---
kind: "section"
citation: "42 U.S.C. § 5161a"
title: "42"
title_heading: "The Public Health and Welfare"
number: "5161a"
heading: "Audit of contracts"
release: "119-102"
date: "2026-07-12"
url: "https://uscodex.org/usc/42/5161a"
units:
  - "Chapter 68 — Disaster Relief"
  - "Subchapter III — Major Disaster and Emergency Assistance Administration"
---

# §5161a. Audit of contracts


Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the [Administrator](/usc/42/5195a.md?p=a-7) of the Federal [Emergency](/usc/42/5122.md?p=1) Management [Agency](/usc/42/8262.md?p=1) shall not reimburse a [State](/usc/42/5122.md?p=4) or [local government](/usc/42/5122.md?p=8), an [Indian tribal government](/usc/42/5122.md?p=6) (as defined in [section 5122 of this title](/usc/42/5122.md)), or the [owner](/usc/42/13641.md?p=4) or operator of a [private nonprofit facility](/usc/42/5122.md?p=11-A) (as defined in [section 5122 of this title](/usc/42/5122.md)) for any activities made pursuant to a contract entered into after August 1, 2017, that prohibits the [Administrator](/usc/42/5195a.md?p=a-7) or the Comptroller General of the [United States](/usc/42/5122.md?p=3) from auditing or otherwise reviewing all aspects relating to the contract.


## Source credit

(Pub. L. 115–254, div. D, § 1225, Oct. 5, 2018, 132 Stat. 3458.)

## Notes

### Editorial Notes

### Codification

Section was enacted as part of the Disaster Recovery Reform Act of 2018 and as part of the FAA Reauthorization Act of 2018, and not as part of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act which comprises this chapter.

### Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

### Effective Date

Authorities provided under div. D of Pub. L. 115–254, which enacted this section, applicable to each major disaster and emergency declared by the President under Pub. L. 93–288 on or after Jan. 1, 2016, except as otherwise provided, see section 1202(b) of Pub. L. 115–254, set out in an Effective Date of 2018 Amendment note under section 5121 of this title.

### Definitions

For definitions of “Administrator” and “State” as used in this section, see section 1203 of Pub. L. 115–254, set out as a note under section 5122 of this title.