I 
109TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 1137 
To amend the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance 
Act to improve Federal response to disasters, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
MARCH 7, 2005 
Mr. HASTINGS of Florida (for himself, Mr. SHAW, Mr. MEEK of Florida, Ms. 
CORRINE BROWN of Florida, Mr. DAVIS of Florida, Ms. WASSERMAN 
SCHULTZ, Mr. BOYD, and Mr. WEXLER) introduced the following bill; 
which was referred to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastruc-
ture 
A BILL 
To amend the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emer-
gency Assistance Act to improve Federal response to 
disasters, 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 ‘‘Responding Equitably, 
Swiftly, Proportionally, and On-time to Natural Disasters 
Act of 2005’’.
SEC. 2. ENSURING DECLARATION. 
Section 101(b) of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Re-
lief and Emergency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5121(b)) 
is amended— 
(1) by striking ‘‘and’’ at the end of paragraph 
(5); 
(2) by striking the period at the end of para-
graph (6) and inserting a semicolon; and 
(3) by inserting after paragraph (6) the fol-
lowing: 
‘‘(7) ensuring that Federal assistance is ade-
quate and allows individuals to maintain a quality of 
life that is, to the extent possible and practicable, 
similar to that before a disaster without adversely 
affecting a State or local government’s ability to 
provide the necessary services to its citizens; and 
‘‘(8) ensuring that minority and low-income in-
dividuals and households and those living in under-
served communities receive the equitable technical, 
human, and financial assistance.’’. 
SEC. 3. REIMBURSEMENT FOR DEBRIS REMOVAL IN PRI-
VATE COMMUNITIES. 
Section 407 of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief 
and Emergency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5173) is 
amended—
(1) by redesignating subsections (b), (c), and 
(d) as subsections (c), (d), and (e), respectively; and 
(2) by inserting after subsection (a) the fol-
lowing: 
‘‘(b) REIMBURSEMENT FOR DEBRIS REMOVAL ON 
PRIVATE-LANDS AND COMMUNITIES.— 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—A State or local govern-
ment shall be eligible for reimbursement under this 
title for debris removal on private lands if the State 
or local government maintains the roads utilized for 
access to such lands, provides public safety services, 
or provides individual and communal garbage re-
moval services to the residents of such lands. 
‘‘(2) SPECIAL RULE.—A State or local govern-
ment shall be eligible for reimbursement under this 
title for debris removal on private lands in a commu-
nity if failure to remove debris in that community 
places the lives, health, and safety of those living in 
the community at immediate risk. 
‘‘(3) EFFECTIVE DATE.—This subsection shall 
apply to all presidential disaster declarations issued 
under this Act on or after August 11, 2004.’’.
SEC. 4. IMPROVING INDIVIDUAL AND HOUSEHOLD ASSIST-
ANCE. 
(a) ELIGIBILITY FOR ASSISTANCE.—Section 408(a) 
of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency 
Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5174(a)) is amended by insert-
ing after paragraph (2) the following: 
‘‘(3) ELIGIBILITY
FOR
ASSISTANCE.—Under 
paragraph (1), an individual or household shall be 
eligible to apply for assistance provided under this 
section for a period of 18 months beginning on the 
date of declaration of the major disaster by the 
President. The President may extend such 18-month 
period with respect to a major disaster if the Presi-
dent determines that due to extraordinary cir-
cumstances with respect to that major disaster an 
extension would be in the public interest.’’. 
(b) INCREASE IN INDIVIDUAL AND HOUSEHOLD AS-
SISTANCE.—Section 408 of such Act is further amended— 
(1) in subsection (c)(1)(A)(ii) by inserting ‘‘plus 
25 percent of that fair market rent’’ after ‘‘pro-
vided’’; 
(2) in subsection (c)(2)(C) by striking ‘‘$5,000’’ 
and inserting ‘‘$10,000’’; 
(3) 
in 
subsection 
(c)(3)(B) 
by 
striking 
‘‘$10,000’’ and inserting ‘‘$20,000’’; and