S 1528 United States Senate · 118th Congress

Disaster Assistance Simplification Act

S 1528, the Disaster Assistance Simplification Act, creates a single unified application system for disaster survivors to access all federal disaster assistance programs (like housing aid, small business loans, and food benefits) through one online form instead of multiple separate applications. It streamlines data sharing between federal, state, tribal, and local agencies by waiving certain paperwork rules during disasters and requiring standardized data security and privacy protections for applicant information. The bill directly affects disaster survivors seeking aid, FEMA, and all federal agencies providing disaster assistance by reducing bureaucratic delays and duplicate paperwork. Key provisions include a 360-day deadline for FEMA to establish the system, automatic consent for data sharing via online applications, and mandatory security certifications to protect personal details.

Issues: ✓ Housing ✓ Technology

Sub-Topics: Consumer Data Protection Tags: Emergency Management

Bill status passed 3 of 5 stages cleared

Introduction

May 2023

Committee Review

Jul 2023

Senate Passage

Jul 2023

House Passage

President

Introduced May 10, 2023 Last action Aug 4, 2023

Maddy AI version diff · 1 comparison

What changed between versions

Introduced in Senate → Engrossed in Senate · 4 edits · Jul 27, 2023

MODERATE

The Engrossed version makes several substantive changes: it replaces 'Indian Tribes' with 'Indian tribal governments' throughout, expands data handling authority to explicitly include 'use' of disaster assistance information (not just collection, maintenance, and disclosure), and adds a new paragraph clarifying that the Act does not authorize any program not already authorized by law. These changes tighten legal precision around tribal sovereignty language and broaden the scope of permissible data actions while adding a guardrail against unintended program creation.

DEFINITION

Replaced 'Indian Tribes' with 'Indian tribal governments' in multiple definitions and references, shifting the legal reference from tribes as entities to their governmental structures specifically.

SCOPE

Added new paragraph (4) stating that nothing in the section authorizes a program not already authorized by law as of the date of enactment, serving as a clarification that the Act streamlines existing programs rather than creating new ones.

REQUIREMENT

Expanded data handling language throughout from 'collected, maintained, and disclosed' to 'collected, maintained, disclosed, and used,' explicitly authorizing the use of disaster assistance information in addition to its collection, maintenance, and disclosure.

TECHNICAL

Changed 'Findings and purpose' to 'Findings and purposes' and 'Purpose' to 'Purposes' (plural), fixed word order from 'unified intake and process system' to 'unified intake process and system,' added a comma in paragraph (D), and added 'Indian' before 'tribal governments' in the consultation requirement.

Floor votes

How they voted

This bill passed the Senate by voice vote (no roll call recorded).

Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions

Key actions

Committee

Jul 27, 2023

Upper · Passed

Passed Senate with amendments by Unanimous Consent. (text: CR S3841-3843)

upper

Jul 27, 2023

Upper · Passed

Passed/agreed to in Senate: Passed Senate with amendments by Unanimous Consent.(text: CR S3841-3843)

upper

Jul 27, 2023

Upper · Passed

The committee amendments agreed to by Unanimous Consent.

upper

Jun 13, 2023

Upper · Passed

Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs. Reported by Senator Peters with amendments. With written report No. 118-39.

upper

May 17, 2023

Upper · Passed

Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs. Ordered to be reported without amendment favorably.

upper

May 10, 2023

Committee

Read twice and referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs.

upper

May 10, 2023

Introduced

Introduced in Senate

upper

1 primary · 3 co-sponsors