The Disaster Recovery Efficiency Act

This bill tells FEMA and the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to carry out the top recommendations from the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) to improve how the federal government handles disaster recovery. The required changes come from a November 15, 2022 GAO report called “Disaster Recovery: Actions Needed to Improve the Federal Approach” (GAO–23–104956).

• Who is affected: People and communities hit by disasters, plus FEMA and HUD staff who run recovery programs.
• What changes: FEMA and HUD must put GAO’s priority recommendations into action to improve the federal approach to disaster recovery.
• When: The bill requires action but does not set a specific deadline in the text provided.