H.R. 152 · Passed House · Emergency Management

Federal Disaster Assistance Coordination Act

Sponsor: Mike Ezell (R-MS)

What it does

• Requires FEMA to study and plan how to make information collection from disaster assistance applicants and grantees less burdensome, duplicative, and time consuming.
• Requires a plan for regular collection and reporting of information on federal disaster assistance awarded.
• Requires FEMA, within two years, to convene a recurring working group on duplication in preliminary damage assessments, whether one agency should do them for all, and technologies such as drones to speed them.
• Requires a comprehensive report to Congress with a briefing, made public and posted on FEMA's website.

Official summary

Federal Disaster Assistance Coordination Act This bill requires the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to streamline disaster information collection, convene a working group on preliminary damage assessments, and provide a report to Congress. FEMA must (1) conduct a study and develop a plan under which the collection of information from disaster assistance applicants and grantees will be made less burdensome, duplicative, and time consuming for applicants and grantees; and (2) develop a plan for the regular collection and reporting of information on federal disaster assistance awarded. Additionally, not later than two years after enactment of the bill, FEMA must convene a working group on a regular basis to (1) identify potential areas of duplication or fragmentation in preliminary damage assessments after disaster declarations; (2) determine the applicability of having one federal agency make the assessments for all agencies; and (3) identify potential emerging technologies, such as unmanned aircraft systems (i.e., drones), to expedite the administration of preliminary damage assessments. FEMA must submit a comprehensive report on the plans for streamlining and…

Latest action

Jan 14, 2025: Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs.

Committee: Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs