I 
118TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 2458 
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. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
APRIL 3, 2023 
Mr. CARTER of Louisiana introduced the following bill; which was referred to 
the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure 
A BILL 
To amend the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emer-
gency Assistance Act to establish an emergency prepared-
ness grant program for higher education institutions, 
and for other purposes. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Emergency Prepared-
ness in Higher Education Act’’. 
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SEC. 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 emer-
gency management and preparedness among higher edu-
cation institutions. 
(b) APPLICATIONS.—A higher education institution 
seeking a grant under this section shall submit to the Ad-
ministrator an application that contains a description of— 
(1) the need for and proposed use of grant 
funds to promote emergency management and pre-
paredness among students, administrators, and fac-
ulty at such higher education institution; 
(2) how the programs, initiatives, or opportuni-
ties created or expanded with the grant funds will 
provide support to students, administrators, and fac-
ulty at such higher education institution who— 
(A) seek support for an established emer-
gency management concern; or 
(B) need assistance in establishing an 
emergency management concern; and 
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(3) how the higher education institution will 
create or expand programs, initiatives, or opportuni-
ties that— 
(A) increase higher education institutions 
recovery efforts to disasters or emergencies; 
(B) expand access to construction, replace-
ment, 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 instruc-
tional materials and equipment, paying educa-
tor and staff incentives, modernizing, ren-
ovating, or repairing school buildings. 
(c) SELECTION.—In making grants under this sec-
tion, 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 in-
stitution that receives a grant under the Program shall 
use grant amounts to support the creation or expansion 
of program initiatives, or opportunities that offer emer-
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gency preparedness resources that support students en-
rolled at the higher education institution, such as— 
(1) increasing higher education institutions re-
covery efforts to disasters or emergencies; 
(2) expanding access to construction, replace-
ment, renovation, and operations costs resulting 
from the disaster or emergency; 
(3) assisting enrolled students displaced from 
disasters and emergencies which operations were dis-
rupted by a disaster or emergency; and 
(4) assisting for activities replacing instruc-
tional materials and equipment; paying educator and 
staff incentives; modernizing, renovating, or repair-
ing 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 re-
port that contains, for the period covered by the report, 
the number of— 
(1) students enrolled at the higher education in-
stitution who were impacted by an emergency and 
were assisted with the grant funds; and 
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(2) emergency and disaster relief concerns cre-
ated through the expenditure of the grant funds, in-
cluding, with respect to each such concern— 
(A) the name of such concern; 
(B) a description of the emergency or dis-
aster 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 there-
after, 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 in-
stitution 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; 
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(3) the number of emergency and disaster con-
cerns 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 emer-
gency or disaster concerns created through the ex-
penditure 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 re-
sources 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 ex-
panded through the expenditure of grant funds, 
disaggregated, to the maximum extent possible, by 
sex, race, and ethnicity— 
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