I 

117TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 2017 

To modify certain requirements to encourage the recovery of Puerto Rico 

and the United States Virgin Islands. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

MARCH 18, 2021 

Miss GONZA ́LEZ-COLO ́N introduced the following bill; which was referred to 

the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure 

A BILL 

To modify certain requirements to encourage the recovery 

of Puerto Rico and the United States Virgin Islands. 

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

3 SECTION 1. ALTERNATIVE PROCEDURES. 

4 In providing assistance pursuant to section 428 of the 

5 Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assist6 ance Act (42 U.S.C. 5189f), for critical services as set 

7 forth in section 406(a)(3) for the duration of the recovery 

8 for incidents DR–4336–PR, DR–4339–PR, DR–4340– 

9 USVI, and DR–4335–USVI, the Administrator of the 

10 Federal Emergency Management Agency shall— 


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1 (1) revise the guidance definitions for applica2 tion of section 20601 of the Bipartisan Budget Act 

3 of 2018 (Public Law 115–123) to provide explicitly 

4 that multicomponent systems or facilities be in5 spected, evaluated, and estimated as a single project 

6 rather than requiring every component of the system 

7 to be inspected, evaluated, and estimated; 

8 (2) at the request of an applicant, put into ef9 fect a procedure for evaluation and authorization of 

10 projects through professionally licensed engineers, as 

11 provided by subparagraphs (F) and (G) subsection 

12 (d)(1) of section 428 of the Robert T. Stafford Dis13 aster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act; and 

14 (3) extend the deadline for the presentation of 

15 cost estimates and project worksheets under such in16 cidents until October 31, 2021. 

17 SEC. 2. ASSISTANCE THROUGHOUT RECOVERY. 

18 Section 20601 of the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2018 

19 (Public Law 115–123) is amended by striking ‘‘may’’ and 

20 inserting ‘‘shall’’. 

21 SEC. 3. TIMELY BASIS FOR PAYMENT AND REIMBURSE22 MENT. 

23 Section 428(c) of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Re24 lief and Emergency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5189f) is 

25 amended— 


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1 (1) in paragraph (3), by striking ‘‘and’’; 

2 (2) in paragraph (4), by striking the period and 

3 inserting ‘‘; and’’; and 

4 (3) by adding at the end the following: 

5 ‘‘(5) ensuring that work performed by pro6 viders, suppliers, and contractors to the Federal, 

7 State, local, or tribal governments or nonprofit fa8 cilities under the provisions of this Act is paid for 

9 and reimbursed in a timely manner.’’. 

10 SEC. 4. SUBRECIPIENT PAYMENTS. 

11 (a) IN GENERAL.—For incidents DR–4336–PR, 

12 DR–4339–PR, DR–4340–USVI, and DR–4335–USVI/ 

13 For any major disaster or emergency declared under the 

14 Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assist15 ance Act (42 U.S.C 5121 et seq.) in Puerto Rico or the 

16 United States Virgin Islands, a subrecipient in meeting 

17 any Federal cost-sharing requirement may use available 

18 funds from any disaster recovery program/source, includ19 ing Community Development Block Grants—Disaster Re20 covery, Community Development Block Grants, commu21 nity disaster loans, and any in-kind contributions (unless 

22 prohibited by law) to meet any Federal cost-sharing re23 quirement. Such funds or loans shall cover the cumulative 

24 costs of any approved obligation under the specific public 

25 assistance category determined by the Federal Emergency 


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1 Management Administration under such Act rather than 

2 having to apply individually to each specific cost estimate 

3 or project worksheet issued under such obligation. 

4 (b) DEFINITION.—For purposes of this section, the 

5 term ‘‘subrecipient’’ means a local government or a non6 governmental organization (NGO). 

Æ 


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