IIB 
116TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 2548 
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 
DECEMBER 18, 2019 
Received; read twice and referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and 
Governmental Affairs 
AN ACT 
To modify eligibility requirements for certain hazard 
mitigation assistance programs, and for other purposes. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
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SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Hazard Eligibility and 
Local Projects Act’’. 
SEC. 2. AUTHORITY TO BEGIN IMPLEMENTATION OF AC-
QUISITION OR RELOCATION PROJECTS. 
(a) ELIGIBILITY FOR ASSISTANCE FOR INITIATED 
PROJECTS.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—Notwithstanding any other 
provision of law, an entity seeking assistance under 
a hazard mitigation assistance program shall be eli-
gible to receive such assistance for a covered project 
if the entity— 
(A) complies with all other eligibility re-
quirements of the hazard mitigation assistance 
program for acquisition or relocation projects, 
including extinguishing all incompatible encum-
brances; and 
(B) complies with all Federal requirements 
for the project. 
(2) COSTS INCURRED.—An entity seeking as-
sistance under a hazard mitigation assistance pro-
gram shall be responsible for any project costs in-
curred by the entity for a covered project if the cov-
ered project is not awarded, or is determined to be 
ineligible for, assistance. 
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(b) DEFINITIONS.—In this section, the following defi-
nitions apply: 
(1) COVERED
PROJECT.—The term ‘‘covered 
project’’ means— 
(A) an acquisition or relocation project for 
which an entity began implementation prior to 
grant award under a hazard mitigation assist-
ance program; and 
(B) a project for which an entity initiated 
planning or construction before or after re-
questing assistance for the project under a haz-
ard mitigation assistance program qualifying 
for a categorical exemption under the National 
Environmental Policy Act. 
(2) HAZARD
MITIGATION
ASSISTANCE
PRO-
GRAM.—The term ‘‘hazard mitigation assistance 
program’’ means— 
(A) the predisaster hazard mitigation 
grant program authorized under section 203 of 
the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and 
Emergency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5133); 
(B) the hazard mitigation grant program 
authorized under section 404 of the Robert T. 
Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assist-
ance Act (42 U.S.C. 5170c); and 
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(C) the flood mitigation assistance pro-
gram authorized under section 1366 of the Na-
tional Flood Insurance Act of 1968 (42 U.S.C. 
4104c). 
(c) APPLICABILITY.—This section shall apply to 
funds appropriated on or after the date of enactment of 
this Act. 
Passed the House of Representatives December 17, 
2019. 
Attest: 
CHERYL L. JOHNSON, 
Clerk. 
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