I 
110TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 4919 
To amend the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance 
Act to authorize temporary mortgage and rental payments, and for 
other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
DECEMBER 19, 2007 
Ms. LORETTA SANCHEZ of California (for herself and Mrs. TAUSCHER) intro-
duced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Trans-
portation and Infrastructure 
A BILL 
To amend the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emer-
gency Assistance Act to authorize temporary mortgage 
and rental payments, 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 ‘‘Mortgage and Rental 
Disaster Relief Act of 2007’’. 
SEC. 2. DISASTER RELIEF. 
Section 408(c) of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Re-
lief and Emergency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5174(c)) 
is amended by adding at the end the following: 
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‘‘(5) TEMPORARY MORTGAGE AND RENTAL PAY-
MENTS.— 
‘‘(A) DEFINITIONS.—In this paragraph— 
‘‘(i) the term ‘adjusted gross income’ 
means the adjusted gross income (as that 
term is defined in section 62 of the Inter-
nal Revenue Code of 1986) of the relevant 
individual or household for the last taxable 
year that such individual or household filed 
a tax return; and 
‘‘(ii) the term ‘financial hardship 
caused by a major disaster’ means that an 
individual or member of a household— 
‘‘(I) is employed by a business, or 
owns a business, located in the area 
for which the President declared the 
relevant major disaster; 
‘‘(II) became unemployed, or lost 
significant income, because the em-
ployer or business of that individual 
or member of a household has or, on 
the day before the date of the relevant 
major disaster, had a significant busi-
ness relationship with a business lo-
cated in the area for which the Presi-
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dent declared the relevant major dis-
aster; or 
‘‘(III) resides in the area for 
which the President declared the rel-
evant major disaster and has suffered 
financially due to travel restrictions or 
station or road closures in effect after 
the date of that major disaster. 
‘‘(B) 
AUTHORIZATION.—In 
accordance 
with this paragraph, the President may provide 
assistance on a temporary basis in the form of 
mortgage or rental payments to or on behalf of 
individuals and households who, as a result of 
financial hardship caused by a major disaster, 
have received written notice of dispossession or 
eviction from a residence by reason of a fore-
closure of any mortgage or lien, cancellation of 
any contract of sale, or termination of any 
lease, entered into before such major disaster. 
‘‘(C) ELIGIBILITY.— 
‘‘(i) INCOME.— 
‘‘(I) IN
GENERAL.—Except as 
provided in subclause (II), an indi-
vidual or household may receive as-
sistance under this paragraph if the 
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adjusted gross income of that indi-
vidual or household was not more 
than $75,000. 
‘‘(II) AREAS WITH A HIGH COST 
OF LIVING.—An individual or house-
hold that, on the day before the date 
of the relevant major disaster, resided 
in an area with a high cost of living, 
as determined by the President, may 
receive assistance under this para-
graph if the adjusted gross income of 
that individual or household was not 
more than $100,000. 
‘‘(ii) ADJUSTMENT.—The President 
shall adjust the limits established under 
clause (i) annually to reflect inflation. 
‘‘(D) PERIOD OF ASSISTANCE.—Assistance 
under this paragraph shall be provided for the 
duration of the period of financial hardship 
caused by a major disaster, not to exceed 18 
months. 
‘‘(E) PROCEDURES.— 
‘‘(i) IN GENERAL.—An individual or 
household seeking assistance under this 
paragraph shall submit an application in 
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such manner and accompanied by such in-
formation as the President shall establish, 
which shall include a requirement that 
such an individual or household sign a 
statement indicating that individual or 
household meets the eligibility require-
ments under subparagraph (C). 
‘‘(ii) LACK OF RECORDS.—If an indi-
vidual or household does not have access to 
records necessary to demonstrate eligibility 
under subparagraph (C), that individual or 
household shall submit such records not 
later than 6 months after the date that in-
dividual or household applies for assistance 
under this paragraph. 
‘‘(iii) INELIGIBLE RECIPIENTS.—If an 
individual or household receives assistance 
under this paragraph and was not eligible 
to receive such assistance, that individual 
or household shall return the full amount 
of that assistance to the Government.’’. 
SEC. 3. APPLICABILITY. 
The amendment made by this Act shall apply to any 
major disaster (as that term is defined in section 102 of 
the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency As-
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sistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5122)) declared on or after Octo-
ber 21, 2007. 
Æ 
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