I 

116TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 8266 

To modify the Federal cost share of certain emergency assistance provided 

under the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance 

Act, to modify the activities eligible for assistance under the emergency 

declaration issued by the President on March 13, 2020, relating to 

COVID–19, and for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

SEPTEMBER 16, 2020 

Mr. DEFAZIO (for himself, Mr. THOMPSON of California, Mrs. LOWEY, Ms. 

TITUS, Ms. ROYBAL-ALLARD, Mr. BLUMENAUER, Mr. WALDEN, Mr. 

SCHRADER, Ms. BONAMICI, Ms. NORTON, Mrs. NAPOLITANO, Mr. SEAN

PATRICK MALONEY of New York, Mr. PAYNE, Mr. CARBAJAL, Mr. 

LOWENTHAL, Mr. STANTON, Mr. HUFFMAN, Mr. PAPPAS, Mr. 

GARAMENDI, Ms. FINKENAUER, Mr. LIPINSKI, Mr. CARSON of Indiana, 

Mr. SIRES, Ms. MUCARSEL-POWELL, Mr. LYNCH, Mr. DESAULNIER, Mr. 

ROUDA, Mr. PANETTA, Mr. COSTA, Ms. JOHNSON of Texas, Mr. COHEN, 

Ms. SA ́NCHEZ, Mr. BROWN of Maryland, Ms. ESHOO, and Ms. LOFGREN) 

introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on 

Transportation and Infrastructure 

A BILL 

To modify the Federal cost share of certain emergency assistance provided under the Robert T. Stafford Disaster 

Relief and Emergency Assistance Act, to modify the activities eligible for assistance under the emergency declaration issued by the President on March 13, 2020, 

relating to COVID–19, and for other purposes. 


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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 ‘‘FEMA Assistance Re5 lief Act of 2020’’. 

6 SEC. 2. COST SHARE. 

7 (a) TEMPORARY FEDERAL SHARE.—Notwith8 standing sections 403(b), 403(c)(4), 404(a), 406(b), 

9 408(d), 408(g)(2), 428(e)(2)(B), and 503(a) of the Robert 

10 T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act 

11 (42 U.S.C. 5121 et seq.), for any emergency or major dis12 aster declared by the President under such Act during the 

13 period beginning on January 1, 2020, and ending on De14 cember 31, 2020, the Federal share of assistance provided 

15 under such sections shall be not less than 90 percent of 

16 the eligible cost of such assistance. 

17 (b) COST SHARE UNDER COVID EMERGENCY DEC18 LARATION.—Notwithstanding subsection (a), assistance 

19 provided under the emergency declaration issued by the 

20 President on March 13, 2020, pursuant to section 501(b) 

21 of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency 

22 Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5191(b)), and under any subse23 quent major disaster declaration under section 401 of such 

24 Act (42 U.S.C. 5170) that supersedes such emergency 

25 declaration, shall be at a 100 percent Federal cost share. 


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1 SEC. 3. CLARIFICATION OF ASSISTANCE. 

2 (a) IN GENERAL.—For the emergency declared on 

3 March 13, 2020, by the President under section 501 of 

4 the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency As5 sistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5191), the President may provide 

6 assistance for activities, costs, and purchases of States or 

7 local governments or the owners or operators of eligible 

8 private nonprofits, including— 

9 (1) activities eligible for assistance under sec10 tions 301, 415, 416, and 426 of the Robert T. Staf11 ford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act 

12 (42 U.S.C. 5141, 5182, 5183, 5189d); 

13 (2) backfill costs for first responders and other 

14 essential employees who are ill or quarantined; 

15 (3) increased operating costs for essential gov16 ernment services due to such emergency, including 

17 costs for implementing continuity plans, and shel18 tering or housing for first responders, emergency 

19 managers, health providers, and other essential em20 ployees; 

21 (4) costs of providing guidance and information 

22 to the public and for call centers to disseminate such 

23 guidance and information; 

24 (5) costs associated with establishing and oper25 ating virtual services; 


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1 (6) costs for establishing and operating remote 

2 test sites; 

3 (7) training provided specifically in anticipation 

4 of or in response to the event on which such emer5 gency declaration is predicated; 

6 (8) personal protective equipment and other 

7 critical supplies and services for first responders and 

8 other essential employees, including individuals 

9 working in public schools, courthouses, and public 

10 transit systems; 

11 (9) medical equipment, regardless of whether 

12 such equipment is used for emergency or inpatient 

13 care; 

14 (10) public health costs, including provision and 

15 distribution of medicine and medical supplies; 

16 (11) costs associated with maintaining alternate 

17 care facilities or related facilities currently inactive 

18 but related to future needs tied to the ongoing pan19 demic event; and 

20 (12) costs of procuring and distributing food to 

21 individuals affected by the pandemic through net22 works established by State, local, or Tribal govern23 ments, or other organizations, including restaurants 

24 and farms, and for the purchase of food directly 

25 from food producers and farmers. 


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1 (b) MAJOR DISASTER.—The activities described in 

2 subsection (a) may also be eligible for assistance under 

3 any major disaster declared by the President under section 

4 401 of such Act (42 U.S.C. 5170) that supersedes the 

5 emergency declaration described in such subsection. 

6 (c) RULE OF CONSTRUCTION.—Nothing in this sec7 tion shall be construed to make ineligible any assistance 

8 that would otherwise be eligible under section 403 or 502 

9 of such Act (42 U.S.C. 5170b, 5192). 

10 (d) STATE DEFINED.—In this section, the term 

11 ‘‘State’’ has the meaning given the term in section 102 

12 of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency 

13 Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5122). 

Æ 


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