II 

111TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION S. 3337 

To amend the Public Works and Economic Development Administration Act 

of 1965 to establish a program to provide technical assistance grants 

for use by organizations in assisting individuals and businesses affected 

by the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

MAY 11, 2010 

Ms. LANDRIEU introduced the following bill; which was read twice and 

referred to the Committee on Environment and Public Works 

A BILL 

To amend the Public Works and Economic Development 

Administration Act of 1965 to establish a program to 

provide technical assistance grants for use by organizations in assisting individuals and businesses affected by 

the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. 

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 ‘‘Oil Spill Claims Assist5 ance and Recovery Act’’. 


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1 SEC. 2. OIL SPILL CLAIMS ASSISTANCE AND RECOVERY. 

2 (a) IN GENERAL.—Title II of the Public Works and 

3 Economic Development Act of 1965 is amended by insert4 ing after section 207 (42 U.S.C. 3147) the following: 

5 ‘‘SEC. 208. OIL SPILL CLAIMS ASSISTANCE AND RECOVERY. 

6 ‘‘(a) ESTABLISHMENT OF GRANT PROGRAM.—The 

7 Secretary shall establish a grant program to provide to 

8 eligible (as determined by the Secretary) organizations 

9 technical assistance grants for use in assisting individuals 

10 and businesses affected by the Deepwater Horizon oil spill 

11 in the Gulf of Mexico (referred to in this section as the 

12 ‘oil spill’). 

13 ‘‘(b) APPLICATION.—An organization that seeks to 

14 receive a grant under this section shall submit to the Sec15 retary an application for the grant at such time, in such 

16 form, and containing such information as the Secretary 

17 shall require. 

18 ‘‘(c) USE OF FUNDS.— 

19 ‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—Funds from a grant pro20 vided under this section may be used by an eligible 

21 organization— 

22 ‘‘(A) to support— 

23 ‘‘(i) education; 

24 ‘‘(ii) outreach; 

25 ‘‘(iii) intake; 

26 ‘‘(iv) language services; 


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1 ‘‘(v) accounting services; 

2 ‘‘(vi) legal services offered pro bono or 

3 by a nonprofit organization; 

4 ‘‘(vii) damage assessments; 

5 ‘‘(viii) economic loss analysis; 

6 ‘‘(ix) collecting and preparing docu7 mentation; and 

8 ‘‘(x) assistance in the preparation and 

9 filing of claims or appeals; 

10 ‘‘(B) to provide assistance to individuals or 

11 businesses seeking assistance from or under— 

12 ‘‘(i) a party responsible for the oil 

13 spill; 

14 ‘‘(ii) the Oil Spill Liability Trust 

15 Fund; 

16 ‘‘(iii) an insurance policy; or 

17 ‘‘(iv) any other program administered 

18 by the Federal Government or a State or 

19 local government; 

20 ‘‘(C) to pay for salaries, training, and ap21 propriate expenses relating to the purchase or 

22 lease of property to support operations, equip23 ment (including computers and telecommuni24 cations), and travel expenses; 

25 ‘‘(D) to assist other organizations in— 


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1 ‘‘(i) assisting specific business sectors; 

2 ‘‘(ii) providing services; 

3 ‘‘(iii) assisting specific jurisdictions; 

4 or 

5 ‘‘(iv) otherwise supporting operations; 

6 and 

7 ‘‘(E) to establish an advisory board of 

8 service providers and technical experts— 

9 ‘‘(i) to monitor the claims process re10 lating to the oil spill; and 

11 ‘‘(ii) to provide recommendations to 

12 the parties responsible for the oil spill, the 

13 National Pollution Funds Center, other ap14 propriate agencies, and Congress to im15 prove fairness and efficiency in the claims 

16 process. 

17 ‘‘(2) PROHIBITION ON USE OF FUNDS.—Funds 

18 from a grant provided under this section may not be 

19 used to provide compensation for damages or re20 moval costs relating to the oil spill. 

21 ‘‘(d) PROVISION OF GRANTS.— 

22 ‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 60 days 

23 after the date of enactment of the Oil Spill Claims 

24 Assistance and Recovery Act, the Secretary shall 

25 provide grants under this section. 


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1 ‘‘(2) NETWORKED ORGANIZATIONS.—The Sec2 retary is encouraged to consider applications for 

3 grants under this section from organizations that 

4 have established networks with affected business sec5 tors, including— 

6 ‘‘(A) the fishery and aquaculture indus7 tries; 

8 ‘‘(B) the restaurant, grocery, food proc9 essing, and food delivery industries; and 

10 ‘‘(C) the hotel and tourism industries. 

11 ‘‘(3) TRAINING.—Not later than 30 days after 

12 the date on which an eligible organization receives a 

13 grant under this section, the Director of the Na14 tional Pollution Funds Center and the parties re15 sponsible for the oil spill shall provide training to the 

16 organization regarding the applicable rules and pro17 cedures for the claims process relating to the oil 

18 spill. 

19 ‘‘(4) AVAILABILITY OF FUNDS.—Funds from a 

20 grant provided under this section shall be available 

21 until the later of, as determined by the Secretary— 

22 ‘‘(A) the date that is 6 years after the date 

23 on which the oil spill occurred; and 

24 ‘‘(B) the date on which all claims relating 

25 to the oil spill have been satisfied. 


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1 ‘‘(e) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There 

2 is authorized to be appropriated to the Secretary to carry 

3 out this section $20,000,000.’’. 

4 (b) CONFORMING AMENDMENT.—The table of con5 tents of the Public Works and Economic Development Ad6 ministration Act of 1965 (42 U.S.C. prec. 3121) is amend7 ed by inserting after the item relating to section 207 the 

8 following: 

‘‘Sec. 208. Oil spill claims assistance and recovery.’’. 

Æ 


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