Title: Disaster Housing Assistance Program Accountability Act
Policy area: Housing and Community Development

Summary:
Disaster Housing Assistance Program Accountability Act
This bill requires the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to establish at least three pilot programs to provide long-term rental-housing assistance and case-management services to families affected by a major disaster in either a U.S. territory in 2017 or a state in 2018.

[Congressional Bills 115th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 7385 Introduced in House (IH)]

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115th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 7385

  To direct the President to establish pilot programs to provide long-
   term rental housing assistance and case management services after 
            certain major disasters, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           December 20, 2018

Ms. Titus (for herself and Ms. Plaskett) introduced the following bill; 
       which was referred to the Committee on Transportation and 
                             Infrastructure

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
  To direct the President to establish pilot programs to provide long-
   term rental housing assistance and case management services after 
            certain major disasters, and for other purposes.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Disaster Housing Assistance Program 
Accountability Act''.

SEC. 2. AUTHORIZATION OF DISASTER HOUSING ASSISTANCE PILOT PROGRAMS.

    (a) In General.--Pursuant to the authority under, and meeting the 
requirements of, sections 408 and 426 of the Robert T. Stafford 
Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5174, 5189d), 
the President, acting through the Administrator, shall establish at 
least 3 pilot programs, to be administered by an appropriate Federal 
agency, to provide for long-term rental housing assistance and case 
management services to eligible families affected by a covered disaster 
in a State.
    (b) Consultation.--In establishing a pilot program under this 
section, the Administrator shall consult with the Governor of the State 
in which the disaster occurred.
    (c) Limitation.--In establishing a pilot program under this 
section, the Administrator shall ensure that multiple pilot programs 
are not established in any 1 State.
    (d) Responsibilities.--The Administrator shall--
            (1) ensure that each pilot program established under 
        subsection (a) assists eligible families with transitioning 
        toward self-sufficiency through case management services 
        provided in a cost-effective manner; and
            (2) determine whether the cost of each pilot program and 
        the services provided under any such pilot program are 
        competitive with other housing options provided by the 
        Administrator.
    (e) Extent of Services.--The Administrator, in consultation with 
other Federal agencies with appropriate expertise, shall determine the 
extent of case management services required for an eligible family to 
obtain self-sufficiency.
    (f) Termination.--The Administrator may terminate each pilot 
program established under subsection (a) at any time the Administrator 
considers appropriate.
    (g) Interagency Agreement.--To carry out each pilot program, the 
Administrator and a relevant Federal agency shall enter into an 
interagency agreement that, at a minimum--
            (1) includes policies, procedures, and framework for--
                    (A) program management;
                    (B) financial management; and
                    (C) oversight;
            (2) establishes requirements for cost and program 
        effectiveness data to be maintained and reported to the 
        Administrator on a regular basis; and
            (3) identifies the type and amount of administrative fees 
        that will be charged under each pilot program.
    (h) Cost-Effectiveness of Program.--
            (1) Program comparison data.--The Federal agency 
        implementing the pilot program established in subsection (a) 
        shall provide the Administrator with such data as may be 
        necessary for the Administrator to conduct a comparison between 
        each pilot program established under subsection (a) and other 
        temporary housing options provided by the Administrator under 
        the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance 
        Act (42 U.S.C. 5121 et seq.).
            (2) Case management data.--The Federal agency implementing 
        the pilot program established in subsection (a) shall provide 
        the Administrator with such data as may be necessary to 
        determine the extent of case management services required and 
        provided under each program and the effectiveness of such 
        services in transitioning eligible families toward self-
        sufficiency.
            (3) Fees.--The Administrator shall ensure that--
                    (A) the administrative fees of each pilot program 
                are reasonable compared to the cost of temporary 
                housing assistance provided to eligible families;
                    (B) case management services fees are reasonable 
                compared to the cost of the case management services 
                provided to eligible families; and
                    (C) administrative fees and case management 
                services fees do not exceed the amounts provided under 
                the Interagency Agreement executed on March 25, 2013, 
                to implement Disaster Housing Assistance Program-Sandy.
    (i) Analysis and Report.--
            (1) Analysis.--After termination of a pilot program, the 
        Administrator shall conduct an analysis comparing the costs, 
        benefits, and effectiveness of each pilot program, including 
        any case management services provided, with other temporary 
        housing options provided by the Administrator under the Robert 
        T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (42 
        U.S.C. 5121 et seq.).
            (2) Report.--Not later than 180 days after the 
        Administrator terminates a pilot program, the Administrator 
        shall submit to the Committee on Transportation and 
        Infrastructure of the House of Representatives and the 
        Committee on Homeland Security and Government Affairs of the 
        Senate a report that contains the analysis required under 
        paragraph (1).

SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS.

    In this Act:
            (1) Administrator.--The term ``Administrator'' means the 
        Administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
            (2) Covered disaster.--The term ``covered disaster'' means 
        a major disaster declared by the President under section 401 of 
        the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance 
        Act (42 U.S.C. 5170)--
                    (A) during 2017 in the territories of the United 
                States; or
                    (B) during 2018 in a State.
            (3) Eligible families.--The term ``eligible families'' 
        means families that the Administrator determines are eligible 
        for housing assistance under section 408 of the Robert T. 
        Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (42 
        U.S.C. 5174) and case management services under section 426 of 
        such Act.
            (4) Families.--The term ``families'' has the meaning given 
        such term in section 3(b)(3)(B) of the United States Housing 
        Act of 1937 (42 U.S.C. 1437a).
            (5) Governor; state.--The terms ``Governor'' and ``State'' 
        have the meanings given such terms in section 102 of the Robert 
        T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (42 
        U.S.C. 5122).
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