Claudia Tenney
Rep. Claudia Tenney

FEMA Accountability, Modernization and Transparency Act of 2017 will Speed Up Disaster Recovery Process

Congresswoman Claudia Tenney (NY-22) announced that President Donald J. Trump signed the FEMA Accountability, Modernization and Transparency Act of 2017 into law. This measure will require FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Agency) to develop an online interface for applicants to complete their claims, submit supporting evidence and review the status of applications. Additionally, this measure will streamline and modernize information sharing between state, local and federal agencies to speed up the disaster recovery process.

As this summer’s flooding throughout upstate New York makes clear, there is much more that the federal government can do to improve how FEMA works for both residents and municipalities alike. The FEMA Accountability, Modernization and Transparency Act will begin to streamline and modernize the FEMA claims process while modernizing information sharing between state, local and federal agencies. It’s imperative that processes at FEMA are updated so those who are impacted by disasters can swiftly begin to rebuild their lives again,” said Congresswoman Claudia Tenney.

This bill passed the House on May 2, 2017 by a vote of 419-0. In July, Rep. Tenney wrote a letter calling on Senators Schumer and Gillibrand to lead the way in urging the Senate to pass the FEMA Accountability, Modernization and Transparency Act. The bill passed the Senate Nov. 13, 2017.

In the letter, Tenney noted  “Given the important impact they [H.R. 1665, H.R. 1679] would have for the constituents we both serve, I urge you to do all you can to bring them up for consideration.”

The full text of the letter can be found here: FEMA Legislation Letter to Senator Schumer and Senator Gillibrand.pdf

By martha

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