Post-Disaster Assistance Online Accountability Act
Officially: “Post-Disaster Assistance Online Accountability Act” Read the full text
What it does
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1Short title
This section would let the Act be called the "Post-Disaster Assistance Online Accountability Act."
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1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Post-Disaster Assistance Online Accountability Act .
2Subpage for transparency of disaster assistance
This section would require the Director of the Office of Management and Budget, working with the Secretary of the Treasury and the head of each covered Federal agency, to set up a subpage on the website created under section 2 of the Federal Funding Accountability and Transparency Act of 2006 (31 U.S.C. 6101 note) to publish information about disaster assistance. Not later than 30 days after the end of each calendar quarter, each covered Federal agency that made disaster assistance available to an eligible recipient during that quarter would have to work with the Director of the Office of Management and Budget to post the required information on that subpage and to make sure any of the agency's data files are machine readable. For each quarter, the posted information about disaster assistance provided by that agency would have to include: the total amount of disaster assistance the agency provided during the quarter; the amount of that assistance that was expended or obligated to projects or activities; and a detailed list of every project or activity on which the disaster assistance was expended, obligated, or used, giving for each one the project or activity's name, a description of it, an evaluation of its completion status, any award identification number assigned to it, the Catalog for Disaster Assistance number assigned by the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the project's location including ZIP codes, and any reporting-requirement information the agency is collecting about its own disaster assistance. Each covered Federal agency, together with the Director of the Office of Management and Budget and the Secretary of the Treasury, would have to issue whatever guidance is needed to meet these requirements. The Director would also be allowed, if needed for transparency, to enter into an agreement with a private entity, including a nonprofit organization, to build the subpage.
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2. Subpage for transparency of disaster assistance (a) Establishment of repository for reporting requirements The Director of the Office of Management and Budget, in consultation with the Secretary of the Treasury and the head of each covered Federal agency, shall establish a subpage within the website established under section 2 of the Federal Funding Accountability and Transparency Act of 2006 ( 31 U.S.C. 6101 note) to publish the information required to be made available to the public under this section. (b) Submission of information by Federal agencies Not later than 30 days after the end of a calendar quarter, each covered Federal agency that made disaster assistance available to an eligible recipient during such quarter shall, in coordination with the Director of the Office of Management and Budget, make available to the public on the subpage established under subsection (a) the information described in subsection (c), and ensure that any data asset of the agency is machine readable. (c) Information required The information described in this subsection is, with respect to disaster assistance provided by the covered Federal agency— (1) the total amount of disaster assistance provided by the agency during such quarter; (2) the amount of disaster assistance provided by the agency that was expended or obligated to projects or activities; and (3) a detailed list of all projects or activities for which disaster assistance dispersed by the agency was expended, obligated, or used, including— (A) the name of the project or activity; (B) a description of the project or activity; (C) an evaluation of the completion status of the project or activity; (D) any award identification number assigned to the project; (E) the Catalog for Disaster Assistance number assigned by the Federal Emergency Management Agency; (F) the location of the project, including ZIP Codes; and (G) any reporting requirement information being collected by a covered Federal agency with respect to that agency’s disaster assistance. (d) Guidance Each covered Federal agency, in coordination with the Director of the Office of Management and Budget and the Secretary of the Treasury, shall issue such guidance as is necessary to meet the requirements of this Act. (e) Agreement with private entity The Director, if necessary for purposes of transparency, may enter into an agreement with a private entity, including a nonprofit organization, to develop the subpage required under this section.
3Definitions
This section would define the terms used in the Act. A "covered Federal agency" would mean any agency that provides assistance under the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5121 et seq.), the Small Business Administration, and the Department of Housing and Urban Development. "Disaster assistance" would mean any federal funds made available in response to a specified natural disaster, including Small Business Administration assistance provided for a disaster declared under section 7(b) of the Small Business Act (15 U.S.C. 636(b)); Department of Housing and Urban Development assistance for activities authorized under title I of the Housing and Community Development Act of 1974 (42 U.S.C. 5301 et seq.) that relate to disaster relief, long-term recovery, restoration of infrastructure and housing, and economic revitalization in the most impacted and distressed areas resulting from a major disaster declared under the Stafford Act, and for flood insurance coverage under the National Flood Insurance Program under the National Flood Insurance Act of 1968 (42 U.S.C. 4001 et seq.); and any assistance provided under the Stafford Act itself. An "eligible recipient" would mean any entity, other than an individual, that receives disaster assistance directly from the Federal Government, including through a grant, loan, or contract, and this term would also include a State that receives disaster assistance. A "specified natural disaster" would mean a fire on public or private forest land or grassland as described in section 420 of the Stafford Act (42 U.S.C. 5187), a major disaster declared by the President under section 401 of the Stafford Act (42 U.S.C. 5170), an emergency declared by the President under section 501 of the Stafford Act (42 U.S.C. 5191), or any other natural disaster for which the Federal Government makes a disaster declaration.
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3. Definitions In this Act, the following definitions apply: (1) Covered Federal agency The term covered Federal agency means— (A) any agency providing assistance under the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act ( 42 U.S.C. 5121 et seq. ); (B) the Small Business Administration; and (C) the Department of Housing and Urban Development. (2) Disaster assistance The term disaster assistance means any funds that are made available by the Federal Government in response to a specified natural disaster, including— (A) any assistance provided by the Administrator of the Small Business Administration as a result of a disaster declared under section 7(b) of the Small Business Act ( 15 U.S.C. 636(b) ); (B) any assistance provided by the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development for— (i) activities authorized under title I of the Housing and Community Development Act of 1974 ( 42 U.S.C. 5301 et seq. ) related to disaster relief, long-term recovery, restoration of infrastructure and housing, and economic revitalization in the most impacted and distressed areas resulting from a major disaster declared pursuant to the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act ( 42 U.S.C. 5121 et seq. ); and (ii) flood insurance coverage provided under the National Flood Insurance Program pursuant to the National Flood Insurance Act of 1968 ( 42 U.S.C. 4001 et seq. ); and (C) any assistance provided under the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act ( 42 U.S.C. 5121 et seq. ). (3) Eligible recipient The term eligible recipient — (A) means any entity that receives disaster assistance directly from the Federal Government (including disaster assistance received through grant, loan, or contract) other than an individual; and (B) includes a State that receives disaster assistance. (4) Specified natural disaster The term specified natural disaster means— (A) a fire on public or private forest land or grassland described in section 420 of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act ( 42 U.S.C. 5187 ); (B) a major disaster declared by the President under section 401 of such Act ( 42 U.S.C. 5170 ); (C) an emergency declared by the President under section 501 of such Act ( 42 U.S.C. 5191 ); and (D) any other natural disaster for which a disaster declaration is made by the Federal Government.
Where it is
In the House.