Fairness in Federal Disaster Declarations Act of 2017

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. Short title This Act may be cited as the Fairness in Federal Disaster Declarations Act of 2017 2. Regulatory action required (a) In general Not later than 120 days after the date of enactment of this Act, the Administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (in this Act referred to as the Administrator FEMA (b) New criteria required The amended rules issued under subsection (a) shall provide for the following: (1) Public assistance program Such rules shall provide that, with respect to the evaluation of the need for public assistance— (A) specific weighted valuations shall be assigned to each criterion, as follows— (i) estimated cost of the assistance, 10 percent; (ii) localized impacts, 40 percent; (iii) insurance coverage in force, 10 percent; (iv) hazard mitigation, 10 percent; (v) recent multiple disasters, 10 percent; (vi) programs of other Federal assistance, 10 percent; and (vii) economic circumstances described in subparagraph (B), 10 percent; and (B) FEMA shall consider the economic circumstances of— (i) the local economy of the affected area, including factors such as the local assessable tax base and local sales tax, the median income as it compares to that of the State, and the poverty rate as it compares to that of the State; and (ii) the economy of the State, including factors such as the unemployment rate of the State, as compared to the national unemployment rate. (2) Individual assistance program Such rules shall provide that, with respect to the evaluation of the severity, magnitude, and impact of the disaster and the evaluation of the need for assistance to individuals— (A) specific weighted valuations shall be assigned to each criterion, as follows— (i) concentration of damages, 20 percent; (ii) trauma, 20 percent; (iii) special populations, 20 percent; (iv) voluntary agency assistance, 10 percent; (v) insurance, 20 percent; (vi) average amount of individual assistance by State, 5 percent; and (vii) economic considerations described in subparagraph (B), 5 percent; and (B) FEMA shall consider the economic circumstances of the affected area, including factors such as the local assessable tax base and local sales tax, the median income as it compares to that of the State, and the poverty rate as it compares to that of the State. (c) Effective date The amended rules issued under subsection (a) shall apply to any disaster for which a Governor requested a major disaster declaration under the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act ( 42 U.S.C. 5121

Summary: Fairness in Federal Disaster Declarations Act of 2017 This bill requires the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to amend the rules concerning the factors it considers when evaluating a governor's request for a major disaster declaration to provide that, with respect to the evaluation of the need for public assistance: (1) specific weighted valuations shall be assigned to the estimated cost of the assistance (10%), localized impacts (40%), insurance coverage in force (10%), hazard mitigation (10%), recent multiple disasters (10%), programs of other federal assistance (10%), and economic circumstances (10%); and (2) FEMA shall consider the economic circumstances of both the local economy of the affected area (including the local assessable tax base and local sales tax, median income, and poverty rate) and the state economy (including the unemployment rate). Such rules must provide that, with respect to the evaluation of the severity, magnitude, and impact of the disaster and the evaluation of the need for assistance to individuals: (1) specific weighted valuations shall be assigned to concentration of damages (20%), trauma (20%), special populations (20%), voluntary agency assistance (10%), insurance (20%), average amount of individual assistance by state (5%), and economic considerations (5%); and (2) FEMA shall consider the economic circumstances of the affected area (including the local assessable tax base and local sales tax, median income, and poverty rate). Such rules are applicable to any disaster for which a governor requested a major disaster declaration under the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act and was denied on or after January 1, 2012.