Directing Dollars to Disaster Relief Act of 2015

Bill: 114-s-2109
Sponsor: Sen. Johnson, Ron [R-WI]
Introduced: 2015-09-30 in the Senate
Policy area: Emergency Management
Subjects: Congressional oversight
Department of Homeland Security
Disaster relief and insurance
Emergency planning and evacuation
Executive agency funding and structure
Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)

Summary:
action_date: 2015-09-30
text: 

Directing Dollars to Disaster Relief Act of 2015

 
This bill directs the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to:
 
 
develop and implement an integrated plan to control and reduce administrative costs incurred by FEMA in support of the delivery of assistance for major disasters; 
 
 compare the costs and benefits of tracking the administrative cost data for major disasters by the public assistance, individual assistance, hazard mitigation, and mission assignment programs;
 
 track such information, if feasible; and
 
 clarify FEMA guidance and minimum documentation requirements for a direct administrative cost claimed by a grantee or subgrantee of a public assistance grant program authorized by the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act. 
 
 
This bill: (1) provides that, of the total amount obligated for major disasters by FEMA from the Disaster Relief Fund for a fiscal year, the amount obligated for administrative costs shall not exceed the milestones set by FEMA in such plan; and (2) permits FEMA to waive such requirement if it has completed a required assessment of the administrative costs of major disasters for the fiscal year and submits to Congress a written explanation as to why FEMA exceeded such milestones. 
 

action_date: 2015-12-07
text: 

Directing Dollars to Disaster Relief Act of 2015

 
(Sec. 3) This bill directs the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to:
 
 
develop and implement an integrated plan to control and reduce administrative costs incurred by FEMA in support of the delivery of assistance for major disasters; 
 
 compare the costs and benefits of tracking the administrative cost data for major disasters by the public assistance, individual assistance, hazard mitigation, and mission assignment programs;
 
 track such information; and
 
 clarify FEMA guidance and minimum documentation requirements for a direct administrative cost claimed by a grantee or subgrantee of a public assistance grant program authorized by the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act. 
 
 
(Sec. 4) FEMA must submit to Congress, by November 30 of each year, and make publicly available on its website a report on the development and implementation of the plan for the previous fiscal year, with three-year and five-year updates. Each report shall contain:
 
 
 the total amount spent on administrative costs and the average annual percentage of administrative costs for the fiscal year period for which the report is being submitted;
 
 an assessment of the effectiveness of the plan;
 
 an analysis of whether FEMA is achieving its strategic goals for the average annual percentage of administrative costs of major disasters for each fiscal year and, in the case of it not achieving such goals, what is preventing it from doing so;
 
 any actions FEMA has identified as useful in improving upon and reaching those goals; and
 
 any administrative cost data for major disasters, if FEMA determines it is feasible to track such data. 

action_date: 2016-02-09
text: 

Directing Dollars to Disaster Relief Act of 2015

 
(Sec. 3) This bill directs the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to:
 
 
develop and implement an integrated plan to control and reduce administrative costs incurred by FEMA in support of the delivery of assistance for major disasters; 
 
 compare the costs and benefits of tracking the administrative cost data for major disasters by the public assistance, individual assistance, hazard mitigation, and mission assignment programs;
 
 track such information; and
 
 clarify FEMA guidance and minimum documentation requirements for a direct administrative cost claimed by a grantee or subgrantee of a public assistance grant program authorized by the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act. 
 
 
(Sec. 4) FEMA must submit to Congress, by November 30 of each year for seven years beginning on the date of this Act's enactment, and make publicly available on its website, a report on the development and implementation of the plan for the previous fiscal year, with three-year and five-year updates. Each report shall contain:
 
 
 the total amount spent on administrative costs and the average annual percentage of administrative costs for the fiscal year period for which the report is being submitted;
 
 an assessment of the effectiveness of the plan;
 
 an analysis of whether FEMA is achieving its strategic goals for the average annual percentage of administrative costs of major disasters for each fiscal year and, in the case of it not achieving such goals, what is preventing it from doing so;
 
 any actions FEMA has identified as useful in improving upon and reaching those goals; and
 
 any administrative cost data for major disasters, if FEMA determines it is feasible to track such data. 

action_date: 2016-02-23
text: 
(This measure has not been amended since it was passed by the Senate on February 9, 2016. The summary of that version is repeated here.)
 

Directing Dollars to Disaster Relief Act of 2015

 
(Sec. 3) This bill directs the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to:
 
 
develop and implement an integrated plan to control and reduce administrative costs incurred by FEMA in support of the delivery of assistance for major disasters; 
 
 compare the costs and benefits of tracking the administrative cost data for major disasters by the public assistance, individual assistance, hazard mitigation, and mission assignment programs;
 
 track such information; and
 
 clarify FEMA guidance and minimum documentation requirements for a direct administrative cost claimed by a grantee or subgrantee of a public assistance grant program authorized by the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act. 
 
 
(Sec. 4) FEMA must submit to Congress, by November 30 of each year for seven years beginning on the date of this Act's enactment, and make publicly available on its website, a report on the development and implementation of the plan for the previous fiscal year, with three-year and five-year updates. Each report shall contain:
 
 
 the total amount spent on administrative costs and the average annual percentage of administrative costs for the fiscal year period for which the report is being submitted;
 
 an assessment of the effectiveness of the plan;
 
 an analysis of whether FEMA is achieving its strategic goals for the average annual percentage of administrative costs of major disasters for each fiscal year and, in the case of it not achieving such goals, what is preventing it from doing so;
 
 any actions FEMA has identified as useful in improving upon and reaching those goals; and
 
 any administrative cost data for major disasters, if FEMA determines it is feasible to track such data. 

action_date: 2016-02-29
text: 
(This measure has not been amended since it was passed by the Senate on February 9, 2016. The summary of that version is repeated here.)
 

Directing Dollars to Disaster Relief Act of 2015

 
(Sec. 3) This bill directs the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to:
 
 
develop and implement an integrated plan to control and reduce administrative costs incurred by FEMA in support of the delivery of assistance for major disasters; 
 
 compare the costs and benefits of tracking the administrative cost data for major disasters by the public assistance, individual assistance, hazard mitigation, and mission assignment programs;
 
 track such information; and
 
 clarify FEMA guidance and minimum documentation requirements for a direct administrative cost claimed by a grantee or subgrantee of a public assistance grant program authorized by the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act. 
 
 
(Sec. 4) FEMA must submit to Congress, by November 30 of each year for seven years beginning on the date of this Act's enactment, and make publicly available on its website, a report on the development and implementation of the plan for the previous fiscal year, with three-year and five-year updates. Each report shall contain:
 
 
 the total amount spent on administrative costs and the average annual percentage of administrative costs for the fiscal year period for which the report is being submitted;
 
 an assessment of the effectiveness of the plan;
 
 an analysis of whether FEMA is achieving its strategic goals for the average annual percentage of administrative costs of major disasters for each fiscal year and, in the case of it not achieving such goals, what is preventing it from doing so;
 
 any actions FEMA has identified as useful in improving upon and reaching those goals; and
 
 any administrative cost data for major disasters, if FEMA determines it is feasible to track such data. 


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2016-02-29
text: Became Public Law No: 114-132.
action_date: 2016-02-29
text: Became Public Law No: 114-132.
action_date: 2016-02-29
text: Signed by President.
action_date: 2016-02-29
text: Signed by President.
action_date: 2016-02-25
text: Presented to President.
action_date: 2016-02-25
text: Presented to President.
action_date: 2016-02-23
text: Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
action_date: 2016-02-23
text: On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill Agreed to by voice vote. (text: CR H823)
action_date: 2016-02-23
text: Passed/agreed to in House: On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill Agreed to by voice vote.(text: CR H823)
action_date: 2016-02-23
text: DEBATE - The House proceeded with forty minutes of debate on S. 2109.
action_date: 2016-02-23
text: Considered under suspension of the rules. (consideration: CR H823-824)
action_date: 2016-02-23
text: Mr. Katko moved to suspend the rules and pass the bill.
action_date: 2016-02-10
text: Referred to the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure.
action_date: 2016-02-10
text: Received in the House.
action_date: 2016-02-10
text: Message on Senate action sent to the House.
action_date: 2016-02-09
text: Passed Senate with an amendment by Unanimous Consent. (text: CR S756)
action_date: 2016-02-09
text: Passed/agreed to in Senate: Passed Senate with an amendment by Unanimous Consent.(text: CR S756)
action_date: 2016-02-09
text: The committee substitute as amended agreed to by Unanimous Consent. (text of committee substitute as amended: CR S755)
action_date: 2016-02-09
text: Measure laid before Senate by unanimous consent. (consideration: CR S755-756)
action_date: 2015-12-07
text: Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 313.
action_date: 2015-12-07
text: Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs. Reported by Senator Johnson with an amendment in the nature of a substitute. With written report No. 114-173.
action_date: 2015-12-07
text: Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs. Reported by Senator Johnson with an amendment in the nature of a substitute. With written report No. 114-173.
action_date: 2015-10-07
text: Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs. Ordered to be reported with an amendment in the nature of a substitute favorably.
action_date: 2015-09-30
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs.
action_date: 2015-09-30
text: Introduced in Senate

Enacted as: number: 114-132