Rural Disaster Assistance Fairness Act of 2003 - Amends the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act to revise the declaration that no geographic area shall be precluded from receiving assistance under such Act solely by virtue of an arithmetic formula or sliding scale based on income or population.
Directs the President to establish in the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) an Office of Rural Advocacy headed by a Director who shall be an advocate for the fair treatment of rural communities in the provision of assistance under such Act. Requires the Director to: (1) participate in the disaster and the emergency declaration processes to ensure that the needs of rural communities are being addressed; (2) assist small population States in the preparation of requests for major disaster or emergency declarations; and (3) review all rules and regulations relating to the provision of assistance under such Act to ensure that rural communities receive fair and equitable treatment.
Requires the Director of FEMA to promulgate a rule to ensure that the factors used to review a Governor's request for a major disaster or an emergency declaration under the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act adequately address the needs of States with a population of less than one million individuals and the rural communities in those States.
[Congressional Bills 108th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 1790 Introduced in House (IH)]
108th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 1790
To provide for the equitable treatment of rural communities in the
distribution of Federal disaster assistance, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
April 11, 2003
Mrs. Cubin introduced the following bill; which was referred to the
Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To provide for the equitable treatment of rural communities in the
distribution of Federal disaster assistance, and for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Rural Disaster Assistance Fairness
Act of 2003''.
SEC. 2. ESTABLISHMENT OF OFFICE OF RURAL ADVOCACY.
Section 320 of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency
Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5163) is amended to read as follows:
``SEC. 320. EQUITABLE TREATMENT OF GEOGRAPHIC AREAS.
``(a) Limitation on Use of Sliding Scales.--No geographic area
shall be precluded from receiving assistance under this Act solely by
virtue of an arithmetic formula or sliding scale based on income or
population.
``(b) Office of Rural Advocacy.--
``(1) Establishment.--The President shall establish in the
Federal Emergency Management Agency an Office of Rural
Advocacy.
``(2) Director.--The Office shall be headed by a Director,
who shall report to the Director of the Federal Emergency
Management Agency.
``(3) Duties.--The Director of the Office shall be an
advocate for the fair treatment of rural communities in the
provision of assistance under this Act. In carrying out the
Director's responsibilities, the Director shall--
``(A) participate in the disaster declaration
process under section 401, and the emergency
declaration process under section 501, to ensure that
the needs of rural communities are being addressed;
``(B) assist small population States in the
preparation of requests for major disaster or emergency
declarations;
``(C) review all rules and regulations relating to
the provision of assistance under this Act to ensure
that rural communities receive fair and equitable
treatment; and
``(D) conduct such other activities as the Director
of the Federal Emergency Management Agency considers
appropriate.''.
SEC. 3. RULEMAKING.
(a) In General.--The Director of the Federal Emergency Management
Agency shall promulgate a rule to ensure that the factors used to
review a Governor's request for a major disaster declaration under
section 401 of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency
Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5170), or an emergency declaration under
section 501 of that Act (42 U.S.C. 5191), adequately address the needs
of States with a population of less than 1,000,000 individuals and the
rural communities in those States.
(b) Considerations.--In promulgating a rule under this section, the
Director shall ensure that the following factors are considered in
determining whether an event constitutes a major disaster or emergency:
(1) Loss of access to critical services in a community and
proximity to similar services.
(2) Availability of medical and veterinary services.
(3) Percentage of damage to residential and commercial
buildings.
(c) Statutory Construction.--Nothing in this section may be
construed to authorize major disaster or emergency assistance that is
not authorized as of the date of enactment of this Act.
<all>
Introduced in House
Introduced in House
Referred to the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure.
Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR E766)
Referred to the Subcommittee on Economic Development, Public Buildings and Emergency Management.
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