A bill to amend the Public Works and Economic Development Administration Act of 1965 to establish a program to provide technical assistance grants for use by organizations in assisting individuals and businesses affected by the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico.

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Oil Spill Claims Assistance and 
Recovery Act''.

SEC. 2. OIL SPILL CLAIMS ASSISTANCE AND RECOVERY.

    (a) In General.--Title II of the Public Works and Economic 
Development Act of 1965 is amended by inserting after section 207 (42 
U.S.C. 3147) the following:

``SEC. 208. OIL SPILL CLAIMS ASSISTANCE AND RECOVERY.

    ``(a) Establishment of Grant Program.--The Secretary shall 
establish a grant program to provide to eligible (as determined by the 
Secretary) organizations technical assistance grants for use in 
assisting individuals and businesses affected by the Deepwater Horizon 
oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico (referred to in this section as the 
`oil spill').
    ``(b) Application.--An organization that seeks to receive a grant 
under this section shall submit to the Secretary an application for the 
grant at such time, in such form, and containing such information as 
the Secretary shall require.
    ``(c) Use of Funds.--
            ``(1) In general.--Funds from a grant provided under this 
        section may be used by an eligible organization--
                    ``(A) to support--
                            ``(i) education;
                            ``(ii) outreach;
                            ``(iii) intake;
                            ``(iv) language services;
                            ``(v) accounting services;
                            ``(vi) legal services offered pro bono or 
                        by a nonprofit organization;
                            ``(vii) damage assessments;
                            ``(viii) economic loss analysis;
                            ``(ix) collecting and preparing 
                        documentation; and
                            ``(x) assistance in the preparation and 
                        filing of claims or appeals;
                    ``(B) to provide assistance to individuals or 
                businesses seeking assistance from or under--
                            ``(i) a party responsible for the oil 
                        spill;
                            ``(ii) the Oil Spill Liability Trust Fund;
                            ``(iii) an insurance policy; or
                            ``(iv) any other program administered by 
                        the Federal Government or a State or local 
                        government;
                    ``(C) to pay for salaries, training, and 
                appropriate expenses relating to the purchase or lease 
                of property to support operations, equipment (including 
                computers and telecommunications), and travel expenses;
                    ``(D) to assist other organizations in--
                            ``(i) assisting specific business sectors;
                            ``(ii) providing services;
                            ``(iii) assisting specific jurisdictions; 
                        or
                            ``(iv) otherwise supporting operations; and
                    ``(E) to establish an advisory board of service 
                providers and technical experts--
                            ``(i) to monitor the claims process 
                        relating to the oil spill; and
                            ``(ii) to provide recommendations to the 
                        parties responsible for the oil spill, the 
                        National Pollution Funds Center, other 
                        appropriate agencies, and Congress to improve 
                        fairness and efficiency in the claims process.
            ``(2) Prohibition on use of funds.--Funds from a grant 
        provided under this section may not be used to provide 
        compensation for damages or removal costs relating to the oil 
        spill.
    ``(d) Provision of Grants.--
            ``(1) In general.--Not later than 60 days after the date of 
        enactment of the Oil Spill Claims Assistance and Recovery Act, 
        the Secretary shall provide grants under this section.
            ``(2) Networked organizations.--The Secretary is encouraged 
        to consider applications for grants under this section from 
        organizations that have established networks with affected 
        business sectors, including--
                    ``(A) the fishery and aquaculture industries;
                    ``(B) the restaurant, grocery, food processing, and 
                food delivery industries; and
                    ``(C) the hotel and tourism industries.
            ``(3) Training.--Not later than 30 days after the date on 
        which an eligible organization receives a grant under this 
        section, the Director of the National Pollution Funds Center 
        and the parties responsible for the oil spill shall provide 
        training to the organization regarding the applicable rules and 
        procedures for the claims process relating to the oil spill.
            ``(4) Availability of funds.--Funds from a grant provided 
        under this section shall be available until the later of, as 
        determined by the Secretary--
                    ``(A) the date that is 6 years after the date on 
                which the oil spill occurred; and
                    ``(B) the date on which all claims relating to the 
                oil spill have been satisfied.
    ``(e) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized to be 
appropriated to the Secretary to carry out this section $20,000,000.''.
    (b) Conforming Amendment.--The table of contents of the Public 
Works and Economic Development Administration Act of 1965 (42 U.S.C. 
prec. 3121) is amended by inserting after the item relating to section 
207 the following:

``Sec. 208. Oil spill claims assistance and recovery.''.

Summary: Oil Spill Claims Assistance and Recovery Act - Amends the Public Works and Economic Development Act of 1965 to direct the Secretary of Commerce to establish a program to provide technical assistance grants within 60 days after this Act's enactment to eligible organizations for use in assisting individuals and businesses affected by the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. Authorizes the use of grant funds to: (1) support education, outreach, intake, language services, accounting services, pro bono legal services, damage assessments, economic loss analysis, collecting and preparing documentation, and assistance in the preparation and filing of claims or appeals. (2) provide assistance to individuals or businesses seeking assistance from a party responsible for the oil spill, the Oil Spill Liability Trust Fund, an insurance policy, or any other federal, state, or local government program. (3) pay salaries, training, and appropriate expenses relating to the purchase or lease of property to support operations, equipment, and travel expenses. (4) assist other organizations in assisting specific business sectors, providing services, assisting specific jurisdictions, or otherwise supporting operations. And (5) establish an advisory board of service providers and technical experts to monitor the claims process relating to the oil spill and to provide recommendations to the parties responsible for the oil spill, the National Pollution Funds Center, other appropriate agencies, and Congress to improve fairness and efficiency in the claims process. Prohibits the use of grant funds to provide compensation for damages or removal costs relating to the oil spill. Encourages the Secretary to consider grant applications from organizations that have established networks with affected business sectors, including the fishery and aquaculture industries, the restaurant, grocery, food processing, and food delivery industries, and the hotel and tourism industries. Requires the Director of the National Pollution Funds Center and the parties responsible for the oil spill to provide training to such an organization regarding the claims process. Makes grant funds available until the later of: (1) six years after the date of the oil spill. And (2) the date on which all claims relating to the oil spill have been satisfied.