I 
107TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 5676
To authorize the Secretary of Education to make grants to local educational 
agencies for disaster relief. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
OCTOBER 16, 2002
Mrs. MALONEY of New York (for herself, Mr. SERRANO, Mr. TOWNS, and Mr. 
FROST) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Com-
mittee on Education and the Workforce 
A BILL 
To authorize the Secretary of Education to make grants 
to local educational agencies for disaster relief.
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 ‘‘Disaster Relief for Our 
Schools Act’’. 
SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 
The Congress finds the following: 
(1) The terrorist attack on September 11, 
2001, had a devastating impact on New York City, 
New York, including its schools.
(2) Since the terrorist attack, the New York 
City School System has experienced tremendous dif-
ficulty in obtaining aid from the Federal Govern-
ment to help with resulting expenses. 
(3) Under prior legislation enacted in 1965, the 
Department of Health, Education, and Welfare was 
authorized to distribute disaster assistance to local 
school districts impacted by a declared disaster, and 
the Department performed this task well. 
(4) Following the Northridge, California, earth-
quake in 1994, the Los Angeles school district re-
ceived assistance from the Department of Education 
as quickly as 2 weeks from the incident. 
(5) In 1994, responsibility for disaster assist-
ance for education institutions was officially trans-
ferred from the Department of Education to the 
Federal Emergency Management Agency under the 
Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency 
Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5121 et seq.). 
(6) Given the experience of the New York City 
School System, and with statements made by the 
Federal Emergency Management Agency that the 
Agency cannot provide assistance for operating ex-
penses, the Department of Education should be au-
thorized to provide immediate disaster assistance for 
schools. 
SEC. 3. DISASTER RELIEF GRANTS FOR LOCAL EDU-
CATIONAL AGENCIES. 
(a) ESTABLISHMENT.—The Secretary of Education 
may make grants for disaster relief to local educational 
agencies located in any area for which the President has 
declared a major disaster pursuant to the Robert T. Staf-
ford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (42 
U.S.C. 5121 et seq.). 
(b) USE OF FUNDS.—The Secretary may not make 
a grant under this section unless the applicant involved 
agrees to use the grant as reimbursement or payment for 
expenses resulting from a major disaster described in sub-
section (a) that occurred after September 10, 2001. Such 
expenses may include any of the following: 
(1) Additional classroom instruction time and 
related activities for students who lost instructional 
time as a result of the disaster. 
(2) Mental health and trauma counseling and 
other appropriate support services to students suf-
fering from long-term or short-term trauma-related 
disorders resulting from the disaster. 
(3) Guidance and grief counseling and mental 
health services, including overtime payment for
counselors and mental health professionals, for stu-
dents and school staff. 
(4) Textbooks and other school supplies and 
equipment damaged or destroyed as a result of the 
disaster, or used to support the relocation of stu-
dents from schools in the disaster area. 
(5) Relocating students, including transpor-
tation of students to temporary school facilities. 
(6) Loss of perishable food stock and revenue 
lost from food services. 
(7) Renting or leasing alternate temporary fa-
cilities or transportation. 
(c) APPLICATION.—To seek a grant under this sec-
tion, a local educational agency shall submit an application 
to the Secretary at such time, in such manner, and con-
taining such information as the Secretary reasonably re-
quires. 
(d) RULE OF CONSTRUCTION.—Nothing in this Act 
shall be construed as prohibiting or exempting the Federal 
Emergency Management Agency from its obligation to 
provide assistance to local educational agencies in connec-
tion with a major disaster, including debris removal and 
cleanup, and restoration of facilities to their predisaster 
condition. 
(e) DEFINITIONS.—For purposes of this section: