§657j Information Tracking and Follow-up System for Disaster Assistance

Summary

The Administrator must build and keep a single system to record every time agency staff talk with someone applying for disaster help. The system must note how they communicated, the date, which staff member it was, and a short summary of what was discussed. The Administrator must also make sure applicants get follow-up contact by phone, mail, or email at key points: when more information or documents are needed, when the agency decides to approve or deny the loan, and when the main contact person changes. Not later than 90 days after November 25, 2015, the Administrator must send a report to the Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship of the Senate and the Committee on Small Business of the House of Representatives about creating a web portal to check application status. The report must cover progress on the tracking system; recommendations and private-sector best practices for a portal; any costs and staff needs; whether the portal can protect data privacy and security; whether it will cut overlap, manage inquiry volume, and reduce paperwork; and any other information the Administrator finds necessary.