I 

112TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 2455 

To prohibit any requirement of a budgetary offset for emergency disaster 

assistance during 2011 and 2012. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

JULY 7, 2011 

Mr. RICHMOND introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Rules, and in addition to the Committee on the Budget, for 

a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for 

consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned 

A BILL 

To prohibit any requirement of a budgetary offset for 

emergency disaster assistance during 2011 and 2012. 

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 ‘‘Humanitarian Aid for 

5 Americans Act’’. 

6 SEC. 2. CONGRESSIONAL FINDINGS. 

7 The Congress finds the following: 

8 (1) Presidential emergency declarations trigger 

9 aid that protects property, public health, and safety 


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1 and lessens or averts the threat of an incident be2 coming a catastrophic event. 

3 (2) The number of disasters has grown on a bi4 partisan basis and is a reflection of the weather 

5 events of the period: in the 1980s (1980–1989) 

6 there were 237 Presidential major disaster declara7 tions; in the 1990s (1990–1999) there were 460 

8 Presidential major disaster declarations; and in the 

9 2000s (2000–2009) there were 561 declared disas10 ters, an average of 56 per year during the 2000s. 

11 (3) In 2011 alone, there have already been 48 

12 major disaster declarations in Texas, Iowa, Indiana, 

13 Montana, Vermont, Massachusetts, New York, Alas14 ka, Illinois, Minnesota, Oklahoma, Idaho, North Da15 kota, South Dakota, Mississippi, Missouri, Ten16 nessee, Kentucky, Arkansas, Georgia, Alabama, 

17 North Carolina, California, Hawaii, Wisconsin, Or18 egon, Washington, New Mexico, Connecticut, New 

19 York, Utah, New Jersey, and Maine. 

20 (4) Historically, the Congress has recognized 

21 the importance of retaining flexibility to provide im22 mediate disaster assistance, understanding that lim23 iting its flexibility to respond would impede the abil24 ity of the Congress to address constituents’ needs 

25 and limit its ability to fund disaster relief, thus forcVerDate Mar 15 2010 21:48 Jul 08, 2011 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H2455.IH H2455

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1 ing State and local governments to face the insur2 mountable challenges of rebuilding alone. 

3 (5) Despite this history, some members of the 

4 112th Congress have called for offsets to any emer5 gency aid package. 

6 (6) Timely disaster aid allows for a humani7 tarian response and a comprehensive recovery, and 

8 should not be slowed while the Congress considers 

9 additional cuts to infrastructure, homeland security, 

10 Medicare, education, and infant nutrition before re11 sponding to an unforeseen disaster. 

12 (7) For these reasons, this Act allows the Con13 gress to be responsive to its constituents, removing 

14 any requirement that emergency disaster funding be 

15 offset by spending cuts. 

16 SEC. 3. PROHIBITION OF REQUIREMENT OF BUDGETARY 

17 OFFSETS FOR EMERGENCY DISASTER ASSIST18 ANCE DURING 2011 AND 2012. 

19 Any appropriation during calendar year 2011 or 

20 2012 for disaster assistance pursuant to a declaration by 

21 the President of a major disaster or emergency under sec22 tion 401 or 501 of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief 

23 and Emergency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5170 or 5191) 

24 shall not be counted for any budgetary purpose of title 

25 III or IV of the Congressional Budget Act of 1974 (2 


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1 U.S.C. 631 et seq.) or of any rule of the House of Rep2 resentatives or the Senate, and shall not be required to 

3 be accompanied by any budgetary offset. 

Æ 


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