109TH CONGRESS

2D SESSION S. 1777

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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S 1777 ES

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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S 1777 ES

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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S 1777 ES

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:

Secretary.
109TH CONGRESS

2D SESSION S. 1777

AN ACT

To provide relief for the victims of Hurricane

Katrina.