H.R. 152 — Federal Disaster Assistance Coordination Act

This section revises Section 1223 of the Disaster Recovery Reform Act of 2018 (enacted as part of the FAA Reauthorization Act of 2018) to direct the FEMA Administrator, not later than two years after enactment, to (1) conduct a study and develop a plan, in coordination with specified agencies including the Small Business Administration and Department of Housing and Urban Development, to streamline and consolidate information collection from disaster assistance applicants and grantees; and (2) develop a plan for regular collection, reporting, and public presentation via website of information on federal disaster assistance awarded. The revision further requires the Administrator, in consultation with the Council of the Inspectors General on Integrity and Efficiency, to convene a regular working group with specified agencies to identify duplication in preliminary damage assessments (PDAs)—used to support disaster declarations under the Stafford Act (42 U.S.C. 5121 et seq.)—evaluate single-agency assessments, and identify technologies such as unmanned aircraft systems to expedite PDAs. Finally, the revision directs submission of a comprehensive report on these plans and findings to specified congressional committees, public posting of the report on the FEMA website in accessible formats, use of available information sources, and briefings upon request not later than 180 days after report submission; it also makes a conforming change to the table of contents.