HUD Disaster Information Improvement Act

This bill proposes a memorandum of understanding among executive agencies to share disaster relief data. The Constitution vests in Congress the power to make all laws necessary and proper for carrying into execution the powers vested in the federal government (Article I, Section 8, Clause 18). Disaster relief falls within the general welfare and commerce powers, and the coordination of federal agencies to efficiently administer such relief is a legitimate exercise of legislative authority. The bill does not infringe upon the separation of powers, as it merely directs executive officers to coop…

This bill proposes a memorandum of understanding among federal agencies to share disaster relief data. While the Constitution grants Congress power to provide for the general welfare and to regulate commerce among the states, the Tenth Amendment reserves to the states or the people all powers not delegated to the United States. Disaster relief is a matter of local concern, and federal involvement must be strictly limited to interstate commerce or national emergencies. The bill is constitutional only if it does not infringe upon state sovereignty or individual privacy rights, and if the data sh…

The proposed interagency coordination for disaster relief data falls within the enumerated powers of the general government, particularly the power to provide for the common defense and general welfare and to regulate commerce among the several states. Disaster relief often crosses state lines and requires a uniform, efficient federal response, which this memorandum of understanding would facilitate without expanding the jurisdiction of the federal government beyond its proper sphere. So long as the sharing of information is confined to lawful purposes and respects the rights of citizens, such…

This bill is a constitutional exercise of Congress's enumerated powers. The authority to direct the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development and the Administrators of FEMA and the SBA to enter into a memorandum of understanding for sharing disaster relief data is a necessary and proper means to execute the powers vested in the federal government, including the power to provide for the general welfare and to regulate interstate commerce, both of which are implicated in national disaster response. The coordination of federal agencies to avoid duplication and ensure efficient use of resources i…