I 
109TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 5498 
To amend the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance 
Act to improve the provision of disaster relief and preparedness services 
with respect to persons with limited English proficiency, and for other 
purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
MAY 25, 2006 
Mr. HONDA (for himself, Mr. ABERCROMBIE, Ms. BORDALLO, Mr. CASE, Mr. 
FALEOMAVAEGA, Mr. AL GREEN of Texas, Ms. MATSUI, Mr. SCOTT of 
Virginia, Mr. WU, Mr. WATT, Mrs. NAPOLITANO, and Mr. BECERRA) in-
troduced 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 improve the provision of disaster 
relief and preparedness services with respect to persons 
with limited English proficiency, 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 ‘‘Equitable Access to 
Disaster Relief and Preparedness Services Act’’. 
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SEC. 2. FINDINGS AND PURPOSES. 
(a) FINDINGS.—Congress finds the following: 
(1) Effective communication is essential to 
meaningful access to disaster relief related services. 
(2) Research establishes that the lack of lan-
guage services and culturally competent services cre-
ates barriers, and diminishes the quality of access, 
to public services for individuals with limited English 
proficiency. 
(3) Communities from across the country have 
reported language difficulties and inadequate fund-
ing of language services and culturally competent 
services to be major barriers to the access of individ-
uals with limited English proficiency to public serv-
ices and disaster relief related services in the areas 
of health care, mental health, housing assistance, 
and small business. 
(4) The number of non-English speaking resi-
dents in the United States continues to increase. 
(5) 47,000,000 people, 18 percent of the United 
States population, speak a language other than 
English at home; and 21,000,000 people, 8 percent 
of the United States population, speak English less 
than very well and, therefore, cannot effectively com-
municate with health and social service and disaster 
relief providers. 
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(6) At least 19,641 individuals within the Hur-
ricane Katrina and Rita disaster areas spoke 
English less than very well. 
(7) 12,649 individuals within the Hurricane 
Katrina and Rita disaster areas who spoke Asian 
and Pacific Islander languages spoke English less 
than very well. 
(8) According to the Census, approximately 
30,000 Vietnamese-Americans lived in the Gulf 
Coast region devastated by Hurricane Katrina and 
Rita with an estimated 15,000 Vietnamese-Ameri-
cans who evacuated to Houston, Texas. 
(9) According to the 2004 Census, 67,000 
Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders have been af-
fected by the Hurricane Rita and Katrina disasters. 
(10) Congress has identified discrimination as a 
problem to be addressed in disaster assistance since 
Hurricane Camille struck in 1969. The Disaster Re-
lief Act of 1970 (84 Stat. 1730) included a non-
discrimination section. Despite such past actions, 
discrimination in disaster assistance remains a prob-
lem and should be addressed. 
(11) The prohibition on discrimination on the 
basis of national origin under title VI of the Civil 
Rights Act of 1964 (42 U.S.C. 2000d et seq.) has 
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long been interpreted to forbid discrimination on the 
basis of language. 
(12) In order to avoid discrimination against 
individuals with limited English proficiency on the 
basis of national origin, providers of disaster relief 
related services should take adequate steps to ensure 
that such individuals receive the language services 
necessary to afford meaningful access to such serv-
ices, free of charge. 
(13) The responsibility to fund language serv-
ices in the provision of disaster relief related services 
to individuals with limited English proficiency is a 
societal one that cannot fairly be visited upon any 
one segment of the disaster relief, health care, public 
health, public safety, or social services community. 
(14) Linguistic and cultural diversity in the dis-
aster relief related services workforce is important 
for providing all communities, including communities 
of individuals with limited English proficiency, the 
environment most conducive to equitable, efficient, 
and meaningful access to disaster relief related serv-
ices. 
(15) All members of the disaster relief related 
services community should continue to educate their 
staff and constituents about limited English pro-
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ficient issues and help them identify resources to im-
prove access to quality public services and assistance 
for individuals with limited English proficiency. 
(b) PURPOSES.—The purposes of this Act are to as-
sist providers of disaster relief related services— 
(1) to improve, through effective communica-
tion, the quality of disaster relief related services for 
individuals with limited English proficiency; and 
(2) to meet their obligation and responsibility to 
ensure equal access to such services for such individ-
uals. 
SEC. 3. NONDISCRIMINATION IN DISASTER ASSISTANCE 
WITH RESPECT TO ENGLISH PROFICIENCY. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Section 308 of the Robert T. 
Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act 
(42 U.S.C. 5151) is amended— 
(1) in subsection (a) by inserting ‘‘English pro-
ficiency,’’ after ‘‘age,’’; and 
(2) by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(c) RESPONSIBILITY OF PRESIDENT.—In carrying 
out this section, the President shall— 
‘‘(1) ensure that all Federal entities that pro-
vide assistance under this Act maintain, on a con-
tinuing and updated basis, the capability to admin-
ister competent interpreter and translation services; 
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‘‘(2) communicate with State and local govern-
ments for the purpose of identifying individuals with 
limited English proficiency and including such indi-
viduals in disaster preparedness planning and direct 
all Federal agencies to provide to appropriate popu-
lation segments, in a timely manner, translated no-
tices and documents to implement disaster relief as-
sistance under this Act; 
‘‘(3) ensure that the information in such trans-
lated notices and documents is provided to private 
organizations, neighborhood associations, houses of 
worship, and other organizations that could assist 
with the distribution of the translated information to 
affected and appropriate population segments; 
‘‘(4) ensure that the information in such trans-
lated notices and documents reflects the information 
provided by the President through the following 
types of media: 
‘‘(A) emergency notifications, public broad-
casts, electronic roadside signs, flyers, bro-
chures, applications, and letters containing im-
portant information regarding assistance au-
thorized to be provided by the President under 
this Act; 
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‘‘(B) notices pertaining to the reduction, 
denial, or termination of services or benefits 
under this Act; 
‘‘(C) notices of the right to appeal actions 
referred to in subparagraph (B); and 
‘‘(D) notices for limited English proficient 
individuals of the availability of free language 
services and other outreach materials; 
‘‘(5) have available for activation a cadre of dis-
aster relief and emergency assistance employees suf-
ficient to provide services under paragraph (2); 
‘‘(6) develop and maintain an informational 
clearinghouse of model language assistance pro-
grams and best practices for State and local govern-
ments in providing disaster and emergency related 
services; and 
‘‘(7) report to Congress on the treatment of in-
dividuals with limited English proficiency during the 
Hurricane Katrina disaster and on the feasibility of 
establishing and operating a toll-free number by 
which such individuals will be able to obtain infor-
mation in their primary language regarding federally 
funded disaster services and the availability public 
disaster benefits.’’. 
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(b) TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE FOR DEVELOPMENT OF 
PLANS AND PROGRAMS.—Section 201(b) of such Act (42 
U.S.C. 5131(b)) is amended by inserting ‘‘with and with-
out English proficiency’’ after ‘‘to individuals’’. 
SEC. 4. EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS DEMONSTRATION. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Beginning not later than the 
180th day following the date on which funds are appro-
priated to carry out this section, the Director of the Fed-
eral Emergency Management Agency shall conduct an 
emergency preparedness demonstration program to study 
the needs of individuals and households with limited 
English proficiency for use in the design and development 
of community and family preparedness programs and to 
develop initiatives based on the results of the study to im-
prove disaster awareness and readiness in communities 
that have individuals with limited English proficiency. 
(b) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There is 
authorized to be appropriated $1,500,000 to carry out this 
section. 
Æ 
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