Restoring Access to Mountain Homes Act
This bill authorizes the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to provide Public Assistance (PA) grant funding, under certain conditions, to reimburse government entities covered under the major disaster declaration for North Carolina relating to Tropical Storm Helene for the costs of repairing, replacing, or restoring private roads and bridges damaged by Helene.
Under current law, the PA program provides grants for repairing disaster damage to infrastructure owned or legally maintained by government entities (or certain nonprofits). The bill authorizes PA funding for permanent repair work on privately owned and maintained roads and bridges significantly damaged by Helene in North Carolina, as costs incurred by state, tribal, or local governments for such work are eligible for reimbursement.
Also, under current law, the costs of repairing damage that existed before the disaster are generally ineligible for PA. The bill makes the repair, replacement, or restoration costs eligible for reimbursement under PA regardless of pre-existing condition.
Additionally, the bill contains criteria and conditions for reimbursement, including that to be eligible a road or bridge must be used as the sole means of accessing primary residences or essential community services. Reimbursement is under PA’s alternative procedures, and the bill requires FEMA to determine eligible costs based on estimates prepared by engineers.
Recipients of funds from FEMA’s Individuals and Households Program (IHP) before the bill’s enactment may use IHP funds for repairs eligible under the bill without those costs counting against their maximum amount of IHP assistance.
[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 760 Introduced in House (IH)]
<DOC>
119th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 760
To make certain repairs, replacements, and restorations of private
roads and bridges eligible for reimbursement under the Robert T.
Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act, and for other
purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
January 28, 2025
Mr. Edwards (for himself, Mr. Davis of North Carolina, and Mr. Moore of
North Carolina) introduced the following bill; which was referred to
the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To make certain repairs, replacements, and restorations of private
roads and bridges eligible for reimbursement 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 ``Restoring Access to Mountain Homes
Act''.
SEC. 2. REIMBURSEMENT FOR REPAIR, REPLACEMENT, AND RESTORATION WORK ON
PRIVATE ROADS AND BRIDGES IMPACTED BY TROPICAL STORM
HELENE.
(a) Eligibility for Reimbursement.--Notwithstanding any provision
of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act
(42 U.S.C. 5121 et seq.) or the regulations governing the public
assistance program of the Federal Emergency Management Agency under
such Act, the State, Indian Tribal, and local governments in North
Carolina covered under major disaster declaration FEMA-4827-DR-NC
(relating to Tropical Storm Helene) shall be eligible for reimbursement
for the cost of repairs, replacements, or restoration to private roads
and bridges, without regard to pre-existing condition, under section
428 of such Act that--
(1) are used as the sole means of access to primary
residences or essential community services;
(2) are significantly damaged or destroyed as a direct
result of Tropical Storm Helene as identified in FEMA-4827-DR-
NC; and
(3) does not duplicate work that has already been
completed.
(b) Conditions of Reimbursement.--Reimbursement under this section
shall be subject to the following conditions:
(1) Private roads or bridges shall be inspected by
appropriate State, Indian Tribal, or local government officials
or their designees to verify the scope, need, and cost-
effectiveness of any mitigation measures for the proposed
repair, replacement, or restoration.
(2) The State, Indian Tribal, or local governments
requesting assistance shall ensure that the private roads or
bridges being repaired, replaced, or restored remain open for
disaster recovery activities for the duration of the repair,
replacement, or restoration process.
(3) The State or Indian Tribal governments shall be
responsible for documenting all costs associated with repairs,
replacements, or restorations within their jurisdiction in
accordance with Federal Emergency Management Agency policy.
(4) The State, Indian Tribal, or local government applying
for public assistance funding shall obtain authority or
permission to perform the work to permanently repair, replace,
or restore the private roads and bridges.
(5) The State, Indian Tribal, or local government applying
for public assistance funding shall ensure the work under this
section is performed in compliance with all applicable State
and Federal regulations and requirements that pertain to work
that is permanent in nature.
(c) Duplication of Benefits.--
(1) In general.--Any individual or household that has
received assistance prior to the date of enactment of this
section pursuant to section 408 of the Robert T. Stafford
Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5174)
for the purposes of repairing a private road or bridge eligible
under this section may proceed with such repairs or return any
such assistance to have such repair eligible pursuant to this
section.
(2) Calculation.--In the event the individual or household
chooses to proceed with such repairs utilizing assistance
provided pursuant to section 408 of the Robert T. Stafford
Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5174)
for a private road or bridge, such assistance shall not be
counted against the maximum amount of assistance for such
individual or household under such section.
(d) Eligible Costs.--In determining eligible costs, the
Administrator shall base such determinations on properly conducted and
certified cost estimates prepared by professionally licensed engineers
(mutually agreed upon by the Administrator and the applicant). Once
certified by a professionally licensed engineer and accepted by the
Administrator, the estimates on which grants made pursuant to this
section are based shall be presumed to be reasonable and eligible
costs, as long as there is no evidence of fraud.
<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.
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