disaster Recovery Reform Act of 2018 to 
require the Administrator of the Federal Emergency 
Management Agency to waive certain debts owed to the 
United States related to covered assistance provided to 
an individual or household, and for other purposes. 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
02:06 Jun 15, 2021
Jkt 019200
PO 00000
Frm 00002
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6652
E:\BILLS\H539.RH
H539
kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS
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 ‘‘Preventing Disaster 
Revictimization Act’’. 
SEC. 2. FLEXIBILITY. 
Section 1216(a) of the Disaster Recovery Reform Act 
of 2018 (42 U.S.C. 5174a(a)) is amended— 
(1) by amending paragraph (2)(A) to read as 
follows: 
‘‘(A) except as provided in subparagraph 
(B), shall— 
‘‘(i) waive a debt owed to the United 
States related to covered assistance pro-
vided to an individual or household if the 
covered assistance was distributed based 
on an error by the Agency and such debt 
shall be construed as a hardship; and 
‘‘(ii) waive a debt owed to the United 
States related to covered assistance pro-
vided to an individual or household if such 
assistance is subject to a claim or legal ac-
tion, including in accordance with section 
317 of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Re-
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
02:06 Jun 15, 2021
Jkt 019200
PO 00000
Frm 00003
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H539.RH
H539
kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS
lief and Emergency Assistance Act (42 
U.S.C. 5160); and’’; and 
(2) in paragraph (3)(B)— 
(A) by striking ‘‘REMOVAL OF’’ and insert-
ing ‘‘REPORT ON’’; and 
(B) in clause (ii) by striking ‘‘the authority 
of the Administrator to waive debt under para-
graph (2) shall no longer be effective’’ and in-
serting ‘‘the Administrator shall report to the 
Committee on Transportation and Infrastruc-
ture of the House of Representatives and the 
Committee on Homeland Security and Govern-
mental Affairs of the Senate actions that the 
Administrator will take to reduce the error 
rate’’. 
SEC. 3. REPORT TO CONGRESS. 
The Administrator of the Federal Emergency Man-
agement Agency shall submit to the Committee on Trans-
portation and Infrastructure of the House of Representa-
tives and the Committee on Homeland Security and Gov-
ernmental Affairs of the Senate a report containing a de-
scription of the internal processes used to make decisions 
regarding the distribution of covered assistance under sec-
tion 1216 of the Disaster Recovery and Reform Act of 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
02:06 Jun 15, 2021
Jkt 019200
PO 00000
Frm 00004
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H539.RH
H539
kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS
2018 (42 U.S.C. 5174a) and any changes made to such 
processes. 
SEC. 4. DETERMINATION OF BUDGETARY EFFECTS. 
The budgetary effects of this Act, for the purpose of 
complying with the Statutory Pay-As-You-Go Act of 2010, 
shall be determined by reference to the latest statement 
titled ‘‘Budgetary Effects of PAYGO Legislation’’ for this 
Act, submitted for printing in the Congressional Record 
by the Chairman of the House Budget Committee, pro-
vided that such statement has been submitted prior to the 
vote on passage. 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
02:06 Jun 15, 2021
Jkt 019200
PO 00000
Frm 00005
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H539.RH
H539
kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS
Union Calendar No. 43 
117TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION 
H. R. 539 
[Report No. 117–61, Part I] 
A BILL 
To amend the Disaster Recovery Reform Act of 
2018 to require the Administrator of the Federal 
Emergency Management Agency to waive certain 
debts owed to the United States related to cov-
ered assistance provided to an individual or 
household, and for other purposes. 
JUNE 14, 2021 
Reported from the Committee on Transportation and 
Infrastructure 
JUNE 14, 2021 
Committee on the Budget discharged; committed to the 
Committee of the Whole House on the State of the 
Union and ordered to be printed 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
02:06 Jun 15, 2021
Jkt 019200
PO 00000
Frm 00006
Fmt 6651
Sfmt 6651
E:\BILLS\H539.RH
H539
kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS