advisory panel consisting of emergency management per-
sonnel employed by State, local, territorial, or tribal au-
thorities, and the representative organizations of such per-
sonnel to assist the Agency in improving critical compo-
nents of the preliminary damage assessment process. 
(b) MEMBERSHIP.— 
(1) IN
GENERAL.—This advisory panel shall 
consist of at least 2 representatives from national 
emergency management organizations and at least 1 
representative from each of the 10 regions of the 
Federal Emergency Management Agency, selected 
from emergency management personnel employed by 
State, local, territorial, or tribal authorities within 
each region. 
(2) INCLUSION ON PANEL.—To the furthest ex-
tent practicable, representation on the advisory 
panel shall include emergency management per-
sonnel from both rural and urban jurisdictions. 
(c) CONSIDERATIONS.—The advisory panel convened 
under subsection (a) shall— 
(1) consider— 
(A) establishing a training regime to en-
sure preliminary damage assessments are con-
ducted and reviewed under consistent guide-
lines; 
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(B) utilizing a common technological plat-
form to integrate data collected by State and 
local governments with data collected by the 
Agency; and 
(C) assessing instruction materials pro-
vided by the Agency for omissions of pertinent 
information or language that conflicts with 
other statutory requirements; and 
(2) identify opportunities for streamlining the 
consideration of preliminary damage assessments by 
the Agency, including eliminating duplicative paper-
work requirements and ensuring consistent commu-
nication and decision making among Agency staff. 
(d) INTERIM REPORT.—Not later than 18 months 
after the date of enactment of this Act, the Administrator 
shall submit to Congress a report regarding the findings 
of the advisory panel, steps that will be undertaken by the 
Agency to implement the findings of the advisory panel, 
and additional legislation that may be necessary to imple-
ment the findings of the advisory panel. 
(e) RULEMAKING AND FINAL REPORT.—Not later 
than 2 years after the date of enactment of this Act, the 
Administrator shall issue such regulations as are nec-
essary to implement the recommendations of the advisory 
panel and submit to Congress a report discussing— 
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(1) the implementation of recommendations 
from the advisory panel; 
(2) the identification of any additional chal-
lenges to the preliminary damage assessment proc-
ess, including whether specific disasters result in 
longer preliminary damage assessments; and 
(3) any additional legislative recommendations 
necessary to improve the preliminary damage assess-
ment process. 
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Calendar No. 545 
117TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 3709 
[Report No. 117–194] 
AN ACT 
To direct the Administrator of the Federal Emer-
gency Management Agency to submit to Con-
gress a report on preliminary damage assess-
ments and make necessary improvements to proc-
esses in the Federal Emergency Management 
Agency, and for other purposes. 
NOVEMBER 14, 2022 
Reported without amendment 
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