House Committee Advances Disaster Recovery Act

The House Financial Services Committee recently voted unanimously to approve H.R. 3702, the “Reforming Disaster Recovery Act of 2019.” Representative Al Green (D-TX-9) is the bill's sponsor, and Representative Ann Wagner (R-MO-2) is an original co-sponsor. H.R. 3702 will now go to the full House for a vote.

The final bill intends to strengthen administration and oversight of the CDBG-DR Program to ensure that disaster recovery funds are distributed efficiently and equitably. In addition to codifying CDBG-DR in statute, H.R. 3702 includes provisions that:

• Direct HUD to issue regulations for the CBDG-DR Program;
• Prioritize funds for low- and moderate-income disaster survivors;
• Create a significant set-aside for disaster mitigation activities;
• Ensure that investments result in infrastructure and communities resilient to future disasters;
• Set reasonable timelines for allocation, action plans, and grant agreements;
• Promote interagency coordination and data sharing between HUD, FEMA, and the SBA;
• Create a capacity building and technical assistance set-aside for grantees; and
• Direct HUD to issue a compilation of best practices and model language for action plans.