I 
119TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 5395 
To amend the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance 
Act to direct the expedient disbursement of funds, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
SEPTEMBER 16, 2025 
Mr. HERNA´NDEZ (for himself, Mr. KENNEDY of New York, and Mr. STAN-
TON) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee 
on Transportation and Infrastructure 
A BILL 
To amend the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emer-
gency Assistance Act to direct the expedient disburse-
ment of funds, and for other purposes. 
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 ‘‘Disaster Relief Dis-
bursement Accountability Act’’. 
SEC. 2. EXPEDIENT DISBURSEMENT OF FUNDS. 
Title VI of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and 
Emergency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5195 et seq.) is 
amended by adding at the end the following: 
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‘‘SEC. 630. EXPEDIENT DISBURSEMENT OF FUNDS. 
‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—The Administrator shall take 
any actions that are necessary to ensure that funds are 
disbursed to eligible entities as expediently as possible 
after a project is approved under this Act, including the 
hazard mitigation grant program under section 404 and 
the public assistance program under sections 403, 406, 
407, 428, and 502. 
‘‘(b) REPORT TO ADMINISTRATOR.— 
‘‘(1) RETROACTIVE REPORT.—For each major 
disaster or emergency for which a declaration was 
made under section 401 or 501 and for which assist-
ance is being disbursed as of the date of enactment 
of this section, each recipient of assistance for such 
major disaster or emergency under the hazard miti-
gation grant program under section 404 or the pub-
lic assistance program under sections 403, 406, 407, 
428, or 502 shall, not later than 1 year after such 
date of enactment, submit to the Administrator a re-
port that describes the average amount of time the 
recipient takes to disburse such assistance to a sub-
recipient. 
‘‘(2) ANNUAL REPORT.—For each major dis-
aster or emergency for which a declaration is made 
under section 401 or 501 after the date of enact-
ment of this section, each recipient of assistance for 
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such major disaster or emergency under the hazard 
mitigation grant program under section 404 or the 
public assistance program under sections 403, 406, 
407, 428, or 502 shall submit to the Administrator, 
on an annual basis, a report that describes the aver-
age amount of time the recipient takes to disburse 
such assistance to a subrecipient. 
‘‘(c) REPORT TO CONGRESS.—Not later than 3 years 
after the date of enactment of this section, and annually 
thereafter, the Administrator shall submit to the Commit-
tees on Homeland Security and Transportation and Infra-
structure of the House of Representatives and the Com-
mittee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs 
of the Senate a report containing a summary of the infor-
mation provided under subsection (b).’’. 
Æ 
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