H.R. 797: Disaster Assistance Recoupment Fairness Act of 2015

114th Congress · introduced 2015-02-05 · 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 2015-02-05 · official record
Who proposed it: Rep. Meeks, Gregory W. [D-NY-5] · 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

Disaster Assistance Recoupment Fairness Act of 2015

Plain summary

Disaster Assistance Recoupment Fairness Act of 2015 Authorizes the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to waive a debt owed to the United States related to federal assistance provided under the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act to individuals and households in relation to a major disaster declared by the President on or after January 1, 2011, if such assistance was distributed based on an error by FEMA, there was no fault on behalf of the debtor, and the collection of the debt would be against equity and good conscience, unless the debt that involves fraud, the presentation of a false claim, or misrepresentation by the debtor or any party having an interest in the claim. Requires FEMA, in determining whether to waive such a debt, to presume that the debtor should be required to make at least a partial payment if the adjusted gross income of the debtor's household for the last taxable year exceeds $100,000. Directs the Inspector General of the Department of Homeland Security: (1) to report, every six months, on the cost-effectiveness of FEMA's efforts to recoup improper payments of such assistance; (2) to monitor the distribution of such assistance to determine the amount distributed based on a FEMA error; and (3) upon determining that such amount exceeds 4% of the total amount distributed, to notify FEMA and publish the determination in the Federal Register. Cancels FEMA's authority to waive debt with respect to any major disaster declared by the President after the date of such a determination.

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

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What does this mean? (plain words)

Official text

Disaster Assistance Recoupment Fairness Act of 2015

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. Meeks, Gregory W. [D-NY-5] · 19 cosponsors

Cost estimate: No cost estimate published yet.

Cosponsors on this site

Jerrold Nadler (D-NY), Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-NJ), Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC), Bonnie Watson Coleman (D-NJ), Grace Meng (D-NY), Hakeem S. Jeffries (D-NY), Terri A. Sewell (D-AL), Frederica S. Wilson (D-FL), John B. Larson (D-CT)

Sponsor's campaign money: Rep. Meeks, Gregory W. [D-NY-5] reported raising $2.3 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 (2)

Federal Register: The official daily publication of the U.S. government for agency rules, proposed rules, public notices and presidential documents.
Securities: Financial investments that can be bought and sold, such as stocks and bonds.

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-114hr797.xml <https://www.govinfo.gov/bulkdata/BILLSTATUS/114/hr>

Record fed-us-cong114-hr797 · catalog fed-us-congress-bills-cong114 · updated 2026-11-15 by psicol fed-bills-cong114