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[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 6108 Introduced in House (IH)]

<DOC>

118th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 6108

     To amend the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency 
 Assistance Act to provide assistance for common interest communities, 
condominiums, and housing cooperatives damaged by a major disaster, and 
                          for other purposes.

_______________________________________________________________________

                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            October 26, 2023

  Mr. Steube 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 provide assistance for common interest communities, 
condominiums, and housing cooperatives damaged by a major disaster, and 
                          for other purposes.

    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 ``Clean Up Disasters and Emergencies 
with Better Recovery and Immediate Support Act'' or the ``Clean Up 
DEBRIS Act''.

SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS.

    Section 102 of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency 
Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5122) is amended by adding at the end the 
following:
            ``(13) Residential common interest community.--The term 
        `residential common interest community' means any mandatory 
        membership organization comprising owners of real estate 
        described in a declaration or created pursuant to a covenant or 
        other applicable law with respect to which a person, by virtue 
        of the person's ownership of a unit, is obligated to pay for a 
        share of real estate taxes, insurance premiums, maintenance, or 
        improvement of, or services or other expenses related to, 
        common elements, other units, or any other real estate other 
        than that unit described in the declaration.
            ``(14) Condominium.--The term `condominium' means a stand-
        alone condominium project in which each dwelling unit is 
        separately owned, in which the remaining portions of the real 
        estate are designated for common ownership solely by the owners 
        of the related units, each owner having an undivided interest 
        in the common elements, and which is represented by an 
        association consisting exclusively of all the unit owners in 
        the project, which is, or will be responsible for the 
        operation, administration, and management of the project.
            ``(15) Housing cooperative.--The term `housing cooperative' 
        means a multi-unit housing entity, including an association of 
        manufactured homes, in which each dwelling unit is subject to 
        separate use and possession by 1 or more cooperative members 
        whose interest in such unit, and in any undivided assets of the 
        cooperative association that are appurtenant to such unit, is 
        evidenced by a membership or share interest in a cooperative 
        association and a lease or other document of title or 
        possession granted by such cooperative as the owner of all 
        cooperative property.''.

SEC. 3. REMOVAL OF DEBRIS RESULTING FROM A MAJOR DISASTER IN 
              RESIDENTIAL COMMON INTEREST COMMUNITIES.

    Section 407 of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency 
Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5173) is amended--
            (1) by redesignating subsections (d) and (e) as subsections 
        (e) and (f); and
            (2) by inserting after subsection (c) the following:
    ``(d) Rules Relating to Residential Common Interest Communities.--
            ``(1) Issuance of rules.--The President shall issue rules 
        which provide that removal of debris or wreckage from a unit of 
        real estate within a residential common interest community, 
        condominium entity, or an entity of a housing cooperative from 
        a major disaster is in the public interest when a State or 
        local government determines in writing such debris or wreckage 
        constitutes a threat to life, to public health or safety, or to 
        the economic recovery of the residential common interest 
        community.
            ``(2) Deference.--In issuing the rules under paragraph (1), 
        the President shall be deferential to defined terms in State or 
        local laws and ordinances.''.

SEC. 4. CONDOMINIUMS AND HOUSING COOPERATIVES DAMAGED BY A MAJOR 
              DISASTER.

    Section 408(c)(2)(A) of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and 
Emergency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5174(c)(2)(A)) is amended--
            (1) in clause (i) by striking ``and'' at the end;
            (2) by redesignating clause (ii) as clause (iii); and
            (3) by adding after clause (i) the following:
                            ``(ii) the repair of essential common 
                        elements of a condominium or housing 
                        cooperative (such as a roof, exterior wall, 
                        heating and cooling equipment, elevator, 
                        stairwell, utility access, plumbing, and 
                        electricity) provided an individual's or 
                        household's pro rata share of essential common 
                        element repair costs are satisfactorily 
                        documented; and''.

SEC. 5. APPLICABILITY.

    The amendments made by this Act shall apply to a major disaster or 
emergency declared by the President under the Robert T. Stafford 
Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5121 et seq.) 
on or after the date of enactment of this Act.
                                 <all>
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