II 

116TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION S. 4627 

To modify the Federal cost share of certain emergency assistance provided 

under the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance 

Act, to modify the activities eligible for assistance under the emergency 

declaration issued by the President on March 13, 2020, relating to 

COVID–19, and for other purposes. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

SEPTEMBER 17, 2020 

Mr. MERKLEY (for himself and Mr. WYDEN) introduced the following bill; 

which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs 

A BILL 

To modify the Federal cost share of certain emergency assistance provided under the Robert T. Stafford Disaster 

Relief and Emergency Assistance Act, to modify the activities eligible for assistance under the emergency declaration issued by the President on March 13, 2020, 

relating to COVID–19, and for other purposes. 

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 ‘‘FEMA Assistance Re5 lief Act of 2020’’. 

2 

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1 SEC. 2. COST SHARE. 

2 (a) TEMPORARY FEDERAL SHARE.—Notwith3 standing sections 403(b), 403(c)(4), 404(a), 406(b), 

4 408(d), 408(g)(2), 428(e)(2)(B), and 503(a) of the Robert 

5 T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act 

6 (42 U.S.C. 5170b(b), 5170(c)(4), 5170c(a), 5172(b), 

7 5174(d), 5174(g)(2), 5189f(e)(2)(B), 5193(a)), for any 

8 emergency or major disaster declared by the President 

9 under such Act during the period beginning on January 

10 1, 2020, and ending on December 31, 2020, the Federal 

11 share of assistance provided under such sections shall be 

12 not less than 90 percent of the eligible cost of such assist13 ance. 

14 (b) COST SHARE UNDER COVID EMERGENCY DEC15 LARATION.—Notwithstanding subsection (a), assistance 

16 provided under the emergency declaration issued by the 

17 President on March 13, 2020, pursuant to section 501(b) 

18 of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency 

19 Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5191(b)), and under any subse20 quent major disaster declaration under section 401 of such 

21 Act (42 U.S.C. 5170) that supersedes such emergency 

22 declaration, shall be at a 100 percent Federal cost share. 

23 SEC. 3. CLARIFICATION OF ASSISTANCE. 

24 (a) IN GENERAL.—For the emergency declared on 

25 March 13, 2020, by the President under section 501 of 

26 the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency AsVerDate Sep 11 2014 06:45 Sep 30, 2020 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S4627.IS S4627
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1 sistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5191), the President may provide 

2 assistance for activities, costs, and purchases of States or 

3 local governments or the owners or operators of eligible 

4 private nonprofits, including— 

5 (1) activities eligible for assistance under sec6 tions 301, 415, 416, and 426 of the Robert T. Staf7 ford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act 

8 (42 U.S.C. 5141, 5182, 5183, 5189d); 

9 (2) backfill costs for first responders and other 

10 essential employees who are ill or quarantined; 

11 (3) increased operating costs for essential gov12 ernment services due to such emergency, including 

13 costs for implementing continuity plans, and shel14 tering or housing for first responders, emergency 

15 managers, health providers and other essential em16 ployees; 

17 (4) costs of providing guidance and information 

18 to the public and for call centers to disseminate such 

19 guidance and information; 

20 (5) costs associated with establishing and oper21 ating virtual services; 

22 (6) costs for establishing and operating remote 

23 test sites; 

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1 (7) training provided specifically in anticipation 

2 of or in response to the event on which such emer3 gency declaration is predicated; 

4 (8) personal protective equipment and other 

5 critical supplies and services for first responders and 

6 other essential employees, including individuals 

7 working in public schools, courthouses, and public 

8 transit systems; 

9 (9) medical equipment, regardless of whether 

10 such equipment is used for emergency or inpatient 

11 care; 

12 (10) public health costs, including provision and 

13 distribution of medicine and medical supplies; 

14 (11) costs associated with maintaining alternate 

15 care facilities or related facilities currently inactive 

16 but related to future needs tied to the ongoing pan17 demic event; and 

18 (12) costs of procuring and distributing food to 

19 individuals affected by the pandemic through net20 works established by State, local, or Tribal govern21 ments, or other organizations, including restaurants 

22 and farms, and for the purchase of food directly 

23 from food producers and farmers. 

24 (b) MAJOR DISASTER.—The activities described in 

25 subsection (a) may also be eligible for assistance under 

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1 any major disaster declared by the President under section 

2 401 of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emer3 gency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5170) that supersedes 

4 the emergency declaration described in such subsection. 

5 (c) RULE OF CONSTRUCTION.—Nothing in this sec6 tion shall be construed to make ineligible any assistance 

7 that would otherwise be eligible under section 403 or 502 

8 of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency 

9 Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5170b, 5192). 

10 (d) STATE DEFINED.—In this section, the term 

11 ‘‘State’’ has the meaning given the term in section 102 

12 of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency 

13 Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5122). 

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