Emergency Disaster Assistance Supplemental Appropriations Act for Fiscal Year 1996

Summary: TABLE OF CONTENTS: 
     Title I:  Emergency Supplemental Appropriations 
     Title II:  General Provisions 
Emergency Disaster Assistance Supplemental Appropriations Act for Fiscal Year 1996 - 
Title I:  Emergency Supplemental Appropriations
 - Makes emergency supplemental appropriations for FY 1996 to provide relief from the damages caused by Hurricane Fran and other natural disasters of 1996. 
Chapter 1:  Department of Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies
 - Makes such FY 1996 emergency supplemental appropriations to:  (1) the Department of Agriculture, for the Farm Service Agency's emergency conservation program; (2) the Natural Resources Conservation Service, for watershed and flood prevention operations; (3) the Rural Housing Service, for Rural Housing Insurance Fund Program Account direct loans, and for very low-income housing repair grants; (4) the Rural Utilities Service, for the rural utilities assistance program; and (5) the Commodity Credit Corporation, for covering 1996 crop losses. 
Chapter 2:  Departments of Commerce, Justice, and State, the Judiciary, and Related Agencies
 - Makes such FY 1996 emergency supplemental appropriations to:  (1) the Department of Commerce, for the Economic Development Administration's economic development assistance programs; and (2) the Small Business Administration, for the Disaster Loans Program Account. 
Chapter 3: Energy and Water Development
 - Makes such FY 1996 emergency appropriations to the Department of Defense-Civil, Department of the Army, Corps of Engineers-Civil, for:  (1) general operation and maintenance; and (2) flood control and coastal emergencies. 
Chapter 4:  Departments of Veterans Affairs and Housing and Urban Development, and Independent Agencies
 - Makes such FY 1996 emergency appropriations to:  (1) the Department of Housing and Urban Development for community development grants; and (2) the Federal Emergency Management Agencies for disaster relief. 
Title II:  General Provisions
 - Designates each amount provided for a program or activity in title I as an emergency requirement for all purposes of the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985 (Gramm-Rudman-Hollings Act). Makes such amount available only to the extent of a specific dollar amount for such program or activity that is:  (1) included in an official budget request submitted by the President to the Congress; and (2) designated as an emergency requirement for all purposes of that Act. 
(Sec. 202) Authorizes Federal department or agency heads to waive certain restrictions in administering funds provided under title I.

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Emergency Disaster Assistance 
Supplemental Appropriations Act for Fiscal Year 1996''.

             TITLE I--EMERGENCY SUPPLEMENTAL APPROPRIATIONS

    The following sums are appropriated, out of any money in the 
Treasury not otherwise appropriated, to provide emergency supplemental 
appropriations for fiscal year 1996:

                               CHAPTER 1

      DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE, RURAL DEVELOPMENT, FOOD AND DRUG 
                  ADMINISTRATION, AND RELATED AGENCIES

                       DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

                          Farm Service Agency

                     emergency conservation program

    For necessary expenses to carry into effect the program authorized 
in sections 401, 402, and 404 of title IV of the Agricultural Credit 
Act of 1978 (16 U.S.C. 2201-2205) for expenses resulting from Hurricane 
Fran and other natural disasters of 1996, $25,000,000, to remain 
available until expended.

                 Natural Resources Conservation Service

               watershed and flood prevention operations

    For an additional amount for ``Watershed and Flood Prevention 
Operations'' to repair damages to waterways and watersheds resulting 
from Hurricane Fran and other natural disasters of 1996, $25,000,000, 
to remain available until expended.
    If the Secretary of Agriculture determines that the cost of land 
and farm structures restoration exceeds the fair market value of an 
affected cropland, the Secretary may use sufficient amounts, not to 
exceed $25,000,000, from funds provided under this heading to accept 
bids from willing sellers to provide conservation easements for such 
cropland inundated by floods as provided for by the Wetlands Reserve 
Program, authorized by subchapter C of chapter 1 of subtitle D of title 
XII of the Food Security Act of 1985 (16 U.S.C. 3837).

                         Rural Housing Service

              rural housing insurance fund program account

    For an additional amount for ``Rural Housing Insurance Fund Program 
Account'' for the additional cost of direct loans, including the cost 
of modifying loans as defined in section 502 of the Congressional 
Budget Act of 1974, for emergency expenses resulting from Hurricane 
Fran and other natural disasters of 1996, to be available from funds in 
the rural housing insurance fund as follows: $25,000,000 for section 
502 direct loans and $25,000,000 for section 504 housing repair loans, 
to remain available until expended.

                 very low-income housing repair grants

    For an additional amount for ``Very Low-Income Housing Repair 
Grants'' to make housing repairs under section 504 of the Housing Act 
of 1949 required by damages resulting from Hurricane Fran and other 
natural disasters of 1996, $25,000,000, to remain available until 
expended.

                        Rural Utilities Service

                   rural utilities assistance program

    For an additional amount for the ``Rural Utilities Assistance 
Program'' for the cost of direct loans and grants, including the cost 
of modifying loans as defined in section 502 of the Congressional 
Budget Act of 1974, to assist in the recovery from Hurricane Fran and 
other natural disasters of 1996, $25,000,000, to remain available until 
expended. Such funds may be made available for emergency community 
water assistance grants as authorized by section 306B of the 
Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act (7 U.S.C. 1926b).

                      Commodity Credit Corporation

    For an additional amount for the ``Commodity Credit Corporation'' 
to cover 1996 crop losses resulting from Hurricane Fran and other 
natural disasters of 1996, $25,000,000, to remain available until 
expended.

                               CHAPTER 2

DEPARTMENTS OF COMMERCE, JUSTICE, AND STATE, THE JUDICIARY, AND RELATED 
                                AGENCIES

                         DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

                  Economic Development Administration

                economic development assistance programs

    For an additional amount for ``Economic Development Assistance 
Programs'' for emergency expenses resulting from Hurricane Fran and 
other natural disasters of 1996, $25,000,000, to remain available until 
expended.

                             RELATED AGENCY

                     Small Business Administration

                     disaster loans program account

    For an additional amount for ``Disaster Loans Program Account'' for 
emergency expenses resulting from Hurricane Fran and other natural 
disasters of 1996, $45,000,000 for the cost of direct loans and 
$5,000,000 for administrative expenses to carry out the disaster loan 
program, to remain available until expended.

                               CHAPTER 3

                      ENERGY AND WATER DEVELOPMENT

                      DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE--CIVIL

                         DEPARTMENT OF THE ARMY

                       Corps of Engineers--Civil

                   operation and maintenance, general

    For an additional amount for ``Operation and Maintenance, General'' 
for emergency expenses resulting from Hurricane Fran and other natural 
disasters of 1996, $37,500,000, to remain available until expended.

                 flood control and coastal emergencies

    For an additional amount for ``Flood Control and Coastal 
Emergencies'' for emergency expenses resulting from Hurricane Fran and 
other natural disasters of 1996, $37,500,000, to remain available until 
expended.

                               CHAPTER 4

DEPARTMENTS OF VETERANS AFFAIRS AND HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT, AND 
                          INDEPENDENT AGENCIES

              DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT

                   Community Planning and Development

                      community development grants

    For an additional amount for ``Community Development Grants'' for 
emergency expenses resulting from Hurricane Fran and other natural 
disasters of 1996, $125,000,000, to remain available until expended.

                           INDEPENDENT AGENCY

                 Federal Emergency Management Agencies

                            disaster relief

    For an additional amount for ``Disaster Relief'' for emergency 
expenses resulting from Hurricane Fran and other natural disasters of 
1996, $25,000,000, to remain available until expended.

                      TITLE II--GENERAL PROVISIONS

SEC. 201. EMERGENCY DESIGNATION.

    The Congress hereby designates each amount provided for a program 
or activity in title I as an emergency requirement for all purposes of 
the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985. Such 
amount shall be available only to the extent of a specific dollar 
amount for such program or activity that is included in an official 
budget request submitted by the President to the Congress and that is 
designated as an emergency requirement for all purposes of the Balanced 
Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985.

SEC. 202. WAIVER OF CERTAIN RESTRICTIONS.

    (a) In General.--In administering funds provided in title I, the 
head of the department or agency involved may waive (or specify an 
alternative requirement for) any provision of any statute or regulation 
that the department or agency administers in connection with the 
obligation by the department or agency (or the use by any recipient) of 
such funds, upon a finding that such waiver or alternative requirement 
is necessary to facilitate the obligation and use of such funds and 
will not be inconsistent with the overall purpose of the statute or 
regulation.
    (b) Exceptions.--Subsection (a) shall not apply to any requirement 
relating to civil rights, fair housing and nondiscrimination, the 
environment, or labor standards.