No official summary available for this bill.
[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 6084 Introduced in House (IH)]
<DOC>
118th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 6084
To amend the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency
Assistance Act to ensure that unmet needs after a major disaster are
met.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
October 26, 2023
Mr. Graves of Louisiana (for himself and Ms. Plaskett) introduced the
following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Transportation
and Infrastructure
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To amend the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency
Assistance Act to ensure that unmet needs after a major disaster are
met.
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 ``Expediting Disaster Recovery Act''.
SEC. 2. UNMET NEEDS ASSISTANCE.
(a) In General.--Title IV of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief
and Emergency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5170 et seq.) is amended by
adding at the end the following:
``SEC. 431. UNMET NEEDS ASSISTANCE.
``(a) In General.--After the declaration of a major disaster under
section 401, the President may direct the Administrator of the Federal
Emergency Management Agency to provide to a State assistance necessary
for meeting unmet needs as a result of such disaster.
``(b) Funding.--
``(1) Amount of funding.--Not later than 30 days after the
President declares a major disaster under section 401, the
President, acting through the Administrator, may allocate an
amount that equals up to 10 percent of the estimated aggregate
amount of the grants to be made pursuant to sections 406 and
408 for the major disaster in order to provide technical and
financial assistance under this section and such amounts shall
be considered to be related to activities carried out with
assistance provided under this Act.
``(2) Estimated aggregate amount.--Not later than 180 days
after each major disaster declared pursuant to this Act, the
estimated aggregate amount of grants for purposes of paragraph
(1) shall be determined by the President and such estimated
amount need not be reduced, increased, or changed due to
variations in estimates.
``(3) No reduction in amounts.--Nothing in this section
shall be construed to reduce the amounts otherwise made
available for sections 403, 404, 406, 407, 408, 410, 416, and
428 under this Act.
``(c) Unmet Needs.--Financial assistance provided under this
section may be used to provide assistance, in addition to other amounts
made available under this Act, for the following unmet needs:
``(1) Disaster-related home repair and rebuilding
assistance to families for permanent housing purposes,
including in conjunction with eligible expenditures under
section 408.
``(2) Disaster-related unmet needs of families who are
unable to obtain adequate assistance from other sources.
``(3) Other disaster-related services that alleviate human
suffering and promote the well-being of disaster victims.
``(4) Economic and business activities (including food and
agriculture) after a disaster to implement post-disaster
economic recovery measures, including planning and technical
assistance for long-term economic recovery plans,
infrastructure improvements, business or infrastructure
financing, market or industry research, and other activities
authorized under a comprehensive economic development strategy.
``(d) Accounting and Fiscal Controls.--
``(1) In general.--Not later than 6 months after receipt of
funds and every 6 months thereafter until all such funds are
expended, each State receiving such funds shall submit to the
Administrator a report that includes--
``(A) the criteria established for determining how
the funds are spent;
``(B) the allocation of such funds; and
``(C) the process for public notice and comment.
``(2) Compliance.--Section 312(b) shall apply to this
section.
``(3) Administrative costs.--A State that receives funds
under this section may expend not more than 5 percent of the
amount of such funds for the administrative costs of providing
financial assistance to individuals and households in the
State.''.
(b) Applicability.--This section and the amendments made by this
section shall apply to funds appropriated on or after the date of
enactment of this Act.
SEC. 3. FURTHER CONSIDERATIONS FOR DISASTER DECLARATIONS.
(a) In General.--In making recommendations to the President
regarding the declaration of a major disaster or emergency pursuant to
section 401 of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency
Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5170) or the proposed non-Federal share of
the cost of carrying out activities with assistance provided under such
Act, the Administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency shall
give greater weight and consideration to severe local impact resulting
from such disaster or emergency and, in the 5-year period preceding
such disaster or emergency, whether multiple other disasters or
emergencies have occurred in the affected area.
(b) Revisions to Guidance, Policies, and Regulations.--The
Administrator shall take such actions as are necessary to revise any
policies, guidance, or regulations of the Agency to implement
subsection (a).
(c) Report.--Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of
this section, the Administrator shall submit to the Committee on
Transportation and Infrastructure of the House of Representatives and
the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs of the
Senate a report on the implementation of this section and shall include
in such report a description of--
(1) changes made to guidance, policies, or regulations
pursuant to subsection (b); and
(2) the number of major disasters and emergencies that have
been declared pursuant to section 401 of the Robert T. Stafford
Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act based on the
criteria described in subsection (a).
SEC. 4. REPAIR AND REBUILDING.
(a) In General.--Section 408(c) of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster
Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5174) is amended--
(1) in paragraph (2)--
(A) in subparagraph (A)(i) by striking ``to a safe
and sanitary living or functioning condition''; and
(B) in subparagraph (B)--
(i) by striking ``A recipient of'' and
inserting the following:
``(i) Evidence of other means of
assistance.--A recipient of''; and
(ii) by adding at the end the following:
``(ii) Coordination with other
assistance.--Assistance allowed under this
paragraph may be used in coordination with
other sources for the repair and rebuilding of
an owner-occupied residence.''; and
(2) in paragraph (4) by striking ``in cases in which'' and
all that follows through the end of the paragraph and inserting
``if the President considers it a cost effective alternative to
other housing solutions, including the costs associated with
temporary housing provided under this section, and long-term
rebuilding costs associated with section 431.''.
(b) Applicability.--This section and the amendments made by this
section shall apply to funds appropriated on or after the date of
enactment of this Act.
SEC. 5. FEMA EMERGENCY HOME REPAIR PROGRAM.
(a) In General.--Section 403(a) of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster
Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5170b(a)) is amended--
(1) in paragraph (3)--
(A) in subparagraph (I) by striking ``and'' at the
end;
(B) in subparagraph (J) by striking the period and
inserting ``; and''; and
(C) by adding at the end the following:
``(K) minor repairs up to habitability of owner-
occupied homes damaged by the disaster in order for
survivors to safely shelter in place.''; and
(2) by adding at the end the following:
``(5) Duplication of benefit limitations.--Notwithstanding
section 312, any minor repairs up to habitability of owner-
occupied homes may not be considered a duplication of any owner
benefits.
``(6) Sheltering and housing options.--Not later than 15
days after a declaration of a major disaster, the Federal
coordinating officer shall provide all sheltering and housing
options available under this section to a State Governor, or
the designated State coordinating officer.
``(7) Definitions.--In this subsection, the term `minor
repairs up to habitability' means the minimum standards for
permanent housing described in section 576.403(c) of title 24,
Code of Federal Regulations (or successor regulations).''.
(b) Rulemaking.--Not later than 2 years after the date of enactment
of this Act, the Administrator of the Federal Emergency Management
Agency shall issue final regulations to implement the amendments made
by this section.
SEC. 6. APPEALS OF INDIVIDUALS AND HOUSEHOLDS PROGRAM BENEFITS.
The Administrator shall revise section 206.115 of title 44, Code of
Federal Regulations, to require the Federal Emergency Management Agency
to provide to any applicant who appeals a determination of eligibility
of assistance--
(1) any documentation used to make such determination,
including any inspection documents that exist;
(2) a description of--
(A) the reasons for such determination; and
(B) recommended steps that could be taken to remedy
a determination of ineligibility, including, as
applicable, a list of additional documentation that the
applicant may provide; and
(3) any inspection documents that exist not later than 10
days after the completion of the inspection.
SEC. 7. PERIOD OF ASSISTANCE.
The Administrator shall revise section 206.115 of title 44, Code of
Federal Regulations, to extend the period of assistance for Federal
assistance to individuals and households to 24 months after the date of
a major disaster declaration pursuant to section 401 of the Robert T.
Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5170).
SEC. 8. REPORT TO CONGRESS ON MAJOR DISASTER DECLARATIONS.
Not later than 180 days after the date of enactment of this Act,
the Administrator shall submit to the Committee on Homeland Security
and Governmental Affairs of the Senate and the Committee on
Transportation and Infrastructure of the House of Representatives a
report containing the following information with respect to each major
disaster declared pursuant to section 401 of the Robert T. Stafford
Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5170) during
the 5-year period preceding such date of enactment:
(1) The process used by the Federal Emergency Management
Agency to determine individual household need.
(2) An itemization of the most common reasons for denial of
individual and household assistance pursuant to section 408 of
the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance
Act (42 U.S.C. 5174).
(3) The rate of appeals of denial of such assistance.
(4) The amount of time the Agency takes to issue a decision
regarding eligibility for individual assistance, disaggregated
by each such major disaster.
(5) Information on the use of Disaster Legal Services and
the number of applicants who were eligible for such services.
(6) The total number of Disaster Legal Services volunteers
as of such date of enactment.
(7) The number of such volunteers who were activated for
each such major disaster.
(8) The amount of time taken after the declaration of each
such major disaster to set up disaster recovery centers that
provide access to individual assistance.
(9) The number of disaster recovery centers opened for each
such major disaster.
(10) The process used for selecting the location of such
disaster recovery centers.
(11) The average amount of time disaster recovery centers
remained open.
(12) The average amount of time individual survivors spend
at such centers.
(13) A description of outreach efforts in low-income,
rural, and underserved communities regarding the availability
of assistance provided by the Federal Emergency Management
Agency under the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and
Emergency Assistance Act.
SEC. 9. REVIEW BY COMPTROLLER GENERAL.
Not later than 5 years after the date of enactment of this Act, the
Comptroller General of the United States shall--
(1) conduct a review of the fiscal controls of States that
receive assistance under section 431 of the Robert T. Stafford
Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act, as added by
section 2; and
(2) make recommendations regarding the program established
under such section to the Committee on Homeland Security and
Governmental Affairs of the Senate and the Committee on
Transportation and Infrastructure of the House of
Representatives.
<all>
Introduced in House
Introduced in House
Referred to the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure.
Referred to the Subcommittee on Economic Development, Public Buildings, and Emergency Management.
Llama 3.2 · runs locally in your browser
Ask anything about this bill. The AI reads the full text to answer.
Enter to send · Shift+Enter for new line