Rural Disaster Assistance Improvement Act of 2009

Rural Disaster Assistance Improvement Act of 2009 - Directs the Administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA): (1) in order to provide more objective criteria for evaluating the need for assistance to individuals and to speed a declaration of a major disaster under the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act, to review, update, and revise the factors considered when evaluating a governor's request for such a declaration to measure the severity, magnitude, and impact of a disaster; and (2) to consider any disproportionate impacts of disasters on rural areas.

[Congressional Bills 111th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 4297 Introduced in House (IH)]

111th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 4297

To direct the Administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency 
     to review, update, and revise certain regulations relating to 
 assistance under the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency 
                Assistance Act, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           December 11, 2009

  Mr. Hodes introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
             Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To direct the Administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency 
     to review, update, and revise certain regulations relating to 
 assistance under the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency 
                Assistance Act, 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 
Improvement Act of 2009''.

SEC. 2. INDIVIDUAL ASSISTANCE FACTORS.

    (a) In General.--In order to provide more objective criteria for 
evaluating the need for assistance to individuals and to speed a 
declaration of a major disaster or emergency under the Robert T. 
Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5121 
et seq.), not later than one year after the date of enactment of this 
Act, the Administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, in 
cooperation with representatives of State and local emergency 
management agencies, shall review, update, and revise through 
rulemaking the factors considered under section 206.48 of title 44, 
Code of Federal Regulations, to measure the severity, magnitude, and 
impact of a disaster.
    (b) Rural Areas.--In carrying out subsection (a), the Administrator 
shall consider any disproportionate impacts of disasters on rural 
areas, including rural areas in which a relatively small number of 
residences are damaged or destroyed.
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