Referred to the Committee on Financial Services, and in addition to the Committee on Appropriations, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
H.R. 8291, the Reforming Disaster Recovery Act, establishes a Long-Term Disaster Recovery Fund to provide federal grants for housing, infrastructure, and community recovery following major disasters, with funding available through congressional appropriations and unused disaster-related transfers. The bill creates a dedicated Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Disaster Recovery Program that expands eligibility to states, local governments, tribes, and nonentitlement areas, requiring the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development to develop a funding formula within 30 days based on damage concentration and unmet needs across housing, infrastructure, and economic revitalization. At least 70 percent of grant funds must benefit low and moderate-income residents, with up to 30 percent reserved for disaster mitigation activities, while grantees must submit recovery plans within 90 days and complete spending within 6 years (with possible extensions to 10 years for mitigation activities). The bill includes strict requirements for fraud prevention, public reporting on fund allocation disaggregated by income and geography, and coordination among federal agencies including HUD, FEMA, and the Small Business Administration to prevent duplicate benefits and ensure comprehensive disaster relief. Administrative costs are capped at 10 percent of grants, with an additional 20 percent allowed for technical assistance and planning combined.
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