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H.R. 57: Disaster Recovery Improvement Act

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H.R. 57: Disaster Recovery Improvement Act

112th Congress · introduced 2011-01-05 · Emergency Management · Latest: Referred to the Subcommittee on Economic Development, Public Buildings and Emergency Management.

federal

Follow this bill, step by step

  1. Where it came from: introduced 2011-01-05 · official record
  2. Who proposed it: Rep. Scalise, Steve [R-LA-1] · what a sponsor is
  3. What happened next: no floor votes in our records yet. Why?
  4. Where it stands now: Referred to the Subcommittee on Economic Development, Public Buildings and Emergency Management. Not final yet: this can still change. We check for updates every day.
  5. If it becomes law and spends money: follow the money to money laws, then agencies and contracts and grants.

What does this mean?

Official title

Disaster Recovery Improvement Act

Plain summary

Disaster Recovery Improvement Act - Directs the President to issue and begin to implement regulations required by the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (Stafford Act) regarding the repair, restoration, reconstruction, and replacement of public facilities damaged or destroyed by a major disaster to provide for cost estimation procedures that expedite recovery and to reduce the costs and time for completion of recovery projects through the creation of financial and performance incentives. Amends such Act to require a decision regarding an appeal of any decision regarding eligibility for, or the amount of, federal disaster assistance to be rendered within 60 (currently, 90) days after the designated federal official receives notice of the appeal. Requires: (1) the federal official to provide a written explanation to the applicant of a failure to satisfy that requirement, and (2) the President to transmit quarterly reports on such failures. Directs the Administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), in cooperation with representatives of state and local emergency management agencies, to review, update, and revise through rulemaking the factors considered when evaluating a governor's request for a major disaster declaration to measure the severity, magnitude, and impact of a disaster, in order to provide more objective criteria for evaluating the need for assistance to individuals and to speed such declaration. Authorizes the President, in any emergency, to provide assistance for rescue, care, shelter, and essential needs to individuals with household pets and service animals and to such pets and animals.

Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in House), quoted unchanged (nonpartisan). Read the source.

What a vote does

A “Yea” vote

If it passes both chambers and is signed, it becomes law.

A “Nay” vote

If it is not passed, current law stays as it is.

PSI Sci description of the legislative step (not an opinion).

What does this mean? (plain words)

Official text

Disaster Recovery Improvement Act

Source: Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in House)

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The strongest published arguments

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Alternatives

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How did my representative vote? · This bill's floor votes

Officials and money

Sponsor: Rep. Scalise, Steve [R-LA-1] · 5 cosponsors

Cost estimate: No cost estimate published yet.

Cosponsors on this site

Bill Cassidy (R-LA)

Sponsor's campaign money: Rep. Scalise, Steve [R-LA-1] reported raising $11.2 million (2025–2026). Details. Shown for context only; it does not mean any donor supported this bill.

No linked floor roll calls in our collected records yet. This does not mean the bill has never had a vote. Check the official bill history.

Words on this page, explained (1)
Rulemaking
The process agencies use to write regulations that carry out laws passed by Congress or a legislature. Usually an agency publishes a proposed rule, takes public comments, then publishes a final rule.

Plain meanings written from linked sources. All words.

Sources

Record fed-us-cong112-hr57 · catalog fed-us-congress-bills-cong112 · updated 2026-11-15 by psicol fed-bills-cong112