119th Congress Emergency Management
S. 861: Disaster Assistance Simplification Act
Passed Senate
- Introduced (completed)
- Passed Senate (completed)
- Passed House (not reached)
- To the President (not reached)
- Became law (not reached)
Summary
This bill directs the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to develop and establish a unified intake process and system for applicants for assistance provided by a disaster assistance agency.
The system must
- facilitate a consolidated application for any form of disaster assistance provided by a disaster assistance agency when appropriate to support the nature and purposes of the assistance;
- carry out the purposes of disaster assistance programs swiftly, efficiently, equitably, and in accordance with specified laws and privacy and data protections; and
- support the detection, prevention, and investigation of waste, fraud, abuse, or discrimination in the administration of disaster assistance programs.
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Further, the system must, among other things
- accept applications for disaster assistance programs;
- permit applicants to receive status updates on such applications;
- allow applicants to update disaster assistance information throughout their recovery journeys;
- permit the distribution of information on additional recovery resources to disaster survivors that may be available in a disaster-stricken jurisdiction in coordination with appropriate federal, state, local, and tribal partners; and
- permit disaster assistance agencies to communicate directly with disaster survivors.
Not later than 30 days after receiving a request from a disaster assistance agency to update questions in the consolidated application needed to administer the disaster assistance programs of the agency, FEMA must make those updates.
The bill requires reports and congressional briefings from FEMA, and a report from the Government Accountability Office, relating to the bill's implementation.
Written by the Congressional Research Service, Library of Congress.
Roll calls
No roll call votes have been held on this bill.
Amendments
No amendments were offered to this bill.
Cosponsors
- James Lankford R-OKOriginal
- Rand Paul R-KYOriginal
- Thom Tillis R-NCOriginal
- Joni Ernst R-IA
- Ted Budd R-NC
Who scored on this bill
- 1Gary Peters SponsorDrew cross-party cosponsors, introduced, reported, passed Senate4 events+56
- 2Ted BuddCosponsored; cosponsored bill passed2 events+4
- 2Joni ErnstCosponsored; cosponsored bill passed2 events+4
- 2James LankfordCosponsored; cosponsored bill passed2 events+4
- 2Rand PaulCosponsored; cosponsored bill passed2 events+4
See all scorers and every scoring event
Introductions and cosponsorships count toward weekly caps and show no points.
Other bills by Gary Peters
History
- Passed the Senate by unanimous consent.
- Introduced in the Senate by Gary Peters.
Show the full action history (10 actions)
- Message on Senate action sent to the House.
- Received in the House.
- Held at the desk.
- Passed/agreed to in Senate: Passed Senate without amendment by Unanimous Consent.
- Passed Senate without amendment by Unanimous Consent. (consideration: CR S8763-8764; text: CR S8763-8764)
- Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs. Reported by Senator Paul without amendment. Without written report.
- Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 264.
- Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs. Ordered to be reported without amendment favorably.
- Introduced in Senate
- Read twice and referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs.