I 

109TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION S. 1777 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

FEBRUARY 15, 2006 

Referred to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, and in addition to the Committee on the Judiciary, for a period to be subsequently 

determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned 

AN ACT 

To provide relief for the victims of Hurricane Katrina. 

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 ‘‘Katrina Emergency 

5 Assistance Act of 2005’’. 
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1 SEC. 2. UNEMPLOYMENT ASSISTANCE. 

2 (a) IN GENERAL.—Notwithstanding section 410 of 

3 the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency As4 sistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5177), in providing assistance 

5 under that section to individuals unemployed as a result 

6 of Hurricane Katrina— 

7 (1) the President shall accept applications for 

8 assistance during— 

9 (A) the 90-day period beginning on the 

10 date on which the applicable major disaster was 

11 declared; or 

12 (B) such longer period as may be estab13 lished by the President; and 

14 (2) subject to subsection (b), the President 

15 shall provide assistance to any unemployed indi16 vidual, to the extent the individual is not entitled to 

17 unemployment compensation under any Federal or 

18 State law, until that individual is reemployed in a 

19 suitable position. 

20 (b) LIMITATION FOR PERIOD OF ASSISTANCE.—The 

21 total amount of assistance payable to an individual under 

22 subsection (a) may not exceed payments based on a 39- 

23 week period of unemployment. 

24 SEC. 3. REIMBURSEMENT FOR PURCHASES. 

25 (a) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 
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1 (1) DISASTER PERIOD.—The term ‘‘disaster pe2 riod’’ means, with respect to any State that includes 

3 an area for which a major disaster has been declared 

4 in accordance with section 401 of the Robert T. 

5 Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance 

6 Act (42 U.S.C. 5170) as a result of Hurricane 

7 Katrina or Hurricane Rita, the period beginning on 

8 the earliest date on which any area of the State was 

9 so declared and ending on the latest date for which 

10 any such declaration of an area of the State termi11 nates. 

12 (2) KATRINA OR RITA SURVIVOR.—The term 

13 ‘‘Katrina or Rita Survivor’’ means an individual 

14 who— 

15 (A) resides in an area for which a major 

16 disaster has been declared in accordance with 

17 401 of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief 

18 and Emergency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 

19 5170) as a result of Hurricane Katrina or Hur20 ricane Rita; or 

21 (B) resided in an area described in sub22 paragraph (A) during the 7 days immediately 

23 preceding the date of declaration of a major 

24 disaster described in subparagraph (A). 
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1 (3) MAJOR DISASTER.—The term ‘‘major dis2 aster’’ has the meaning given the term in section 

3 102 of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and 

4 Emergency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5122). 

5 (b) REIMBURSEMENT.— 

6 (1) IN GENERAL.—Notwithstanding any other 

7 provision of law, the President may reimburse a 

8 community for each purchase of supplies (such as 

9 food, personal hygiene products, linens, and cloth10 ing) distributed to Katrina or Rita Survivors. 

11 (2) ELIGIBLE PURCHASES.—Reimbursement 

12 under paragraph (1) shall be available only with re13 spect to supplies that— 

14 (A) are purchased with taxpayer dollars; 

15 and 

16 (B) would otherwise be eligible for reim17 bursement if purchased by a Katrina or Rita 

18 Survivor. 

19 (c) PERIOD OF APPLICABILITY.—This section and 

20 the authority provided by this section apply only to a com21 munity assisting Katrina or Rita Survivors from a State 

22 during the disaster period of the State. 
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1 SEC. 4. INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS DISPLACED BY 

2 KATRINA. 

3 It is the sense of Congress that the Bureau of Immi4 gration and Customs Enforcement within the Department 

5 of Homeland Security should suspend or refrain from ini6 tiating removal proceedings for international students and 

7 scholars who are deportable solely due to their inability 

8 to fulfill the terms of their visas as a result of a national 

9 disaster, such as Hurricane Katrina. 

10 SEC. 5. CONTRACTING AUTHORITY. 

11 Not later than 90 days after the date of enactment 

12 of this Act, the Secretary of Homeland Security, acting 

13 through the Under Secretary for Emergency Prepared14 ness, shall propose new inspection guidelines that prohibit 

15 an inspector from entering into a contract with any indi16 vidual or entity for whom the inspector performs an in17 spection for purposes of determining eligibility for assist18 ance from the Federal Emergency Management Agency. 

Passed the Senate February 15, 2006. 

Attest: EMILY J. REYNOLDS, 

Secretary.