Disaster Assistance Recoupment Fairness Act of 2017

Disaster Assistance Recoupment Fairness Act of 2017

This bill authorizes the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to waive a debt owed to the United States related to disaster assistance provided to an individual or household if:

• such assistance was distributed based on an error by FEMA,
• there was no fault on behalf of the debtor, and
• the collection of the debt would be against equity and good conscience.

The Inspector General of the Department of Homeland Security shall: (1) monitor federal disaster assistance to determine the percentage that is distributed based on a FEMA error; and (2) upon determining that such percentage exceeds 4% for any 12-month period, notify the FEMA Administrator and publish such determination. The waiver authority under this bill shall not apply to debts owed in relation to assistance provided for a disaster or emergency declared after the date such a determination is published.

Unless there is evidence of fraud, FEMA shall not initiate any action to recover: (1) disaster assistance for an individual or household later than three years after the last date the assistance was provided, or (2) amounts owed by an individual or household in relation to such assistance later than three years after the date the amounts were determined to be owed.