H.R. 4961: Federal Disaster Notification and Payment Protection Act of 2016

114th Congress · introduced 2016-04-15 · Emergency Management · Latest: Referred to the Subcommittee on Economic Development, Public Buildings and Emergency Management.

federal

Follow this bill, step by step

Where it came from: introduced 2016-04-15 · official record
Who proposed it: Rep. Gibson, Christopher P. [R-NY-19] · what a sponsor is
What happened next: no floor votes in our records yet. Why?
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.
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

Federal Disaster Notification and Payment Protection Act of 2016

Plain summary

Federal Disaster Notification and Payment Protection Act of 2016 This bill prohibits the use of federal funds to recoup a debt owed to the United States related to assistance provided to an individual or household under the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act with respect to a major disaster declared by the President on or after January 1, 2011, if: the assistance was distributed based on an error by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), the collection of the debt would be against equity and good conscience, and the debt is not the result of fraud or other fault of the debtor or any party having an interest in the assistance distributed. The Stafford Act is amended to require the President to establish a process to ensure that each individual and business that applies for a category of federal disaster assistance is provided written notice that describes: the various categories of federal disaster assistance that may be available, the impact that receiving or declining such assistance will have on eligibility for other categories of assistance, and repayment requirements or penalties that may apply if multiple categories of assistance are accepted. An individual or business that is not provided such notice may not be held responsible for any repayment requirement or penalty that would otherwise result from the receipt of such assistance.

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

Federal Disaster Notification and Payment Protection Act of 2016

Source: Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in House)

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

Officials and money

Sponsor: Rep. Gibson, Christopher P. [R-NY-19] · 5 cosponsors

Cost estimate: No cost estimate published yet.

Cosponsors on this site

Paul Tonko (D-NY)

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)

Bill: A proposed law. It becomes law only if it passes the legislature and is signed by the president or governor (or a veto is overridden).

Plain meanings written from linked sources. All words.

Sources

Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in House)
Congress.gov
Data: GovInfo BILLSTATUS bulk data (Library of Congress), BILLSTATUS-114hr4961.xml <https://www.govinfo.gov/bulkdata/BILLSTATUS/114/hr>

Record fed-us-cong114-hr4961 · catalog fed-us-congress-bills-cong114 · updated 2026-11-15 by psicol fed-bills-cong114