Emergency Preparedness in Higher Education Act

To amend the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act to establish an emergency preparedness grant program for higher education institutions, and for other purposes. 1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Emergency Preparedness in Higher Education Act 2. Higher education institution emergency preparedness grant program (a) In general Not later than 180 days after the date of enactment of this Act, the Administrator of FEMA shall establish a grant program within FEMA to create or expand programs at higher education institutions that foster, promote, and increase programs, initiatives, and opportunities for higher education institutions and emergency management and preparedness among higher education institutions. (b) Applications A higher education institution seeking a grant under this section shall submit to the Administrator an application that contains a description of— (1) the need for and proposed use of grant funds to promote emergency management and preparedness among students, administrators, and faculty at such higher education institution; (2) how the programs, initiatives, or opportunities created or expanded with the grant funds will provide support to students, administrators, and faculty at such higher education institution who— (A) seek support for an established emergency management concern; or (B) need assistance in establishing an emergency management concern; and (3) how the higher education institution will create or expand programs, initiatives, or opportunities that— (A) increase higher education institutions recovery efforts to disasters or emergencies; (B) expand access to construction, replacement, renovation, and operations costs resulting from the disaster or emergency; (C) assist enrolled students displaced from disasters and emergencies which operations were disrupted by a disaster or emergency; and (D) assist for activities replacing instructional materials and equipment, paying educator and staff incentives, modernizing, renovating, or repairing school buildings. (c) Selection In making grants under this section, the Administrator shall evaluate applications from among the same type of higher education institution. (d) Amount of grant A grant awarded under this section shall be not less than $250,000. (e) Use of grant funds A higher education institution that receives a grant under the Program shall use grant amounts to support the creation or expansion of program initiatives, or opportunities that offer emergency preparedness resources that support students enrolled at the higher education institution, such as— (1) increasing higher education institutions recovery efforts to disasters or emergencies; (2) expanding access to construction, replacement, renovation, and operations costs resulting from the disaster or emergency; (3) assisting enrolled students displaced from disasters and emergencies which operations were disrupted by a disaster or emergency; and (4) assisting for activities replacing instructional materials and equipment; paying educator and staff incentives; modernizing, renovating, or repairing school buildings. (f) Submission requirement A higher education institution awarded a grant under this section shall, not less than 6 months and not more than 12 months after the receipt of a grant, submit to the Administrator a report that contains, for the period covered by the report, the number of— (1) students enrolled at the higher education institution who were impacted by an emergency and were assisted with the grant funds; and (2) emergency and disaster relief concerns created through the expenditure of the grant funds, including, with respect to each such concern— (A) the name of such concern; (B) a description of the emergency or disaster of the concern; and (C) the amount of grant funds expended in creating the concern. (g) Report to Congress Not later than 18 months after the date on which the first grant is awarded under the program under this section, and annually thereafter, the Administrator shall submit to Congress a report that contains information regarding the higher education institutions to which grants were made under the program for the period covered by the report, which shall include— (1) the name of each such higher education institution and the amount of each such grant; (2) the number of students assisted with grant funds— (A) at each higher education institution to which a grant was made under the program; and (B) in total under the program; (3) the number of emergency and disaster concerns created through the expenditure of grant funds— (A) at each higher education institution to which a grant was made under the program; and (B) in total under the program; (4) the number of students impacted by emergency or disaster concerns created through the expenditure of grant funds— (A) at each higher education institution to which a grant was made under the program; and (B) in total under the program; (5) the number of students referred to resources of FEMA— (A) at each higher education institution to which a grant was made under the program; and (B) in total under the program; (6) the number of students participating in the programs, initiatives, or opportunities created or expanded through the expenditure of grant funds, disaggregated, to the maximum extent possible, by sex, race, and ethnicity— (A) at each higher education institution to which a grant was made under the program; and (B) in total under the program; (7) a statement regarding whether any amounts made available to carry out this section remain unexpended, as of the date on which the report is submitted. (h) Definitions In this section: (1) FEMA The term FEMA (2) Higher education institution The term higher education institution (A) A historically Black college or university. (B) A Hispanic-serving institution, as that term is defined in section 502(a) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 ( 20 U.S.C. 1101a(a) (C) A Tribal College or University, as that term is defined in section 316(b) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 ( 20 U.S.C. 1059c(b) (D) An Alaska Native-serving institution, as that term is defined in section 317(b) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 ( 20 U.S.C. 1059d(b) (E) A Native Hawaiian-serving institution, as that term is defined in section 317(b) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 ( 20 U.S.C. 1059d(b) (F) A Predominantly Black Institution, as that term is defined in section 318(b) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 ( 20 U.S.C. 1059e(b) (G) A Native American-serving, nontribal institution, as that term is defined in section 319(b) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 ( 20 U.S.C. 1059f(b) (H) An Asian-American and Native American Pacific Islander-serving institution, as that term is defined in section 320(b) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 ( 20 U.S.C. 1059g(b) (I) An institution of higher education, as such term is defined in section 101(a) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 ( 20 U.S.C. 1001(a) (J) A vocational-technical college or university. (K) A career college or university.

Summary: Emergency Preparedness in Higher Education Act This bill directs the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to establish a grant program to support activities at institutions of higher education related to emergency management.