II 

116TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION S. 3806 

To waive cost share requirements for certain Federal assistance provided 

under the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance 

Act. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

MAY 21, 2020 

Mrs. HYDE-SMITH (for herself, Mr. MENENDEZ, Mr. CASSIDY, and Mr. 

PETERS) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred 

to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs 

A BILL 

To waive cost share requirements for certain Federal assistance provided under the Robert T. Stafford Disaster 

Relief and Emergency Assistance Act. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Local Community 

5 Emergency Relief Act of 2020’’. 

6 SEC. 2. WAIVER FOR CERTAIN COST SHARE REQUIRE7 MENTS. 

8 (a) COVERED DECLARATION DEFINED.—In this sec9 tion, the term ‘‘covered declaration’’ means— 


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1 (1) a major disaster declared by the President 

2 under section 401 of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster 

3 Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 

4 5170) during calendar year 2020; and 

5 (2) an emergency declared by the President 

6 under section 501(b) of the Robert T. Stafford Dis7 aster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (42 

8 U.S.C. 5191(b)), or any subsequent major disaster 

9 declaration under section 401 of such Act (42 

10 U.S.C. 5170) that supersedes the emergency dec11 laration, during calendar year 2020. 

12 (b) WAIVER OF COST SHARE REQUIREMENTS.—Not13 withstanding any other provision of law, including any 

14 agreement, the Federal share of any assistance awarded 

15 under a covered declaration shall be not less than 100 per16 cent of the eligible costs, and, for purposes of subsection 

17 (a)(2), shall include assistance provided for the following: 

18 (1) Miscellaneous costs, such as the costs of 

19 cleaning and sanitizing public areas and buildings 

20 where individuals who have contracted COVID–19 

21 have been present to prevent the spread of the virus. 

22 (2) Other needs assistance for uninsured, dis23 aster-related necessary expenses and serious needs, 

24 including— 


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1 (A) child care assistance for families, 

2 healthcare workers, first responders, and others 

3 whose children cannot attend school due to 

4 mandatory school closures and daycare center 

5 closures; 

6 (B) funeral and burial assistance for fatali7 ties resulting from the COVID–19 disease; 

8 (C) increased operating costs for essential 

9 government services due to such emergency, in10 cluding costs for implementing continuity plans, 

11 and sheltering or housing for first responders, 

12 emergency managers, health providers and 

13 other essential employees; and 

14 (D) public health costs including, medical 

15 services, testing (including serological testing), 

16 preventative care, transportation, medical waste 

17 disposal, and prescriptions for individuals who 

18 have contracted COVID–19. 

19 (3) Mental health services. 

20 (4) Critical needs assistance for households 

21 with immediate or critical needs for vital resources 

22 due to the disruption of community services and 

23 higher demand and limited availability of commod24 ities. 


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1 (5) Medical equipment, regardless of whether 

2 such equipment is used for emergency or inpatient 

3 care, including all Federal agency assets, temporary 

4 and permanent, and the non-Federal purchase of 

5 such equipment. 

6 (6) The purchase and distribution of food, 

7 water, ice, medicine, and other consumable supplies, 

8 including personal protective equipment and inclu9 sive of impacts to food stocks at private, non-profit 

10 food banks and the costs of delivery. 

11 (7) Personal protective equipment decontamina12 tion costs. 

13 (8) Hospital and morgue capacity expansion 

14 projects to meet actual or projected COVID–19 

15 surge demands. 

16 (9) The total costs of maintaining hospital ca17 pacity expansion projects as ‘‘warm sites’’ during 

18 COVID–19 non-peak periods. 

19 (10) Public health communications campaigns 

20 related to providing emergency COVID–19 informa21 tion, increasing public awareness of the threats, and 

22 to mitigate against future spread of the virus. 

23 (11) Technical assistance to eligible entities. 

24 (12) Security and law enforcement costs, in25 cluding overtime, directly related to COVID–19. 


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1 (c) APPLICABILITY.—The Federal share described in 

2 subsection (b) shall apply to assistance provided before, 

3 on, or after the date of enactment of this Act. 

Æ 


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