House · HR 153 · 119th Congress
Post-Disaster Assistance Online Accountability Act
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Summary
This bill creates a public website page where federal agencies must post details about disaster aid they give out. Agencies like FEMA, the Small Business Administration, and Housing and Urban Development must update this page every three months. It covers aid given after floods, fires, and other declared disasters.
In Favor
Right now, disaster aid spending is scattered across many agencies and hard to track. This bill puts all that information in one public place, so citizens can see where money goes after a disaster. Better tracking helps catch waste and makes sure aid reaches the people who need it most.
Against
Agencies must gather and post detailed aid data within 30 days after each quarter ends. That is a tight deadline that could strain staff and budgets at smaller agencies already busy with disaster response. Reporting costs money, and those resources could instead go directly toward helping disaster victims.
Additional Considerations
Purpose & Problem
Is the problem real and worth federal action?
This bill creates a public website section where federal agencies must post details about disaster aid they give out each quarter. It targets the problem of scattered or hard-to-find records about how federal disaster money is spent.
Scope & Related Provisions
Does it stay focused, or carry unrelated add-ons?
The provisions stay on topic. All sections focus on reporting, data format, and coordination rules tied directly to the bill's goal of making disaster aid information public.
Who Is Affected
Who benefits, and who bears the cost?
Federal agencies, including FEMA programs, the Small Business Administration, and the Department of Housing and Urban Development, must gather and post data. States, nonprofits, and businesses that receive disaster aid are covered by the reporting, but individual people are not.
Cost & Funding
Is it affordable and responsibly funded?
The bill authorizes the Office of Management and Budget to contract with a private or nonprofit group to build the website if needed. The bill does not include a specific dollar amount authorized or appropriated, and no CBO cost estimate appears in the sources. The main cost structure involves agency staff time to compile, format, and post quarterly data.
Risks & Implementation
What could go wrong in practice?
Each covered agency must post detailed, machine-readable data within 30 days after each quarter ends. Coordinating across multiple agencies on a shared format and timeline could create delays or gaps in the public record.
For the actual bill text, see congress.gov.
AI-generated · Published 7/24/2026