,,ii #aaith ,,congress #b;d ,session ,s4 #djbb ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of ,,the ,,united ,,states ,march #e1 #bjbf ,mr4 ,budd 7for himself and ,mr4 ,warnock7 introduced the following bill2 which was read twice and referred to the ,committee on ,homeland ,security and ,governmental ,affairs ,a ,,bill ,to establish an interagency task force on expediting disaster relief funding1 and for other purposes4 #a4 ,short title ,this ,act may be cited as the ,disaster ,recovery ,improvement ,act4 #b4 ,findings2 sense of ,congress 7a7 ,findings ,congress finds the following3 7#a7 ,numerous programs administered by ,federal agencies1 while not dedicated exclusively to disaster recovery1 play a critical role in supporting and expediting recovery efforts4 7#b7 ,the delayed delivery of ,federal disaster relief funding to local communities in the wake of recent natural disasters1 including ,hurricane ,helene1 revealed new and longstanding bottlenecks in ,federal disaster response4 7#c7 ,state and local governments should have greater input in how the ,federal ,government administers disaster relief assistance and responsibility for responding to natural disasters4 7b7 ,sense of ,congress ,it is the sense of ,congress that ,federal agencies must incorporate recommendations from ,state and local governments to improve their disaster response capability4 #c4 ,disaster ,recovery ,improvement ,task ,force 7a7 ,establishment ,not later than #ij days after the date of enactment of this ,act1 the ,administrator of the ,federal ,emergency ,management ,agency shall establish an interagency task force on expediting disaster relief funding to be known as the ,disaster ,recovery ,improvement ,task ,force4 7b7 ,membership 7#a7 ,in general ,the interagency task force established under subsection 7a71 shall consist of-- 7,a7 a senior official from the ,federal ,emergency ,management ,agency1 appointed by the ,administrator of the ,federal ,emergency ,management ,agency1 to serve as chair2 7,b7 a senior official1 appointed by the head of the respective agency of the official1 experienced in handling disaster recovery matters from each of-- 7i7 the ,small ,business ,administration2 7ii7 the ,department of ,housing and ,urban ,development2 7iii7 the ,department of ,agriculture2 7iv7 the ,department of ,health and ,human ,services2 7v7 the ,department of ,labor2 7vi7 the ,department of ,transportation2 7vii7 the ,department of ,commerce2 7viii7 the ,department of the ,treasury2 7ix7 the ,department of the ,interior2 7x7 the ,environmental ,protection ,agency2 7xi7 the ,army ,corp of ,engineers2 and 7xii7 the ,office of ,management and ,budget2 7,c7 #d state governors1 jointly appointed by the ,chairs and ,ranking ,members of the ,committee on ,homeland ,security and ,governmental ,affairs of the ,senate and the ,committee on ,transportation and ,infrastructure of the ,house of ,representatives1 representing ,states that1 during the #c-year period immediately preceding appointment to the interagency task force1 have experienced a major disaster1 as defined in section #dja of the ,robert ,t4 ,stafford ,disaster ,relief and ,emergency ,assistance ,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #eagj71 of which-- 7i7 #a was a hurricane2 7ii7 #a was a wildfire2 7iii7 #a was a tornado2 and 7iv7 #a was an earthquake2 and 7,d7 #d county commissioners1 jointly appointed by the ,chairs and ,ranking ,members of the ,committee on ,homeland ,security and ,governmental ,affairs of the ,senate and the ,committee on ,transportation and ,infrastructure of the ,house of ,representatives1 representing a county in a ,state that1 during the #c-year period immediately preceding appointment to the interagency task force1 have experienced a major disaster1 as defined in section #dja of the ,robert ,t4 ,stafford ,disaster ,relief and ,emergency ,assistance ,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #eagj71 of which-- 7i7 #a was a hurricane2 7ii7 #a was a wildfire2 7iii7 #a was a tornado2 and 7iv7 #a was an earthquake4 7#b7 ,advisory members ,members of ,congress representing the ,committee on ,homeland ,security and ,governmental ,affairs of the ,senate and the ,committee on ,transportation and ,infrastructure of the ,house of ,representatives may serve on the interagency task force established under subsection 7a7 as advisory members in a non-voting capacity4 7c7 ,reports 7#a7 ,in general ,not later than #a year after the date of enactment of this ,act1 the interagency task force established under subsection 7a7 shall submit to the ,committee on ,homeland ,security and ,governmental ,affairs of the ,senate1 the ,committee on ,transportation and ,infrastructure of the ,house of ,representatives1 and the ,committee on ,homeland ,security of the ,house of ,representatives and make publicly available a report that-- 7,a7 identifies the programs1 including temporary programs1 for which ,congress appropriates funds to aid recovery purposes relating to the consequences of natural disasters2 7,b7 contains recommendations for ,federal agencies on the most effective way to expedite disaster relief efforts1 including recommendations to-- 7i7 streamline the establishment and administration of temporary programs2 7ii7 improve the timeliness1 accessibility1 and clarity of applications for funding2 and 7iii7 reduce delays in the review and obligation of funds with respect to applications received2 7,c7 identifies the different types of funding mechanisms for which ,congress provides appropriations to ,federal agencies for disaster relief1 including grants1 loans1 reimbursements1 and contract authority2 7,d7 contains recommendations to ,federal agencies and ,congress on the most effective way to expedite the expenditure of the funds identified under subparagraph 7,c7 toward disaster relief2 7,e7 contains recommendations for ,federal agencies and ,congress to strengthen ,state capacity to prepare for1 respond to1 and recover from natural disasters2 7,f7 identifies factors that cause delays in disaster relief program funding being made available or obligated1 including during transitions from one presidential administration to another presidential administration2 7,g7 includes recommendations on how outgoing and incoming ,presidential administrations can equip themselves to set up and deliver disaster relief aid without delay1 including an assessment of actions required of both outgoing and incoming ,presidential administrations to ensure continuity and uninterrupted delivery of disaster relief funding2 7,h7 evaluates barriers within ,federal agencies and across ,federal agencies that delay the obligation or expenditure of disaster relief funds and provides recommendations to address those barriers2 and 7,i7 assesses specific actions taken by ,federal agencies over time that have improved or hindered interagency coordination1 ,state and local engagement1 and the timely delivery of disaster relief funding4 7#b7 ,recommendations ,in making recommendations for the report under paragraph 7#a71 the interagency task force shall make recommendations for ways to expedite making available and obligating specific funding appropriated by ,congress to certain agencies1 including-- 7,a7 to the ,federal ,emergency ,management ,agency1 including with respect to ,public ,assistance funding under section #djf of the ,robert ,t4 ,stafford ,disaster ,relief and ,emergency ,assistance ,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #eagb7 and ,hazard ,mitigation ,grant ,program funding under section #djd of that ,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #eagj72 7,b7 to the ,department of ,housing and ,urban ,development1 including with respect to funding under the ,community ,development ,block ,grant ,disaster ,recovery program2 7,c7 to the ,department of ,agriculture1 including with respect to funding for necessary expenses relating to losses of revenue or quality or production of crops as a consequence of a major disaster1 as defined in section #djd of the ,robert ,t4 ,stafford ,disaster ,relief and ,emergency ,assistance ,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #eagj72 7,d7 to the ,department of ,agriculture1 including with respect to ,forest ,service operations1 forest and rangeland research1 state1 private1 and tribal forestry1 and ,national ,forest ,system funding for necessary expenses relating to the consequences of disaster relief2 7,e7 to the ,department of ,labor1 including with respect to ,disaster ,recovery ,dislocated ,worker ,grant funding under section #agj of the ,workforce ,innovation and ,opportunity ,act 7#bi ,u4,s4,c4 #cbbe72 7,f7 to the ,department of ,commerce1 including with respect to ,economic ,development ,administration funding under the ,public ,works and ,economic ,development ,act of #aife 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #caba et seq472 7,g7 to the ,department of the ,interior1 including with respect to ,national ,park ,service ,historic ,preservation ,fund and construction funding for necessary expenses relating to the consequences of disaster relief2 and 7,h7 to the ,environmental ,protection ,agency1 including with respect to ,clean ,water ,state ,revolving ,fund funding under title ,,vi of the ,federal ,water ,pollution ,control ,act 7#cc ,u4,s4,c4 #acha et seq474 7#c7 ,implementation report ,not later than #ahj days after the date on which the interagency task force submits the report under paragraph 7#a71 the interagency task force shall submit to the congressional committees described in that paragraph a report detailing-- 7,a7 which of the recommendations contained in the report under paragraph 7#a7 shall be implemented by ,federal agencies and why those recommendations in the report not being implemented are not selected for implementation2 7,b7 how the recommendations selected for implementation will be carried out2 and 7,c7 legislative recommendations for ,congress to support the recommendations selected for implementation4 7d7 ,no additional funding ,no additional funds are authorized to be appropriated to carry out this ,act4 7e7 ,termination ,the interagency task force established under subsection 7a7 shall terminate on the date that is #ij days after the date on which the interagency task force submits the report under subsection 7c77#c74