[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 1245 Introduced in House (IH)]
<DOC>
119th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 1245
To improve individual assistance provided by the Federal Emergency
Management Agency, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
February 12, 2025
Mr. Edwards (for himself, Ms. Titus, Mr. Carter of Louisiana, Ms.
Tokuda, Mr. Sherman, and Mr. Neguse) introduced the following bill;
which was referred to the Committee on Transportation and
Infrastructure, and in addition to the Committees on Financial
Services, and Small Business, for a period to be subsequently
determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such
provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To improve individual assistance provided by the Federal Emergency
Management Agency, 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; TABLE OF CONTENTS.
(a) Short Title.--This Act may be cited as the ``Disaster Survivors
Fairness Act of 2025''.
(b) Table of Contents.--The table of contents for this Act is as
follows:
Sec. 1. Short title; table of contents.
Sec. 2. Information sharing for federal agencies.
Sec. 3. Universal application for individual assistance.
Sec. 4. Repair and rebuilding.
Sec. 5. Direct assistance.
Sec. 6. State-managed housing pilot authority.
Sec. 7. Management costs.
Sec. 8. Funding for online guides for post-disaster assistance.
Sec. 9. Individual assistance dashboard.
Sec. 10. FEMA reports.
Sec. 11. Sheltering of emergency response personnel.
Sec. 12. Improved rental assistance.
Sec. 13. GAO report on preliminary damage assessments.
Sec. 14. Applicability.
Sec. 15. GAO report to Congress on challenges under public assistance
alternative procedures.
(c) Definitions.--Except as otherwise provided, the terms used in
this Act 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).
SEC. 2. INFORMATION SHARING FOR FEDERAL AGENCIES.
(a) Establishment of Unified Disaster Application System.--
(1) In general.--The Administrator of the Federal Emergency
Management Agency shall establish and maintain a web-based
interagency electronic information sharing system, to be known
as the ``unified disaster application system'', to--
(A) facilitate the administration of the universal
application for direct Federal disaster assistance
established under section 3;
(B) carry out the purposes of disaster assistance
programs swiftly, efficiently, and in accordance with
applicable laws, regulations, and the privacy and data
protections provided under this section; and
(C) support the detection, prevention, and
investigation of waste, fraud, abuse, or discrimination
in the administration of disaster assistance programs.
(2) Authorities of administrator.--In establishing and
maintaining the unified disaster application system under this
subsection, the Administrator may collect and maintain disaster
assistance information received from a disaster assistance
agency, a block grant recipient, or an applicant for a disaster
assistance program and share such information with any other
disaster assistance agency or block grant recipient using such
system.
(3) Requirements.--The Administrator shall ensure that the
unified disaster application system established and maintained
under this subsection--
(A) allows an applicant to receive status updates
on an application for disaster assistance programs
submitted though such system;
(B) allows for applicants to update disaster
assistance information throughout the recovery journeys
of such applicants in accordance with established
application timeframes;
(C) allows for the distribution to applicants of
information about additional recovery resources that
may be available in a disaster stricken area;
(D) provides an applicant with information and
documentation relating to an application for a disaster
assistance program submitted by such applicant; and
(E) contains any other capabilities determined
necessary by the head of a disaster assistance agency.
(b) Data Security.--The Administrator may facilitate the collection
of disaster assistance information into the unified disaster
application system established under subsection (a) only after the
following requirements have been met:
(1) The Administrator certifies that the unified disaster
application system substantially complies with the data
security standards and best practices established pursuant to
subchapter II of chapter 35 of title 44, United States Code,
and any other applicable Federal information security policy.
(2) The Secretary of Homeland Security publishes a privacy
impact assessment for the unified disaster application system,
in accordance with section 208(b)(1)(B) of the E-Government Act
of 2002 (44 U.S.C. 3501 note).
(3) The Administrator, after consulting with disaster
assistance agencies, publishes standard rules of behavior for
disaster assistance agencies, block grant recipients, and
personnel granted access to disaster assistance information to
protect such information from improper disclosure.
(c) Collection and Sharing of Additional Records and Information.--
(1) In general.--The Administrator may authorize the
additional collection, maintenance, sharing, and use of
disaster assistance information by publishing a notice on the
unified disaster application system established under
subsection (a) that includes a detailed description of--
(A) the specific amendments to the collection,
maintenance, and sharing of disaster assistance
information authorized;
(B) why each such amendment to how disaster
assistance information is collected, maintained, or
shared is necessary to carry out the purposes of a
disaster assistance program and consistent with the
fair information practice principles; and
(C) the disaster assistance agencies and block
grant recipients that will be granted access to the
additional information to carry out the purposes of any
disaster assistance program.
(2) Notice and publication requirements.--The publication
of a notice under paragraph (1) of a revision to the unified
disaster application system of records prior to any new
collection, or uses, of Privacy Act categories of records, to
carry out the purposes of a disaster assistance program with
regard to a disaster declared by the President under section
401 or 501 of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and
Emergency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5170; 5191), shall be
deemed to satisfy the notice and publication requirements of
section 552a(e)(4) of title 5, United States Code, for the
entire period of performance for any assistance provided under
a disaster assistance program.
(3) Waiver of information collection requirements.--
(A) In general.--Upon the declaration of a major
disaster or emergency pursuant to sections 401 or 501
of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency
Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5170; 5191) by the President,
the Administrator may waive the requirements of
subchapter I of chapter 35 of title 44, United States
Code, with respect to voluntary collection of
information for the entire period of performance for
any assistance provided under a disaster assistance
program.
(B) Transparency.--Upon exercising the waiver
authority under subparagraph (A), the Administrator
shall--
(i) promptly post on a website of the
Federal Emergency Management Agency a brief
justification for such waiver, the anticipated
period of time such waiver will be in effect,
and the disaster assistance offices within the
Federal Emergency Management Agency to which
such waiver shall apply; and
(ii) update the information relating to
such waiver, as applicable.
(4) GAO review of waiver of information collection
requirements.--
(A) In general.--Not later than 1 year after the
date of enactment of this Act, the Comptroller General
of the United States shall issue a report describing
the benefits and potential risks associated with
authorizing the waiver of the information collection
requirements described in paragraph (3).
(B) Contents.--The report required under
subparagraph (A) shall include an assessment of the
extent to which a waiver described in paragraph (3)
would--
(i) affect the paperwork burden for
individuals, small businesses, State, local and
tribal governments, and other persons;
(ii) affect the consistent application of
Federal laws relating to--
(I) privacy and confidentiality;
(II) security of information; and
(III) access to information; and
(iii) encourage or deter a State or other
entity from participating in the voluntary
collection of information for the duration of a
major disaster or emergency.
(d) Use by Other Federal Agencies.--
(1) In general.--The Administrator may permit a Federal
agency other than a disaster assistance agency listed in
subparagraphs (A) through (D) of subsection (f)(3) to use the
unified disaster application system established under
subsection (a) for the purpose of facilitating disaster-related
assistance if such agency enters into an agreement containing
the terms described in paragraph (2).
(2) Agency agreement.--An agreement entered into under
paragraph (1) shall contain the following terms:
(A) The Federal agency shall--
(i) collect, share, maintain, and use
disaster assistance information in compliance
with this section and any policies of the
Federal Emergency Management Agency and any
information protection and use policies of such
Federal agency; and
(ii) train any personnel granted access to
disaster assistance information on the rules of
behavior established by the Administrator under
subsection (b)(3).
(B) In the event of any unauthorized disclosure of
disaster assistance information, the Federal agency
shall--
(i) notify the Administrator within 24
hours of discovering any such unauthorized
disclosure;
(ii) cooperate fully with the Administrator
in the investigation and remediation of any
such disclosure;
(iii) cooperate fully in the prosecution of
a person responsible for such disclosure; and
(iv) assume the responsibility for any
compensation, civil liability, or other
remediation measures, whether awarded by a
judgment of a court or agreed as a compromise
of any potential claims by or on behalf of an
applicant, including by obtaining credit
monitoring and remediation services, for an
improper disclosure that is--
(I) caused, directly or indirectly,
by the acts or omissions of officers,
employees, and contractors of the
agency; or
(II) from any electronic system of
records that is created or maintained
by the agency pursuant to section
552a(e) of title 5, United States Code.
(3) Publication of agency agreement.--The Administrator
shall publish an agency agreement entered into under this
subsection on the same website as the unified disaster
application system established under subsection (a).
(e) Rule of Construction.--The sharing and use of disaster
assistance information that is subject to the requirements of section
552a of title 5, United States Code, by disaster assistance agencies
and block grant recipients--
(1) shall not be--
(A) construed as a matching program for purposes of
section 552a(a)(8) of such title; or
(B) subject to the remaining computer matching
provisions of section 552a of such title; and
(2) shall be in addition to any other law providing for the
sharing or use of such information.
(f) Definitions.--In this section:
(1) Applicant.--The term ``applicant'' means--
(A) a person who applies for disaster assistance
from a disaster assistance program; and
(B) a person on whose behalf a person described in
subparagraph (A) has applied for disaster assistance.
(2) Block grant recipient.--The term ``block grant
recipient'' means a State, local government, or Indian Tribe
that receives assistance through the disaster assistance
program described in paragraph (5)(B)(i).
(3) Disaster assistance agency.--The term ``disaster
assistance agency'' means--
(A) the Federal Emergency Management Agency;
(B) the Department of Housing and Urban
Development;
(C) the Small Business Administration;
(D) the Department of Agriculture; and
(E) any other Federal agency that the Administrator
permits to use the unified disaster application system
under subsection (d).
(4) Disaster assistance information.--The term ``disaster
assistance information'' includes any personal, demographic,
biographical, geographical, financial information, or other
information that a disaster assistance agency or block grant
recipient is authorized to collect, maintain, share, or use to
process an application for disaster assistance or otherwise
carry out a disaster assistance program.
(5) Disaster assistance program.--The term ``disaster
assistance program'' means--
(A) any program that provides assistance to
individuals and households under title IV or title V of
the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency
Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5170 et seq.); or
(B) any other assistance program carried out by a
disaster assistance agency that provides assistance to
an individual, household, or organization related to a
major disaster or emergency declared under sections 401
or 501 of such Act, including--
(i) assistance for activities related to
disaster relief, long-term recovery,
restoration of infrastructure and housing,
economic revitalization, and mitigation that
are authorized under title I of the Housing and
Community Development Act of 1974 (42 U.S.C.
5301 et seq.);
(ii) any loan that is authorized under
section 7(b) of the Small Business Act (15
U.S.C. 636(b)); and
(iii) the distribution of food benefit
allotments as authorized under section 412 of
the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and
Emergency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5179) and
section 5(h) of the Food Stamp Act of 1977 (7
U.S.C. 2014(h)).
SEC. 3. UNIVERSAL APPLICATION FOR INDIVIDUAL ASSISTANCE.
(a) Universal Application.--The Administrator of the Federal
Emergency Management Agency shall develop and establish a universal
application for direct Federal disaster assistance for individuals in
areas impacted by emergencies or disasters.
(b) Consultation and Support.--
(1) Consultation.--In carrying out this section, the
Administrator shall consult with the following:
(A) The Director of the Office of Management and
Budget.
(B) The Administrator of the Small Business
Administration.
(C) The Secretary of Housing and Urban Development.
(D) The Secretary of Agriculture.
(2) Support.--The entities described in paragraph (1) shall
provide prompt support to the Administrator.
(c) Survey.--The application established under subsection (a) shall
include a voluntary survey to collect the demographic data of an
applicant.
(d) GAO Assessment on Identity Theft and Disaster Fraud in Disaster
Assistance Programs.--Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment
of this Act, the Comptroller General of the United States shall--
(1) conduct an assess