H.R. 2016 would extend the deadline for the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to complete certain activities required under the Disaster Recovery Reform Act. The bill also would require FEMA to convene a working group with other federal agencies to improve the preliminary damage assessment process following disasters. Specifically, the bill would direct the working group to identify potential areas of duplication, determine the feasibility of having one federal agency make damage assessments for all agencies, and identify new areas for the use of technology. The bill would require the working group to report to the Congress and make that report available on FEMA’s website.
Using information from FEMA about the cost of similar reports, CBO estimates that implementing the additional requirements in the bill would cost less than $500,000 over the 2021-2026 period.
