territory to seek Federal disaster assist-
ance together; and 
(iv) timelines for a chief executive of-
ficer of a county to submit such request 
and opportunities to seek extensions, where 
appropriate. 
(2) GUIDANCE.—Upon issuing a final regula-
tion pursuant to paragraph (1), the Administrator 
shall issue guidance regarding such regulation, in-
cluding publicizing and providing guidance directly 
to counties about the process by which the chief ex-
ecutive officer of a county may submit a request for 
the declaration of a major disaster or emergency. 
SEC. 3. MONITORING AND ANALYSIS OF CERTAIN EVENTS 
NOT DECLARED AS MAJOR DISASTER OR 
EMERGENCY. 
Title III of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief 
and Emergency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5141 et seq.) 
is amended by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘SEC. 328. MONITORING AND ANALYSIS OF CERTAIN 
EVENTS NOT DECLARED AS MAJOR DISASTER 
OR EMERGENCY. 
‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—The Administrator of the Fed-
eral Emergency Management Administration shall mon-
itor and analyze events that— 
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‘‘(1) significantly impact underserved commu-
nities; and 
‘‘(2) would be eligible to be declared by the 
President as a major disaster or emergency under 
this Act except that the Governor or head of an In-
dian tribe with jurisdiction over the area in which 
the event occurred did not request the declaration of 
a major disaster or emergency pursuant to this Act. 
‘‘(b) DEFINITION OF UNDERSERVED COMMUNITY.— 
In this section, the term ‘underserved community’ means 
a geographically distinct area with a population that— 
‘‘(1) has limited or no access to resources or 
are otherwise disenfranchised; and 
‘‘(2) may include individuals who are— 
‘‘(A) socioeconomically disadvantaged; 
‘‘(B) have limited English language pro-
ficiency; 
‘‘(C) geographically isolated or education-
ally disenfranchised; 
‘‘(D) people of color; 
‘‘(E) of ethnic and national origin minori-
ties; 
‘‘(F) women and children; 
‘‘(G) individuals with disabilities and oth-
ers with access and functional needs; and 
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‘‘(H) seniors.’’. 
SEC. 4. QUANTITATIVE MEASURES IN EVALUATIONS FOR 
FEDERAL ASSISTANCE. 
The Administrator of the Federal Emergency Man-
agement Administration shall issue such regulations as 
are necessary to require additional quantitative measures 
(including taking into account vulnerable populations, low- 
income communities, unemployment, lack of insurance, 
and other factors determined appropriate by the Adminis-
trator) in the evaluation of requests for Federal assistance 
by States and local communities following a declaration 
of a major disaster or emergency under the Robert T. 
Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act 
(42 U.S.C. 5121 et seq.), including— 
(1) in evaluating the need for assistance to vul-
nerable populations and low-income communities; 
and 
(2) the effects of unemployment, lack of insur-
ance, and other factors that necessary to assess the 
ability of vulnerable and disadvantaged communities’ 
ability to recover from a major disaster or emer-
gency. 
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SEC. 5. CONSIDERATION OF IMPACTS TO VULNERABLE AND 
DISADVANTAGED COMMUNITIES. 
Title III of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief 
and Emergency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5141 et seq.) 
is further amended by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘SEC. 329. CONSIDERATION OF IMPACTS TO VULNERABLE 
AND DISADVANTAGED COMMUNITIES. 
‘‘In providing assistance under this Act in response 
to a major disaster or emergency, the Administrator of 
the Federal Emergency Management Administration shall 
consider highly localized impacts of the major disaster or 
emergency on underserved communities (as defined in sec-
tion 328) that impact the ability of such vulnerable and 
disadvantaged communities to recover from the major dis-
aster or emergency.’’. 
SEC. 6. REVIEW OF EQUITY-RELATED CONSIDERATIONS 
FOR PROVISION OF FEMA PUBLIC ASSIST-
ANCE OR INDIVIDUAL ASSISTANCE. 
Not later than 6 months after the date of enactment 
of this Act, the Administrator of the Federal Emergency 
Management Administration shall— 
(1) review an regulations covering public assist-
ance or individual assistance provided under the 
Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency 
Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5121 et seq.) to ensure 
that the evaluation for providing such public assist-
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ance or individual assistance evaluation includes suf-
ficient equity-related considerations, including con-
siderations related to income, unemployment, and 
the poverty level; and 
(2) evaluate the potential effect of applying 
greater weight to equity-related considerations in 
providing such public assistance or individual assist-
ance. 
SEC. 7. ADMINISTRATOR RECOMMENDATION OF DECLARA-
TION OF MAJOR DISASTER. 
(a) MAJOR DISASTER.—Section 401(a) of the Robert 
T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act 
(42 U.S.C. 5170(a)) is amended by striking ‘‘Based on 
the request of a Governor under this section,’’ and insert-
ing ‘‘With respect to a request for a declaration by the 
President under this section, the Administrator of the 
Federal Emergency Management Administration shall 
identify the minimum data and information required to 
evaluate a declaration request, request and receive such 
information from the State, and provide a recommenda-
tion as to whether to declare a major disaster to the Presi-
dent. Based on the request of a Governor under this sec-
tion and the recommendation of the Administrator,’’. 
(b) EMERGENCY DECLARATION.—Section 501(a) of 
the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency As-
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sistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5191(a)) is amended by striking 
‘‘Based upon such Governor’s request,’’ and inserting 
‘‘With respect to a request for a declaration by the Presi-
dent under this section, the Administrator of the Federal 
Emergency Management Administration shall identify the 
minimum data and information required to evaluate a dec-
laration request, request and receive such information 
from the State, and provide a recommendation as to 
whether to declare an emergency to the President. Based 
upon such Governor’s request and the recommendation of 
the Administrator,’’. 
SEC. 8. CONDITIONS NECESSARY FOR UNDERSERVED COM-
MUNITIES TO SUBMIT SIMPLIFIED DECLARA-
TION REQUEST. 
(a) REVISION OF REGULATIONS.—Not later than 6 
months after the date of enactment of this Act, the Ad-
ministrator of the Federal Emergency Management Ad-
ministration shall— 
(1) establish a simplified method for requesting 
a major disaster declaration under the Robert T. 
Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance 
Act declaration submission; and 
(2) revise such regulations as are necessary to 
identify conditions underserved communities, as de-
fined in section 328 of the Robert T. Stafford Dis-
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aster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act, need to 
meet to be appropriate for the simplified method 
under paragraph (1). 
(b) CONSIDERATION.—Potential considerations could 
relate to community population size, population demo-
graphics, whether the community is an underserved com-
munity, or the financial and/or staff capacity of the af-
fected community. 
Æ 
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