S. 3658: Achieving Racial and Ethnic Equity in Disaster Response, Recovery, and Resilience Act of 2020

116th Congress · introduced 2020-05-07 · Emergency Management · Latest: Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 619.

federal

Follow this bill, step by step

Where it came from: introduced 2020-05-07 · official record
Who proposed it: Sen. Peters, Gary C. [D-MI] · what a sponsor is
What happened next: no floor votes in our records yet. Why?
Where it stands now: Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 619. 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

Achieving Racial and Ethnic Equity in Disaster Response, Recovery, and Resilience Act of 2020

Plain summary

Achieving Racial and Ethnic Equity in Disaster Response, Recovery, and Resilience Act of 2020 This bill establishes the Office of Equal Rights and Community Inclusion (OERCI) within the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). The OERCI shall be responsible, among other things, for (1) improving underserved community access to disaster assistance and improving the quality of assistance such communities receive; and (2) eliminating racial, ethnic, and other underserved community disparities in the delivery of various preparedness, response, and recovery assistance. The bill defines underserved community to mean an historically disadvantaged community, including the Native American, African-American, Asian, Hispanic, Pacific Islander, Middle Eastern and North African, rural, low-income, and disability communities. FEMA shall (1) administer and evaluate its programs and activities, including those of recipients of preparedness, response, recovery, and mitigation grants, in a manner to affirmatively further inclusion and engagement of underserved communities and improved outcomes for underserved communities tied to FEMA programs and activities; and (2) establish an underserved community initiative to award grants to specified nonprofit entities. The OERCI shall develop measures to evaluate the effectiveness of the activities of program offices in FEMA and the activities of recipients aimed at reducing disparities in the services provided to underserved communities. During the period of time for which there is a major disaster or emergency declared by the President with respect to COVID-19 (i.e., coronavirus disease 2019), the OERCI shall regularly consult with state, local, territorial, and tribal government officials and community-based organizations from underserved communities that it identifies as disproportionately impacted by COVID-19.

Congressional Research Service summary (Reported to Senate), quoted unchanged (nonpartisan). Read the source.

What a vote does

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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.

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What does this mean? (plain words)

Official text

Achieving Racial and Ethnic Equity in Disaster Response, Recovery, and Resilience Act of 2020

Source: Congressional Research Service summary (Reported to Senate)

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

Officials and money

Sponsor: Sen. Peters, Gary C. [D-MI] · 2 cosponsors

Cost estimate: No cost estimate published yet.

Cosponsors on this site

Chris Van Hollen (D-MD)

Sponsor's campaign money: Sen. Peters, Gary C. [D-MI] reported raising $303,094 (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)

Ballot initiative: A proposed law or constitutional amendment that citizens place on the ballot by gathering enough voter signatures, so voters decide it directly. About half the states allow some form of it.
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 (Reported to Senate)
Congress.gov
Data: GovInfo BILLSTATUS bulk data (Library of Congress), BILLSTATUS-116s3658.xml <https://www.govinfo.gov/bulkdata/BILLSTATUS/116/s>

Record fed-us-cong116-s3658 · catalog fed-us-congress-bills-cong116 · updated 2026-11-15 by psicol fed-bills-cong116