IIB 
116TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 5953 
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 
NOVEMBER 18, 2020 
Received; read twice and referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and 
Governmental Affairs 
AN ACT 
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. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
21:36 Nov 19, 2020
Jkt 019200
PO 00000
Frm 00001
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H5953.RFS
H5953
HR 5953 RFS
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-
lief and Emergency Assistance Act (42 
U.S.C. 5160); and’’; and 
(2) in paragraph (3)(B)— 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
21:36 Nov 19, 2020
Jkt 019200
PO 00000
Frm 00002
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H5953.RFS
H5953
HR 5953 RFS
(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 
2018 (42 U.S.C. 5174a) and any changes made to such 
processes. 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
21:36 Nov 19, 2020
Jkt 019200
PO 00000
Frm 00003
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H5953.RFS
H5953
HR 5953 RFS
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. 
Passed the House of Representatives November 17, 
2020. 
Attest: 
CHERYL L. JOHNSON, 
Clerk. 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
21:36 Nov 19, 2020
Jkt 019200
PO 00000
Frm 00004
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H5953.RFS
H5953