I 
112TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 2265 
To direct the President to forgo recoupment of liabilities relating to assistance 
provided under the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency 
Assistance Act, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JUNE 21, 2011 
Mr. RICHMOND (for himself and Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi) introduced the 
following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Transportation 
and Infrastructure, and in addition to the Committee on Homeland Secu-
rity, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each 
case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of 
the committee concerned 
A BILL 
To direct the President to forgo recoupment of liabilities 
relating to assistance provided under the Robert T. Staf-
ford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act, 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 ‘‘FEMA Recoupment 
Fairness Act of 2011’’. 
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SEC. 2. RECOUPMENT OF LIABILITIES. 
(a) IN
GENERAL.—The President shall forgo 
recoupment of liabilities to the United States relating to 
covered assistance provided to an individual or household 
if— 
(1) the covered assistance was provided based 
on an error by the Federal Emergency Management 
Agency; and 
(2) there was no fault on behalf of the recipient 
with respect to the error, including that fraud, the 
presentation of a false claim, or misrepresentation 
by the recipient or any party having an interest in 
the claim was not involved. 
(b) REPORT TO CONGRESS.—Not later than 180 days 
after the date of enactment of this Act, and every 180 
days thereafter during the 18-month period beginning on 
such date, the Inspector General of the Department of 
Homeland Security shall submit to the appropriate con-
gressional committees a report that assesses the cost-effec-
tiveness of the efforts of the Federal Emergency Manage-
ment Agency to recoup erroneous assistance. 
(c) DEFINITIONS.—In this section, the following defi-
nitions apply: 
(1) APPROPRIATE
CONGRESSIONAL
COMMIT-
TEES.—The term ‘‘appropriate congressional com-
mittees’’ means the— 
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(A) Committee on Transportation and In-
frastructure of the House of Representatives; 
(B) Committee on Homeland Security of 
the House of Representatives; and 
(C) Committee on Homeland Security and 
Governmental Affairs of the Senate. 
(2) COVERED ASSISTANCE.—The term ‘‘covered 
assistance’’ means assistance provided— 
(A) under section 408 of the Robert T. 
Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assist-
ance Act (42 U.S.C. 5174); and 
(B) in relation to a major disaster declared 
by the President under section 401 of such Act 
(42 U.S.C. 5170) during the period beginning 
on August 28, 2005, and ending on December 
31, 2010. 
(3) ERRONEOUS ASSISTANCE.—The term ‘‘erro-
neous assistance’’ means assistance subject to 
recoupment by the Federal Emergency Management 
Agency provided— 
(A) under section 408 of the Robert T. 
Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assist-
ance Act (42 U.S.C. 5174); 
(B) in relation to a major disaster declared 
by the President under section 401 of such Act 
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(42 U.S.C. 5170) during the period beginning 
on August 28, 2005, and ending on December 
31, 2010; or 
(C) in response to a catastrophic incident 
under section 501 of the Homeland Security 
Act of 2002 (6 U.S.C. 311). 
Æ 
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