I 
118TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 6084 
To amend the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance 
Act to ensure that unmet needs after a major disaster are met. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
OCTOBER 26, 2023 
Mr. GRAVES of Louisiana (for himself and Ms. PLASKETT) introduced the fol-
lowing 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 ensure that unmet needs after 
a major disaster are met. 
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 ‘‘Expediting Disaster 
Recovery Act’’. 
SEC. 2. UNMET NEEDS ASSISTANCE. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Title IV of the Robert T. Stafford 
Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 
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5170 et seq.) is amended by adding at the end the fol-
lowing: 
‘‘SEC. 431. UNMET NEEDS ASSISTANCE. 
‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—After the declaration of a major 
disaster under section 401, the President may direct the 
Administrator of the Federal Emergency Management 
Agency to provide to a State assistance necessary for 
meeting unmet needs as a result of such disaster. 
‘‘(b) FUNDING.— 
‘‘(1) AMOUNT OF FUNDING.—Not later than 30 
days after the President declares a major disaster 
under section 401, the President, acting through the 
Administrator, may allocate an amount that equals 
up to 10 percent of the estimated aggregate amount 
of the grants to be made pursuant to sections 406 
and 408 for the major disaster in order to provide 
technical and financial assistance under this section 
and such amounts shall be considered to be related 
to activities carried out with assistance provided 
under this Act. 
‘‘(2) ESTIMATED
AGGREGATE
AMOUNT.—Not 
later than 180 days after each major disaster de-
clared pursuant to this Act, the estimated aggregate 
amount of grants for purposes of paragraph (1) 
shall be determined by the President and such esti-
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mated amount need not be reduced, increased, or 
changed due to variations in estimates. 
‘‘(3) NO REDUCTION IN AMOUNTS.—Nothing in 
this section shall be construed to reduce the 
amounts otherwise made available for sections 403, 
404, 406, 407, 408, 410, 416, and 428 under this 
Act. 
‘‘(c) UNMET NEEDS.—Financial assistance provided 
under this section may be used to provide assistance, in 
addition to other amounts made available under this Act, 
for the following unmet needs: 
‘‘(1) Disaster-related home repair and rebuild-
ing assistance to families for permanent housing 
purposes, including in conjunction with eligible ex-
penditures under section 408. 
‘‘(2) Disaster-related unmet needs of families 
who are unable to obtain adequate assistance from 
other sources. 
‘‘(3) Other disaster-related services that allevi-
ate human suffering and promote the well-being of 
disaster victims. 
‘‘(4) Economic and business activities (includ-
ing food and agriculture) after a disaster to imple-
ment post-disaster economic recovery measures, in-
cluding planning and technical assistance for long- 
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term economic recovery plans, infrastructure im-
provements, business or infrastructure financing, 
market or industry research, and other activities au-
thorized under a comprehensive economic develop-
ment strategy. 
‘‘(d) ACCOUNTING AND FISCAL CONTROLS.— 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 6 months 
after receipt of funds and every 6 months thereafter 
until all such funds are expended, each State receiv-
ing such funds shall submit to the Administrator a 
report that includes— 
‘‘(A) the criteria established for deter-
mining how the funds are spent; 
‘‘(B) the allocation of such funds; and 
‘‘(C) the process for public notice and com-
ment. 
‘‘(2) COMPLIANCE.—Section 312(b) shall apply 
to this section. 
‘‘(3) ADMINISTRATIVE COSTS.—A State that re-
ceives funds under this section may expend not more 
than 5 percent of the amount of such funds for the 
administrative costs of providing financial assistance 
to individuals and households in the State.’’. 
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(b) APPLICABILITY.—This section and the amend-
ments made by this section shall apply to funds appro-
priated on or after the date of enactment of this Act. 
SEC. 3. FURTHER CONSIDERATIONS FOR DISASTER DEC-
LARATIONS. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—In making recommendations to 
the President regarding the declaration of a major disaster 
or emergency pursuant to section 401 of the Robert T. 
Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act 
(42 U.S.C. 5170) or the proposed non-Federal share of 
the cost of carrying out activities with assistance provided 
under such Act, the Administrator of the Federal Emer-
gency Management Agency shall give greater weight and 
consideration to severe local impact resulting from such 
disaster or emergency and, in the 5-year period preceding 
such disaster or emergency, whether multiple other disas-
ters or emergencies have occurred in the affected area. 
(b) REVISIONS TO GUIDANCE, POLICIES, AND REGU-
LATIONS.—The Administrator shall take such actions as 
are necessary to revise any policies, guidance, or regula-
tions of the Agency to implement subsection (a). 
(c) REPORT.—Not later than 1 year after the date 
of enactment of this section, the Administrator shall sub-
mit to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastruc-
ture of the House of Representatives and the Committee 
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on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs of the 
Senate a report on the implementation of this section and 
shall include in such report a description of— 
(1) changes made to guidance, policies, or regu-
lations pursuant to subsection (b); and 
(2) the number of major disasters and emer-
gencies that have been declared pursuant to section 
401 of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and 
Emergency Assistance Act based on the criteria de-
scribed in subsection (a). 
SEC. 4. REPAIR AND REBUILDING. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Section 408(c) of the Robert T. 
Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act 
(42 U.S.C. 5174) is amended— 
(1) in paragraph (2)— 
(A) in subparagraph (A)(i) by striking ‘‘to 
a safe and sanitary living or functioning condi-
tion’’; and 
(B) in subparagraph (B)— 
(i) by striking ‘‘A recipient of’’ and 
inserting the following: 
‘‘(i) EVIDENCE OF OTHER MEANS OF 
ASSISTANCE.—A recipient of’’; and 
(ii) by adding at the end the fol-
lowing: 
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‘‘(ii) COORDINATION WITH OTHER AS-
SISTANCE.—Assistance allowed under this 
paragraph may be used in coordination 
with other sources for the repair and re-
building of an owner-occupied residence.’’; 
and 
(2) in paragraph (4) by striking ‘‘in cases in 
which’’ and all that follows through the end of the 
paragraph and inserting ‘‘if the President considers 
it a cost effective alternative to other housing solu-
tions, including the costs associated with temporary 
housing provided under this section, and long-term 
rebuilding costs associated with section 431.’’. 
(b) APPLICABILITY.—This section and the amend-
ments made by this section shall apply to funds appro-
priated on or after the date of enactment of this Act. 
SEC. 5. FEMA EMERGENCY HOME REPAIR PROGRAM. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Section 403(a) of the Robert T. 
Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act 
(42 U.S.C. 5170b(a)) is amended— 
(1) in paragraph (3)— 
(A) in subparagraph (I) by striking ‘‘and’’ 
at the end; 
(B) in subparagraph (J) by striking the 
period and inserting ‘‘; and’’; and 
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(C) by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(K) minor repairs up to habitability of 
owner-occupied homes damaged by the disaster 
in order for survivors to safely shelter in 
place.’’; and 
(2) by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(5) 
DUPLICATION
OF
BENEFIT
LIMITA-
TIONS.—Notwithstanding section 312, any minor re-
pairs up to habitability of owner-occupied homes 
may not be considered a duplication of any owner 
benefits. 
‘‘(6) SHELTERING
AND
HOUSING
OPTIONS.— 
Not later than 15 days after a declaration of a 
major disaster, the Federal coordinating officer shall 
provide all sheltering and housing options available 
under this section to a State Governor, or the des-
ignated State coordinating officer. 
‘‘(7) DEFINITIONS.—In this subsection, the 
term ‘minor repairs up to habitability’ means the 
minimum standards for permanent housing de-
scribed in section 576.403(c) of title 24, Code of 
Federal Regulations (or successor regulations).’’. 
(b) RULEMAKING.—Not later than 2 years after the 
date of enactment of this Act, the Administrator of the 
Federal Emergency Management Agency shall issue final 
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regulations to implement the amendments made by this 
section. 
SEC. 6. APPEALS OF INDIVIDUALS AND HOUSEHOLDS PRO-
GRAM BENEFITS. 
The Administrator shall revise section 206.115 of 
title 44, Code of Federal Regulations, to require the Fed-
eral Emergency Management Agency to provide to any ap-
plicant who appeals a determination of eligibility of assist-
ance— 
(1) any documentation used to make such de-
termination, including any inspection documents 
that exist; 
(2) a description of— 
(A) the reasons for such determination; 
and 
(B) recommended steps that could be 
taken to remedy a determination of ineligibility, 
including, as applicable, a list of additional doc-
umentation that the applicant may provide; and 
(3) any inspection documents that exist not 
later than 10 days after the completion of the in-
spection. 
SEC. 7. PERIOD OF ASSISTANCE. 
The Administrator shall revise section 206.115 of 
title 44, Code of Federal Regulations, to extend the period 
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of assistance for Federal assistance to individuals and 
households to 24 months after the date of a major disaster 
declaration pursuant to section 401 of the Robert T. Staf-
ford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (42 
U.S.C. 5170). 
SEC. 8. REPORT TO CONGRESS ON MAJOR DISASTER DEC-
LARATIONS. 
Not later than 180 days after the date of enactment 
of this Act, the Administrator shall submit to the Com-
mittee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs 
of the Senate and the Committee on Transportation and 
Infrastructure of the House of Representatives a report 
containing the following information with respect to each 
major disaster declared pursuant to section 401 of the 
Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assist-
ance Act (42 U.S.C. 5170) during the 5-year period pre-
ceding such date of enactment: 
(1) The process used by the Federal Emergency 
Management Agency to determine individual house-
hold need. 
(2) An itemization of the most common reasons 
for denial of individual and household assistance 
pursuant to section 408 of the Robert T. Stafford 
Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (42 
U.S.C. 5174). 
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