Federal Disaster Assistance Coordination Act

This bill would require the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to develop plans to make the collection of information from disaster assistance applicants less burdensome and more efficient. The agency would also be required to convene a working group to identify ways to reduce duplication in damage assessments, including the potential use of technologies like drones to speed up the process. Additionally, FEMA would have to submit a report to Congress regarding these streamlining efforts and make the findings available to the public.

The bill primarily affects the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and other federal agencies involved in conducting preliminary damage assessments after disaster declarations. It also impacts disaster assistance applicants and grantees, who are expected to benefit from streamlined and less burdensome information collection processes. Additionally, the legislation involves a working group tasked with evaluating the use of emerging technologies, such as unmanned aircraft systems, in the disaster assessment process.

• Streamlining disaster assistance information collection. FEMA is required to conduct a study and develop a plan to make the collection of information from disaster assistance applicants and grantees less burdensome and duplicative. The agency must also create a plan for the regular collection and reporting of data regarding awarded federal disaster assistance.
• Establishment of a preliminary damage assessment working group. FEMA must convene a working group to identify areas of duplication in damage assessments and determine if a single federal agency should conduct these assessments for all departments. The group will also explore using emerging technologies, such as drones, to expedite the assessment process.
• Congressional reporting and public disclosure requirements. FEMA is directed to submit a comprehensive report to Congress detailing its plans for information streamlining and the findings of the working group. This report must be accompanied by a briefing and made available to the public on the agency's website.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is required to convene a working group on preliminary damage assessments no later than two years after the bill's enactment.

The bill modifies the administrative procedures of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) by requiring the agency to streamline existing information collection processes for disaster assistance applicants and grantees. It also mandates a review of interagency coordination regarding preliminary damage assessments to reduce duplication among federal agencies.

The bill aims to streamline the federal disaster assistance process by reducing the administrative burden on applicants and improving the coordination of preliminary damage assessments. It seeks to identify ways to eliminate duplicative information collection and explore the use of emerging technologies to expedite the delivery of aid.