I 

118TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 5626 

To require rulemaking by the Administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency to address considerations in evaluating the need for 

public and individual disaster assistance, and for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

SEPTEMBER 21, 2023 

Mr. BOST introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee 

on Transportation and Infrastructure 

A BILL 

To require rulemaking by the Administrator of the Federal 

Emergency Management Agency to address considerations in evaluating the need for public and individual 

disaster assistance, 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. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Rural Disaster Dec5 laration Fairness Act’’. 

6 SEC. 2. REGULATORY ACTION REQUIRED. 

7 (a) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 120 days after the 

8 date of enactment of this Act, the Administrator of the 


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1 Federal Emergency Management Agency (in this Act re2 ferred to as the ‘‘Administrator’’ and ‘‘FEMA’’, respec3 tively) shall amend the rules of the Administrator under 

4 section 206.48 of title 44, Code of Federal Regulations, 

5 as in effect on the date of enactment of this Act, in accord6 ance with the provisions of this Act. 

7 (b) NEW CRITERIA REQUIRED.—The amended rules 

8 issued under subsection (a) shall provide for the following: 

9 (1) PUBLIC ASSISTANCE PROGRAM.—Such rules 

10 shall provide that, with respect to the evaluation of 

11 the need for public assistance, FEMA shall consider 

12 the economic circumstances of the local economy of 

13 the affected area, including factors such as the local 

14 assessable tax base and local sales tax, the median 

15 income, and the poverty rate. 

16 (2) INDIVIDUAL ASSISTANCE PROGRAM.—Such 

17 rules shall provide that, with respect to the evalua18 tion of the severity, magnitude, and impact of the 

19 disaster and the evaluation of the need for assist20 ance to individuals, FEMA shall consider the eco21 nomic circumstances of the affected area, including 

22 factors such as the local assessable tax base and 

23 local sales tax, the median income, and the poverty 

24 rate. 


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1 (c) EFFECTIVE DATE.—The amended rules issued 

2 under subsection (a) shall apply to any disaster for which 

3 a Governor requested a major disaster declaration under 

4 the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency As5 sistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5121 et seq.) and was denied on 

6 or after January 1, 2012. 

7 (d) COST SHARING.—Section 406(b) of the Robert 

8 T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act 

9 (42 U.S.C. 5172) is amended by striking paragraph (1) 

10 and inserting the following: 

11 ‘‘(1) MINIMUM NON-FEDERAL SHARE.—The 

12 non-Federal share of assistance under this section 

13 shall be not less than 10 percent of the eligible cost 

14 of repair, restoration, reconstruction, or replacement 

15 carried out under this section.’’. 

Æ 


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