,i  #aaith ,,congress  #ast ,session    
,h4 ,r4 #eeja  ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of  
,,representatives  ,september #ah1      
#bjbe,ms4 ,velzquez introduced the      
following bill2 which was referred to   
the ,committee on ,natural ,resources   
,a ,,bill  ,to require a study on the   
critical data gaps experienced by       
,federal agencies providing grants for  
the recovery of ,puerto ,rico4  #a4     
,short title ,this ,act may be cited as 
the ,data ,improvement for ,puerto ,rico
 ,recovery ,act4  #b4 ,study required   
7a7 ,in general ,not later than #a year 
after the date of the enactment of this 
,act1 the ,comptroller ,general shall   
complete and submit to the appropriate  
congressional committees a report       
containing the results of a study on the
 specific data needs across             
grant-awarding agencies4 ,the report    
shall contain the following3  7#a7 ,a   
list of all grants provided by          
grant-awarding agencies to support      
,puerto ,rico's recovery from           

,hurricanes ,irma1 ,mara1 and ,fiona1   
the #bjbj earthquakes1 and the          
,,covid-#ai pandemic4 ,the list shall   
specify the grant type1 amount1 and the 
specific disaster or emergency to which 
it pertains4  7#b7 ,an assessment of    
statistical products that details the   
stages of the grant process at which    
statistical products were used1         
including--  7,a7 notice of funding     
opportunity2  7,b7 development2  7,c7   
application review2  7,d7 award         
selection2  7,e7 formulation of terms   
and conditions2 and  7,f7 technical     
assistance4  7#c7 ,an evaluation of the 
most critical data needs identified by  
grant-awarding agencies in managing     
disaster-related grants for ,puerto     
,rico1 including issues related to lack 
of data coverage1 disparities1 reporting
 delays1 and limitations in data        
reliability4  7#d7 ,a description of the
 extent to which the identified data    
gaps have impeded effective grant       
allocation1 management1 and evaluation  

for ,puerto ,rico1 including any        
specific examples where grant execution 
was hindered4  7#e7 ,where applicable1 a
 list of ,federal products that         
currently exclude ,puerto ,rico1 but    
which could improve grant processes if  
the ,puerto ,rico was included4 ,the    
grant-awarding agencies shall provide   
recommendations on integrating ,puerto  
,rico into such ,federal products to    
enhance grant allocation and oversight4 
7b7 ,access to prompt and complete      
information ,any ,federal official from 
whom the ,comptroller ,general seeks    
information for purposes of the report  
required by subsection 7a7 shall        
comprehensively respond to such request 
for information1 not later than #ij days
 after the receipt of that request4  7c7
 ,definitions ,in this ,act3 7#a7       
,appropriate congressional committees   
,the term appropriate congressional     
committees means--  7,a7 the ,committee 
on ,national ,resources of the ,house of
 ,representatives2 and  7,b7 the        

,committee on ,energy and ,natural      
,resources of the ,senate4  7#b7        
,grant-awarding agencies ,the term      
grant-awarding agencies means relevant  
agencies what have allocated1 obligated1
 or disbursed recovery funds for ,puerto
 ,rico4  7#c7 ,relevant agencies ,the   
term relevant agencies means the        
following3  7,a7 ,environmental         
,protection ,agency4  7,b7 ,federal     
,communications ,commission4  7,c7      
,federal ,emergency ,management ,agency4
  7,d7 ,general ,services               
,administration4  7,e7 ,national        
,science ,foundation4  7,f7 ,small      
,business ,administration4  7,g7 ,army  
,corps of ,engineers4  7,h7 ,department 
of ,agriculture4  7,i7 ,department of   
,commerce1 including the ,economic      
,development ,administration1 ,minority 
,business ,development ,agency4  7,j7   
,national ,telecommunications and       
,information ,administration4  7,k7     
,national ,institute of ,standards and  
,technology4  7,l7 ,international ,trade

 ,administration4  7,m7 ,national       
,oceanic and ,atmospheric               
,administration4  7,n7 ,department of   
,energy4  7,o7 ,department of ,health   
and ,human ,services4  7,p7 ,department 
of ,homeland ,security4  7,q7           
,department of ,housing and ,urban      
,development4  7,r7 ,department of      
,justice4  7,s7 ,department of ,labor4  
7,t7 ,department of the ,interior4  7,u7
 ,department of ,transportation4  7,v7  
,department of ,veterans ,affairs4  7#d7
 ,statistical products ,the term        
statistical products means ,federal     
statistical inputs1 estimates1 and      
products used by grant-awarding agencies
 to develop and manage grant funding4