Hernández Rivera co-sponsors bill to expedite emergency disbursals

Resident Commissioner Pablo José Hernández Rivera

By THE STAR STAFF

Resident Commissioner Pablo José Hernández Rivera introduced a bill Wednesday to expedite disbursements from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), with deadlines, reporting requirements and congressional oversight, in response to delays following disasters.

“Too often, the money gets stuck in bureaucratic processes; when a disaster occurs, aid must move as quickly as the need,” Hernández Rivera said in a written statement.

The measure, introduced with Reps. Tim Kennedy (D-N.Y.) and Greg Stanton (D-Ariz.), directs the FEMA administrator to expedite payments to recipients, require timely reports from those receiving funds, and submit annual summaries to Congress. For context, the Office of the Inspector General for the Department of Homeland Security recently concluded that the reconstruction of Puerto Rico’s power grid following Hurricane Maria remains delayed: with 92%of projects still incomplete as of February, and billions of dollars in funding for permanent repairs still unreleased.

“After a tragedy, families, small businesses, and entire communities rely on swift assistance from the Federal Emergency Management Agency to recover and rebuild,” Kennedy said in a written statement. “Delays only add to the hardship. I am proud to support this legislation to ensure that aid is delivered efficiently and quickly.”

The bill also requires retroactive reporting on disbursements for past disasters that are still pending; annual reports on disbursement timelines for new events; and an annual summary report to Congress detailing disbursement data, to identify delays and best practices.