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Calendar No. 229 

109TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION S. 1777 

To provide relief for the victims of Hurricane Katrina. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

SEPTEMBER 27, 2005 

Ms. COLLINS, from the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental 

Affairs, reported the following original bill; which was read twice and 

placed on the calendar 

A BILL 

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’’. 

6 SEC. 2. INDIVIDUAL AND HOUSEHOLD ASSISTANCE. 

7 (a) MAXIMUM AMOUNTS.—Notwithstanding section 

8 408 of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emer9 gency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5174), in providing as10 sistance to individuals and households affected by Hurri-
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1 cane Katrina, the President may waive the limitation on 

2 total assistance under subsection (h) of that section. 

3 (b) TYPES OF HOUSING ASSISTANCE.—No limitation 

4 relating to the maximum amount of assistance under 

5 paragraph (2) or (3) of section 408(c) of the Robert T. 

6 Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act 

7 (42 U.S.C. 5174(c)) shall apply with respect to assistance 

8 to individuals and households affected by Hurricane 

9 Katrina. 

10 (c) FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE TO ADDRESS OTHER

11 NEEDS.—Notwithstanding section 408(g)(2) of the Rob12 ert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance 

13 Act (42 U.S.C. 5174(g)(2)), in the case of financial assist14 ance provided under subsection (e) of that section to any 

15 individual or household affected by Hurricane Katrina, the 

16 President may increase the Federal share to not more 

17 than 90 percent. 

18 SEC. 3. UNEMPLOYMENT ASSISTANCE. 

19 Notwithstanding section 410 of the Robert T. Staf20 ford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (42 

21 U.S.C. 5177), in providing assistance under that section 

22 to individuals unemployed as a result of Hurricane 

23 Katrina— 

24 (1) the President shall provide assistance for as 

25 long as the unemployment of the individual con-
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1 tinues, but for not longer than 39 weeks after the 

2 date on which the unemployed individual first re3 ceives assistance; 

4 (2) the President shall accept applications for 

5 assistance for— 

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

7 date on which the applicable major disaster was 

8 declared; or 

9 (B) such longer period as may be estab10 lished by the President; and 

11 (3) the amount of assistance provided to an un12 employed individual for each week of unemployment 

13 shall be not less than 50 percent of the national av14 erage weekly unemployment benefit provided to an 

15 individual as of the date of the major disaster for 

16 which unemployment assistance is provided. 

17 SEC. 4. REIMBURSEMENT FOR PURCHASES. 

18 (a) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 

19 (1) DISASTER PERIOD.—The term ‘‘disaster pe20 riod’’ means, with respect to any State that includes 

21 an area for which a major disaster has been declared 

22 in accordance with section 401 of the Robert T. 

23 Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance 

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

25 Katrina, the period beginning on the earliest date on 
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1 which any area of the State was so declared and 

2 ending on the latest date for which any such dec3 laration of an area of the State terminates. 

4 (2) KATRINA SURVIVOR.—The term ‘‘Katrina 

5 Survivor’’ means an individual who— 

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

7 disaster has been declared in accordance with 

8 401 of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief 

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

10 5170) as a result of Hurricane Katrina; or 

11 (B) resided in an area described in sub12 paragraph (A) during the 7 days immediately 

13 preceding the date of declaration of a major 

14 disaster described in subparagraph (A). 

15 (3) MAJOR DISASTER.—The term ‘‘major dis16 aster’’ has the meaning given the term in section 

17 102 of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and 

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

19 (b) REIMBURSEMENT.— 

20 (1) IN GENERAL.—Notwithstanding any other 

21 provision of law, the President may reimburse a 

22 community for each purchase of supplies (such as 

23 food, personal hygiene products, linens, and cloth24 ing) distributed to Katrina Survivors. 
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1 (2) ELIGIBLE PURCHASES.—Reimbursement 

2 under paragraph (1) shall be available only with re3 spect to supplies that— 

4 (A) are purchased with taxpayer dollars; 

5 and 

6 (B) would otherwise be eligible for reim7 bursement if purchased by a Katrina Survivor. 

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

9 the authority provided by this section apply only to a com10 munity assisting Katrina Survivors from a State during 

11 the disaster period of the State. 

12 SEC. 5. MICROPURCHASES. 

13 (a) IN GENERAL.—Section 101 of the Second Emer14 gency Supplemental Appropriations Act to Meet Imme15 diate Needs Arising From the Consequences of Hurricane 

16 Katrina, 2005 (Public Law 109–62) is repealed. 

17 (b) AUTHORITY.—The authority provided in sub18 section 32A of the Office of Federal Procurement Policy 

19 Act (41 U.S.C. 428a) may be used with respect to any 

20 procurement for property or services determined by the 

21 head of an Executive agency to be necessary for support 

22 of Hurricane Katrina rescue and relief operations. 

23 (c) EXPIRATION.—The authority provided by sub24 section (b) shall expire on the date that is 180 days after 

25 the date of enactment of this Act. 
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1 SEC. 6. 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. 

Calendar No. 229 

109TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION S. 1777 

A BILL 

To provide relief for the victims of Hurricane 

Katrina. 

SEPTEMBER 27, 2005 

Read twice and placed on the calendar