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[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 6084 Introduced in House (IH)]

<DOC>

118th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 6084

     To amend the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency 
 Assistance Act to ensure that unmet needs after a major disaster are 
                                  met.

_______________________________________________________________________

                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            October 26, 2023

 Mr. Graves of Louisiana (for himself and Ms. Plaskett) 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 ensure that unmet needs after a major disaster are 
                                  met.

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

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Expediting Disaster Recovery Act''.

SEC. 2. UNMET NEEDS ASSISTANCE.

    (a) In General.--Title IV of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief 
and Emergency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5170 et seq.) is amended by 
adding at the end the following:

``SEC. 431. UNMET NEEDS ASSISTANCE.

    ``(a) In General.--After the declaration of a major disaster under 
section 401, the President may direct the Administrator of the Federal 
Emergency Management Agency to provide to a State assistance necessary 
for meeting unmet needs as a result of such disaster.
    ``(b) Funding.--
            ``(1) Amount of funding.--Not later than 30 days after the 
        President declares a major disaster under section 401, the 
        President, acting through the Administrator, may allocate an 
        amount that equals up to 10 percent of the estimated aggregate 
        amount of the grants to be made pursuant to sections 406 and 
        408 for the major disaster in order to provide technical and 
        financial assistance under this section and such amounts shall 
        be considered to be related to activities carried out with 
        assistance provided under this Act.
            ``(2) Estimated aggregate amount.--Not later than 180 days 
        after each major disaster declared pursuant to this Act, the 
        estimated aggregate amount of grants for purposes of paragraph 
        (1) shall be determined by the President and such estimated 
        amount need not be reduced, increased, or changed due to 
        variations in estimates.
            ``(3) No reduction in amounts.--Nothing in this section 
        shall be construed to reduce the amounts otherwise made 
        available for sections 403, 404, 406, 407, 408, 410, 416, and 
        428 under this Act.
    ``(c) Unmet Needs.--Financial assistance provided under this 
section may be used to provide assistance, in addition to other amounts 
made available under this Act, for the following unmet needs:
            ``(1) Disaster-related home repair and rebuilding 
        assistance to families for permanent housing purposes, 
        including in conjunction with eligible expenditures under 
        section 408.
            ``(2) Disaster-related unmet needs of families who are 
        unable to obtain adequate assistance from other sources.
            ``(3) Other disaster-related services that alleviate human 
        suffering and promote the well-being of disaster victims.
            ``(4) Economic and business activities (including food and 
        agriculture) after a disaster to implement post-disaster 
        economic recovery measures, including planning and technical 
        assistance for long-term economic recovery plans, 
        infrastructure improvements, business or infrastructure 
        financing, market or industry research, and other activities 
        authorized under a comprehensive economic development strategy.
    ``(d) Accounting and Fiscal Controls.--
            ``(1) In general.--Not later than 6 months after receipt of 
        funds and every 6 months thereafter until all such funds are 
        expended, each State receiving such funds shall submit to the 
        Administrator a report that includes--
                    ``(A) the criteria established for determining how 
                the funds are spent;
                    ``(B) the allocation of such funds; and
                    ``(C) the process for public notice and comment.
            ``(2) Compliance.--Section 312(b) shall apply to this 
        section.
            ``(3) Administrative costs.--A State that receives funds 
        under this section may expend not more than 5 percent of the 
        amount of such funds for the administrative costs of providing 
        financial assistance to individuals and households in the 
        State.''.
    (b) Applicability.--This section and the amendments made by this 
section shall apply to funds appropriated on or after the date of 
enactment of this Act.

SEC. 3. FURTHER CONSIDERATIONS FOR DISASTER DECLARATIONS.

    (a) In General.--In making recommendations to the President 
regarding the declaration of a major disaster or emergency pursuant to 
section 401 of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency 
Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5170) or the proposed non-Federal share of 
the cost of carrying out activities with assistance provided under such 
Act, the Administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency shall 
give greater weight and consideration to severe local impact resulting 
from such disaster or emergency and, in the 5-year period preceding 
such disaster or emergency, whether multiple other disasters or 
emergencies have occurred in the affected area.
    (b) Revisions to Guidance, Policies, and Regulations.--The 
Administrator shall take such actions as are necessary to revise any 
policies, guidance, or regulations of the Agency to implement 
subsection (a).
    (c) Report.--Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of 
this section, the Administrator shall submit to the Committee on 
Transportation and Infrastructure of the House of Representatives and 
the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs of the 
Senate a report on the implementation of this section and shall include 
in such report a description of--
            (1) changes made to guidance, policies, or regulations 
        pursuant to subsection (b); and
            (2) the number of major disasters and emergencies that have 
        been declared pursuant to section 401 of the Robert T. Stafford 
        Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act based on the 
        criteria described in subsection (a).

SEC. 4. REPAIR AND REBUILDING.

    (a) In General.--Section 408(c) of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster 
Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5174) is amended--
            (1) in paragraph (2)--
                    (A) in subparagraph (A)(i) by striking ``to a safe 
                and sanitary living or functioning condition''; and
                    (B) in subparagraph (B)--
                            (i) by striking ``A recipient of'' and 
                        inserting the following:
                            ``(i) Evidence of other means of 
                        assistance.--A recipient of''; and
                            (ii) by adding at the end the following:
                            ``(ii) Coordination with other 
                        assistance.--Assistance allowed under this 
                        paragraph may be used in coordination with 
                        other sources for the repair and rebuilding of 
                        an owner-occupied residence.''; and
            (2) in paragraph (4) by striking ``in cases in which'' and 
        all that follows through the end of the paragraph and inserting 
        ``if the President considers it a cost effective alternative to 
        other housing solutions, including the costs associated with 
        temporary housing provided under this section, and long-term 
        rebuilding costs associated with section 431.''.
    (b) Applicability.--This section and the amendments made by this 
section shall apply to funds appropriated on or after the date of 
enactment of this Act.

SEC. 5. FEMA EMERGENCY HOME REPAIR PROGRAM.

    (a) In General.--Section 403(a) of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster 
Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5170b(a)) is amended--
            (1) in paragraph (3)--
                    (A) in subparagraph (I) by striking ``and'' at the 
                end;
                    (B) in subparagraph (J) by striking the period and 
                inserting ``; and''; and
                    (C) by adding at the end the following:
                    ``(K) minor repairs up to habitability of owner-
                occupied homes damaged by the disaster in order for 
                survivors to safely shelter in place.''; and
            (2) by adding at the end the following:
            ``(5) Duplication of benefit limitations.--Notwithstanding 
        section 312, any minor repairs up to habitability of owner-
        occupied homes may not be considered a duplication of any owner 
        benefits.
            ``(6) Sheltering and housing options.--Not later than 15 
        days after a declaration of a major disaster, the Federal 
        coordinating officer shall provide all sheltering and housing 
        options available under this section to a State Governor, or 
        the designated State coordinating officer.
            ``(7) Definitions.--In this subsection, the term `minor 
        repairs up to habitability' means the minimum standards for 
        permanent housing described in section 576.403(c) of title 24, 
        Code of Federal Regulations (or successor regulations).''.
    (b) Rulemaking.--Not later than 2 years after the date of enactment 
of this Act, the Administrator of the Federal Emergency Management 
Agency shall issue final regulations to implement the amendments made 
by this section.

SEC. 6. APPEALS OF INDIVIDUALS AND HOUSEHOLDS PROGRAM BENEFITS.

    The Administrator shall revise section 206.115 of title 44, Code of 
Federal Regulations, to require the Federal Emergency Management Agency 
to provide to any applicant who appeals a determination of eligibility 
of assistance--
            (1) any documentation used to make such determination, 
        including any inspection documents that exist;
            (2) a description of--
                    (A) the reasons for such determination; and
                    (B) recommended steps that could be taken to remedy 
                a determination of ineligibility, including, as 
                applicable, a list of additional documentation that the 
                applicant may provide; and
            (3) any inspection documents that exist not later than 10 
        days after the completion of the inspection.

SEC. 7. PERIOD OF ASSISTANCE.

    The Administrator shall revise section 206.115 of title 44, Code of 
Federal Regulations, to extend the period of assistance for Federal 
assistance to individuals and households to 24 months after the date of 
a major disaster declaration pursuant to section 401 of the Robert T. 
Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5170).

SEC. 8. REPORT TO CONGRESS ON MAJOR DISASTER DECLARATIONS.

    Not later than 180 days after the date of enactment of this Act, 
the Administrator shall submit to the Committee on Homeland Security 
and Governmental Affairs of the Senate and the Committee on 
Transportation and Infrastructure of the House of Representatives a 
report containing the following information with respect to each major 
disaster declared pursuant to section 401 of the Robert T. Stafford 
Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5170) during 
the 5-year period preceding such date of enactment:
            (1) The process used by the Federal Emergency Management 
        Agency to determine individual household need.
            (2) An itemization of the most common reasons for denial of 
        individual and household assistance pursuant to section 408 of 
        the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance 
        Act (42 U.S.C. 5174).
            (3) The rate of appeals of denial of such assistance.
            (4) The amount of time the Agency takes to issue a decision 
        regarding eligibility for individual assistance, disaggregated 
        by each such major disaster.
            (5) Information on the use of Disaster Legal Services and 
        the number of applicants who were eligible for such services.
            (6) The total number of Disaster Legal Services volunteers 
        as of such date of enactment.
            (7) The number of such volunteers who were activated for 
        each such major disaster.
            (8) The amount of time taken after the declaration of each 
        such major disaster to set up disaster recovery centers that 
        provide access to individual assistance.
            (9) The number of disaster recovery centers opened for each 
        such major disaster.
            (10) The process used for selecting the location of such 
        disaster recovery centers.
            (11) The average amount of time disaster recovery centers 
        remained open.
            (12) The average amount of time individual survivors spend 
        at such centers.
            (13) A description of outreach efforts in low-income, 
        rural, and underserved communities regarding the availability 
        of assistance provided by the Federal Emergency Management 
        Agency under the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and 
        Emergency Assistance Act.

SEC. 9. REVIEW BY COMPTROLLER GENERAL.

    Not later than 5 years after the date of enactment of this Act, the 
Comptroller General of the United States shall--
            (1) conduct a review of the fiscal controls of States that 
        receive assistance under section 431 of the Robert T. Stafford 
        Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act, as added by 
        section 2; and
            (2) make recommendations regarding the program established 
        under such section to the Committee on Homeland Security and 
        Governmental Affairs of the Senate and the Committee on 
        Transportation and Infrastructure of the House of 
        Representatives.
                                 <all>
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