IB 

Union Calendar No. 478 

116TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 8266 

[Report No. 116–580] 

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 

NOVEMBER 16, 2020 

Additional sponsors: Ms. PLASKETT, Ms. BROWNLEY of California, Mr. 

MALINOWSKI, Mr. LARSEN of Washington, Mr. KHANNA, Mr. SWALWELL

of California, Ms. CRAIG, Ms. JUDY CHU of California, and Mr. BYRNE

NOVEMBER 16, 2020 

Reported with an amendment; committed to the Committee of the Whole 

House on the State of the Union and ordered to be printed 

[Strike out all after the enacting clause and insert the part printed in italic] 

[For text of introduced bill, see copy of bill as introduced on September 16, 2020] 


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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 Relief 

5 Act of 2020’’. 

6 SEC. 2. COST SHARE. 

7 (a) TEMPORARY FEDERAL SHARE.—Notwithstanding 

8 sections 403(b), 403(c)(4), 404(a), 406(b), 408(d), 

9 408(g)(2), 428(e)(2)(B), and 503(a) of the Robert T. Staf10 ford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (42 

11 U.S.C. 5121 et seq.), for any emergency or major disaster 

12 declared by the President under such Act during the period 

13 beginning on January 1, 2020 and ending on December 31, 

14 2020, the Federal share of assistance provided under such 

15 sections shall be not less than 90 percent of the eligible cost 

16 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 dec25 laration, 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 the 

4 Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assist5 ance Act (42 U.S.C. 5191), the President may provide as6 sistance for activities, costs, and purchases of States, Indian 

7 tribal governments, or local governments, including— 

8 (1) activities eligible for assistance under sec9 tions 301, 415, 416, and 426 of the Robert T. Stafford 

10 Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (42 

11 U.S.C. 5141, 5182, 5183, 5189d); 

12 (2) backfill costs for first responders and other 

13 essential employees who are ill or quarantined; 

14 (3) increased operating costs for essential govern15 ment services due to such emergency, including costs 

16 for implementing continuity plans, and sheltering or 

17 housing for first responders, emergency managers, 

18 health providers and other essential employees; 

19 (4) costs of providing guidance and information 

20 to the public and for call centers to disseminate such 

21 guidance and information, including private non22 profit organizations; 

23 (5) costs associated with establishing and oper24 ating virtual services; 


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1 (6) costs for establishing and operating remote 

2 test sites, including comprehensive community based 

3 testing; 

4 (7) training provided specifically in anticipation 

5 of or in response to the event on which such emer6 gency declaration is predicated; 

7 (8) personal protective equipment and other crit8 ical supplies and services for first responders and 

9 other essential employees, including individuals work10 ing in public schools, courthouses, law enforcement, 

11 and public transit systems; 

12 (9) medical equipment, regardless of whether 

13 such equipment is used for emergency or inpatient 

14 care; 

15 (10) public health costs, including provision and 

16 distribution of medicine and medical supplies; 

17 (11) costs associated with maintaining alternate 

18 care facilities or related facilities currently inactive 

19 but related to future needs tied to the ongoing pan20 demic event; 

21 (12) costs of establishing and operating shelters 

22 and providing services, including transportation, that 

23 help alleviate the need of individuals for shelter; and 

24 (13) costs, including costs incurred by private 

25 nonprofit organizations, of procuring and distribVerDate Sep 11 2014 01:16 Nov 17, 2020 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00005 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6203 E:\BILLS\H8266.RH H8266

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1 uting food to individuals affected by the pandemic 

2 through networks established by State, local, or Tribal 

3 governments, or other organizations, including res4 taurants and farms, and for the purchase of food di5 rectly from food producers and farmers. 

6 (b) APPLICATION TO SUBSEQUENT MAJOR DIS7 ASTER.—The activities described in subsection (a) may also 

8 be eligible for assistance under any major disaster declared 

9 by the President under section 401 of such Act (42 U.S.C. 

10 5170) that supersedes the emergency declaration described 

11 in such subsection. 

12 (c) FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE FOR FUNERAL EX13 PENSES.—For any emergency or major disaster described 

14 in subsection (a) or (b), the President shall provide finan15 cial assistance to an individual or household to meet dis16 aster-related funeral expenses under section 408(e)(1) of 

17 such Act (42 U.S.C. 5174(e)). 

18 (d) ADVANCED ASSISTANCE.— 

19 (1) IN GENERAL.—In order to facilitate activities 

20 under this section, the President, acting through the Admin21 istrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, 

22 may provide assistance in advance to an eligible applicant 

23 if a failure to do so would prevent the applicant from car24 rying out such activities. 


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1 (2) ANNUAL REPORT.—The Administrator shall sub2 mit to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure 

3 of the House of Representatives and the Committee on 

4 Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs a report on 

5 assistance provided in advance pursuant to paragraph (1). 

6 (3) AUDIT BY DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY

7 INSPECTOR GENERAL.—Not later than 1 year after the date 

8 of enactment of this Act, the Inspector General of the De9 partment of Homeland Security shall conduct a follow-up 

10 review of assistance provided in advance pursuant to para11 graph (1). 

12 (4) REVIEW.—The audit under paragraph (2) shall in13 clude, at a minimum— 

14 (A) a review of the assumptions and methodolo15 gies used to determine eligibility for advanced assist16 ance; and 

17 (B) a determination of whether the advanced as18 sistance was used appropriately. 

19 (5) REPORT TO CONGRESS.—The Inspector General 

20 shall submit to the Committee on Transportation and In21 frastructure of the House of Representatives and the Com22 mittee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs of 

23 the Senate a report on the results of the review carried out 

24 under this subsection. 


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1 (e) RULE OF CONSTRUCTION.—Nothing in this section 

2 shall be construed to make ineligible any assistance that 

3 would otherwise be eligible under section 403, 408, or 502 

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

5 (f) STATE; INDIAN TRIBAL GOVERNMENT; LOCAL GOV6 ERNMENT DEFINED.—In this section, the terms ‘‘State’’, 

7 ‘‘Indian tribal government’’, and ‘‘local government’’ have 

8 the meanings given such terms in section 102 of the Robert 

9 T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act 

10 (42 U.S.C. 5122). 

11 SEC. 4. HAZARD MITIGATION ASSISTANCE. 

12 For all States or Indian tribal governments, as such 

13 terms are defined in section 102 of the Robert T. Stafford 

14 Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 

15 5122), receiving an emergency declaration on March 13, 

16 2020 by the President under section 501 of the Robert T. 

17 Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (42 

18 U.S.C. 5191), and a major disaster declared by the Presi19 dent under section 401 of such Act (42 U.S.C. 5170) that 

20 supersedes such emergency declaration, the President shall 

21 approve the availability of hazard mitigation assistance 

22 pursuant to section 404 of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster 

23 Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5170c) as 

24 part of such major disaster declarations, if requested. 


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1 SEC. 5. REPORT ON STAFFORD ACT RESPONSE CAPABILI2 TIES. 

3 Not later than 60 days after the date of enactment of 

4 this Act, the Administrator of the Federal Emergency Man5 agement Agency shall seek to enter into an agreement with 

6 the National Academy of Sciences to convene a committee 

7 of experts to conduct a comprehensive study on the use of 

8 the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency As9 sistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5121 et seq.) to respond to an emer10 gency which does not cause physical damages, such as the 

11 emergency declaration issued by the President on March 13, 

12 2020, including— 

13 (1) how non-physical damages can be quantified; 

14 (2) consideration of any factors that allow for an 

15 adjustment of cost shares; 

16 (3) recommendations to Congress on thresholds 

17 or criteria to be met to trigger a future declaration; 

18 and 

19 (4) other items that the Administrator deter20 mines necessary to increase future preparedness to 

21 such events. 

22 SEC. 6. FEDERAL ASSISTANCE TO INDIVIDUALS AND 

23 HOUSEHOLDS. 

24 Section 408(f)(3)(J)(iii) of the Robert T. Stafford Dis25 aster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 


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1 5174(f)(3)(J)(iii)) is amended by striking ‘‘2 years’’ and 

2 inserting ‘‘3 years’’. 


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pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS
Union Calendar No. 478 

116TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 8266 

[Report No. 116–580] 

A BILL 

To modify the Federal cost share of certain emerCOVID–19, and for other purposes. by the President on March 13, 2020, relating to sistance under the emergency declaration issued ance Act, to modify the activities eligible for as- Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assist- gency assistance provided under the Robert T. 

NOVEMBER 16, 2020 

Reported with an amendment; committed to the Comand ordered to be printed mittee of the Whole House on the State of the Union 


pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS