I 

112TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 1953 

To amend the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance 

Act to include procedures for requests from Indian tribes for a major 

disaster or emergency declaration, and for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

MAY 24, 2011 

Mr. RAHALL (for himself, Mr. COLE, and Ms. NORTON) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Transportation and 

Infrastructure 

A BILL 

To amend the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act to include procedures for requests 

from Indian tribes for a major disaster or emergency 

declaration, 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. TRIBAL REQUESTS FOR A MAJOR DISASTER OR 

4 EMERGENCY DECLARATION UNDER THE 

5 STAFFORD ACT. 

6 (a) MAJOR DISASTER REQUESTS.—Section 401 of 

7 the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency As8 sistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5170) is amended— 


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1 (1) by striking ‘‘All requests for a declaration’’ 

2 and inserting ‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—All requests for a 

3 declaration’’; and 

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

5 ‘‘(b) INDIAN TRIBAL GOVERNMENT REQUESTS.— 

6 ‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—The Chief Executive of an 

7 affected Indian tribal government may submit a re8 quest for a declaration by the President that a 

9 major disaster exists consistent with the require10 ments of subsection (a). 

11 ‘‘(2) REFERENCES.—In implementing assist12 ance authorized by the President under this title in 

13 response to the request of the Chief Executive of an 

14 affected Indian tribal government for a major dis15 aster declaration, references to State and Governor 

16 in this title and in section 319 of this Act shall 

17 mean Indian tribal government and the Chief Execu18 tive of an affected Indian tribal government, respec19 tively. 

20 ‘‘(3) SAVINGS PROVISION.—Nothing in this sub21 section shall prohibit an Indian tribal government 

22 from receiving assistance under this title through a 

23 declaration made by the President at the request of 

24 a State under subsection (a) if the President does 


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1 not make a declaration under this subsection for the 

2 same incident. 

3 ‘‘(c) COST SHARE ADJUSTMENTS FOR INDIAN TRIB4 AL GOVERNMENTS.—Notwithstanding any other provision 

5 of this title, any non-Federal contributions required under 

6 this title to be paid by an Indian tribal government shall 

7 be waived if the required contribution is less than 

8 $200,000. If any required non-Federal contribution is 

9 more than $200,000, it may be adjusted or waived in ac10 cordance with criteria established by the President.’’. 

11 (b) EMERGENCY REQUESTS.—Section 501 of the 

12 Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assist13 ance Act (42 U.S.C. 5191) is amended by adding at the 

14 end the following: 

15 ‘‘(c) INDIAN TRIBAL GOVERNMENT REQUESTS.— 

16 ‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—The Chief Executive of an 

17 affected Indian tribal government may submit a re18 quest for a declaration by the President that an 

19 emergency exists consistent with the requirements of 

20 subsection (a). 

21 ‘‘(2) REFERENCES.—In implementing assist22 ance authorized by the President under this title in 

23 response to the request of the Chief Executive of an 

24 affected Indian tribal government for an emergency 

25 declaration, references to State and Governor in this 


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1 title and in section 319 of this Act shall mean In2 dian tribal government and the Chief Executive of 

3 an affected Indian tribal government, respectively. 

4 ‘‘(3) SAVINGS PROVISION.—Nothing in this sub5 section shall prohibit an Indian tribal government 

6 from receiving assistance under this title through a 

7 declaration made by the President at the request of 

8 a State under subsection (a) if the President does 

9 not make a declaration under this subsection for the 

10 same incident. 

11 ‘‘(d) COST SHARE ADJUSTMENTS FOR INDIAN TRIB12 AL GOVERNMENTS.—Notwithstanding any other provision 

13 of this title, any non-Federal contributions required under 

14 this title to be paid by an Indian tribal government shall 

15 be waived if the required contribution is less than 

16 $200,000. If any required non-Federal contribution is 

17 more than $200,000, it may be adjusted or waived in ac18 cordance with criteria established by the President.’’. 

19 (c) DEFINITIONS.—Section 102 of the Robert T. 

20 Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act 

21 (42 U.S.C. 5122) is amended— 

22 (1) in paragraph (7)(B) by striking ‘‘; and’’ and 

23 inserting ‘‘, that is not an Indian tribal government 

24 as defined in paragraph (6); and’’; 


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1 (2) by redesignating paragraphs (6) through 

2 (10) as paragraphs (7) through (11), respectively; 

3 (3) by inserting after paragraph (5) the fol4 lowing: 

5 ‘‘(6) INDIAN TRIBAL GOVERNMENT.—The term 

6 ‘Indian tribal government’ means the governing body 

7 of any Indian or Alaska Native tribe, band, nation, 

8 pueblo, village, or community that the Secretary of 

9 the Interior acknowledges to exist as an Indian tribe 

10 under the Federally Recognized Indian Tribe List 

11 Act of 1994 (25 U.S.C. 479a).’’; and 

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

13 ‘‘(12) CHIEF EXECUTIVE.—The term ‘Chief Ex14 ecutive’ means the person who is recognized by the 

15 Secretary of the Interior as the chief elected admin16 istrative officer of an Indian tribal government.’’. 

17 (d) REFERENCES.—Title I of the Robert T. Stafford 

18 Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act is amended 

19 by adding after section 102 the following: 

20 ‘‘SEC. 103. REFERENCES. 

21 ‘‘Except as otherwise specified, any reference to 

22 ‘State and local’ or ‘State or local’ governments or officials 

23 in this Act, and all references to ‘local government’ in secVerDate Mar 15 2010 21:03 May 31, 2011 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00005 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H1953.IH H1953

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1 tion 417, shall be deemed to refer also to Indian tribal 

2 governments and officials, as appropriate.’’. 

Æ 


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