ministrative costs incurred by the Administrator in 
carrying out this section.’’. 
(b) CONFORMING AMENDMENTS.— 
(1) APPLICABILITY
OF
TITLE
5, 
UNITED 
STATES CODE.—Section 8101(1) of title 5, United 
States Code, is amended— 
(A) in subparagraph (D) by striking ‘‘and’’ 
at the end; 
(B) by moving subparagraph (F) to appear 
after subparagraph (E); 
(C) in subparagraph (F) by adding ‘‘and’’ 
at the end; and 
(D) by inserting after subparagraph (F) 
the following: 
‘‘(G) an individual who is a System mem-
ber of the National Urban Search and Rescue 
Response System during a period of appoint-
ment into Federal service pursuant to section 
328 of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief 
and Emergency Assistance Act;’’. 
(2) INCLUSION AS PART OF UNIFORMED SERV-
ICES FOR PURPOSES OF USERRA.—Section 4303 of 
title 38, United States Code, is amended— 
(A) in paragraph (13) by inserting ‘‘, a pe-
riod for which a System member of the Na-
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tional Urban Search and Rescue Response Sys-
tem is absent from a position of employment 
due to an appointment into Federal service 
under section 328 of the Robert T. Stafford 
Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act’’ 
before ‘‘, and a period’’; and 
(B) in paragraph (16) by inserting after 
‘‘Public Health Service,’’ the following: ‘‘System 
members of the National Urban Search and 
Rescue Response System during a period of ap-
pointment into Federal service under section 
328 of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief 
and Emergency Assistance Act,’’. 
SEC. 106. DISASTER RELIEF FUND. 
Title III of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief 
and Emergency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5141 et seq.) 
is further amended by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘SEC. 329. DISASTER RELIEF FUND. 
‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—There is in the Treasury a fund 
known as the Disaster Relief Fund. 
‘‘(b) DEPOSITS AND CREDITS.—The Fund shall con-
sist of amounts appropriated and credited to the Fund 
pursuant to this Act. 
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‘‘(c) ELIGIBLE USES OF FUND.—Amounts in the 
Fund shall be available to the President, as provided in 
advance in appropriations Acts— 
‘‘(1) to provide assistance in response to a 
major disaster or emergency pursuant to titles IV 
and V; and 
‘‘(2) for programs and activities of the Federal 
Emergency Management Agency that support the 
provision of such assistance, including programs and 
activities that are not readily attributable to a single 
major disaster or emergency. 
‘‘(d) SUPPORT PROGRAMS.—The programs and ac-
tivities referred to in subsection (c)(2) include the pro-
grams and activities authorized by sections 302, 303, and 
306(b). 
‘‘(e) LIMITATION.—Amounts made available from the 
Fund for programs and activities referred to in subsection 
(c)(2) may not exceed $300,000,000 in any fiscal year. 
‘‘(f) ANNUAL REPORT.—On or before the date on 
which the President submits the budget of the United 
States to the Congress under section 1105 of title 31, 
United States Code, the President shall submit each year 
to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure 
of the House of Representatives and the Committee on 
Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs of the Sen-
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ate a report on the uses of the Fund in the previous fiscal 
year. 
‘‘(g) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There 
is authorized to be appropriated to the Fund such sums 
as may be necessary. 
‘‘(h) AVAILABILITY OF AMOUNTS.—Amounts in the 
Fund shall remain available until expended.’’. 
TITLE II—MAJOR DISASTER AND 
EMERGENCY 
ASSISTANCE 
PROGRAMS 
SEC. 201. ADDITIONAL MITIGATION ASSISTANCE. 
Section 404 of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief 
and Emergency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5170c) is 
amended by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(d) ADDITIONAL MITIGATION ASSISTANCE.— 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—If, at the time of a declara-
tion of a major disaster, the affected State has in 
effect and is actively enforcing throughout the State 
an approved State building code, the President may 
increase the maximum total of contributions under 
this section for the major disaster, as specified in 
subsection (a), by an amount equal to 4 percent of 
the estimated aggregate amount of grants to be 
made (less any associated administrative costs) 
under this Act with respect to the major disaster. 
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‘‘(2) SUBMISSION.—To be eligible for an in-
creased Federal share under paragraph (1), a State, 
at least once every 6 years, shall submit its State 
building code to the President for approval. 
‘‘(3) APPROVAL.—The President shall approve 
a State building code submitted under paragraph (2) 
if the President determines that the building code— 
‘‘(A) is consistent with the most recent 
version of a nationally recognized model build-
ing code; 
‘‘(B) has been adopted by the State within 
6 years of the most recent version of the na-
tionally recognized model building code; and 
‘‘(C) uses the nationally recognized model 
building code as a minimum standard. 
‘‘(4) DEFINITIONS.—In this subsection, the fol-
lowing definitions apply: 
‘‘(A) ACTIVELY
ENFORCING.—The term 
‘actively enforcing’ means effective jurisdic-
tional execution of all phases of a State building 
code in the process of examination and approval 
of construction plans, specifications, and tech-
nical data and the inspection of new construc-
tion or renovation. 
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‘‘(B) NATIONALLY
RECOGNIZED
MODEL 
BUILDING CODE.—The term ‘nationally recog-
nized model building code’ means a building 
code for residential and commercial construc-
tion and construction materials that— 
‘‘(i) has been developed and published 
by a code organization in an open con-
sensus type forum with input from na-
tional experts; and 
‘‘(ii) is based on national structural 
design standards that establish minimum 
acceptable criteria for the design, construc-
tion, and maintenance of residential and 
commercial buildings for the purpose of 
protecting the health, safety, and general 
welfare of the building’s users against nat-
ural disasters. 
‘‘(C) STATE BUILDING CODE.—The term 
‘State building code’ means requirements and 
associated standards for residential and com-
mercial construction and construction materials 
that are implemented on a statewide basis by 
ordinance, resolution, law, housing or building 
code, or zoning ordinance. At a minimum, such 
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requirements and associated standards shall 
apply— 
‘‘(i) to construction-related activities 
of residential building contractors applica-
ble to single-family and 2-family residential 
structures; and 
‘‘(ii) to construction-related activities 
of engineers, architects, designers, and 
commercial building contractors applicable 
to the structural safety, design, and con-
struction of commercial, industrial, and 
multifamily structures. 
‘‘(5) REGULATIONS.—Not later than 180 days 
after the date of enactment of this subsection, the 
President, acting through the Administrator of the 
Federal Emergency Management Agency, shall issue 
such regulations as may be necessary to carry out 
this subsection.’’. 
SEC. 202. TEMPORARY MORTGAGE AND RENTAL PAY-
MENTS. 
Section 408(c) of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Re-
lief and Emergency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5174(c)) 
is amended by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(5) TEMPORARY MORTGAGE AND RENTAL PAY-
MENTS.—The President may provide assistance on a 
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temporary basis in the form of mortgage or rental 
payments to or on behalf of individuals and families 
who, as a result of financial hardship caused by a 
major disaster, are at imminent risk of dispossession 
or eviction from a residence by reason of foreclosure 
of any mortgage or lien, cancellation of any contract 
for sale, or termination of any lease, entered into 
prior to such disaster. Such assistance shall be pro-
vided for the duration of the period of financial 
hardship, but not to exceed 18 months of assistance 
or the maximum amount of assistance that is au-
thorized to be provided pursuant to subsection (h).’’. 
SEC. 203. CLARIFICATION OF GRANT AUTHORITY. 
(a) SECTION 418.—Section 418 of the Robert T. 
Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act 
(42 U.S.C. 5185) is amended— 
(1) by inserting ‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—’’ before 
‘‘The President’’; 
(2) by inserting ‘‘to provide assistance, includ-
ing grants, equipment, supplies, and personnel, in 
order’’ before ‘‘to establish’’; and 
(3) by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(b) FEDERAL SHARE.—The Federal share of assist-
ance under this section shall be not less than 75 percent 
of the eligible cost of such assistance.’’. 
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(b) SECTION 419.—Section 419 of the Robert T. 
Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act 
(42 U.S.C. 5186) is amended— 
(1) by inserting ‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—’’ before 
‘‘The President’’; 
(2) by inserting ‘‘to provide assistance, includ-
ing grants, equipment, supplies, and personnel, in 
order’’ before ‘‘to provide’’ the first place it appears; 
and 
(3) by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(b) FEDERAL SHARE.—The Federal share of assist-
ance under this section shall be not less than 75 percent 
of the eligible cost of such assistance.’’. 
(c) SECTION 309.—Section 309(b) of the Robert T. 
Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act is 
amended by adding ‘‘, including grant agreements,’’ after 
‘‘agreements’’. 
SEC. 204. HOUSEHOLD PETS AND SERVICE ANIMALS. 
(a) EMERGENCY ASSISTANCE.—Section 502(a) of 
Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assist-
ance Act (42 U.S.C. 5192(a)) is amended— 
(1) by striking ‘‘and’’ at the end of paragraph 
(7); 
(2) by striking the period at the end of para-
graph (8) and inserting ‘‘; and’’; and 
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(3) by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(9) provide assistance for rescue, care, shelter, 
and essential needs— 
‘‘(A) to individuals with household pets 
and service animals; and 
‘‘(B) to such pets and animals.’’. 
(b) TECHNICAL CORRECTIONS.—Section 403(a)(3) of 
such Act (42 U.S.C. 5170b(a)(3)) is amended— 
(1) in subparagraph (B) by striking ‘‘medical 
equipment,,’’ and inserting ‘‘medical equipment,’’; 
and 
(2) by striking the second subparagraph (J), as 
added by section 4 of Public Law 109–308. 
SEC. 205. STORAGE, SALE, TRANSFER, AND DISPOSAL OF 
HOUSING UNITS. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 3 months after the 
date of enactment of this Act, the Administrator of the 
Federal Emergency Management Agency shall complete 
an assessment of the number of temporary housing units 
purchased by the Agency that the Administrator finds nec-
essary to stock to respond to major disasters and emer-
gencies under the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and 
Emergency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5121 et seq.) occur-
ring after the date of enactment of this Act. 
(b) PLAN.— 
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(1) IN
GENERAL.—Not later than 6 months 
after the date of enactment of this Act, the Adminis-
trator shall establish a plan for— 
(A) permanently storing the temporary 
housing units that the Administrator finds nec-
essary to stock under subsection (a); 
(B) selling, transferring, or otherwise dis-
posing of the temporary housing units that the 
Administrator finds are in excess of the number 
that the Administrator finds necessary to stock 
under subsection (a) and are in usable condi-
tion; and 
(C) disposing of the temporary housing 
units that the Administrator finds are not in 
usable condition. 
(2) EXCEPTION.— 
(A) IN
GENERAL.—If the Administrator 
submits to Congress a written certification that 
the Administrator is unable to determine the 
safe level of exposure to formaldehyde for pur-
poses of travel trailers, the Administrator may 
exclude from the plan established under para-
graph (1) any travel trailer that the Adminis-
trator determines may contain formaldehyde. 
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(B) DURATION.—The authority to exclude 
travel trailers under this paragraph shall termi-
nate on the date on which the Environmental 
Protection Agency or other appropriate depart-
ment or agency promulgates regulations regard-
ing exposure levels for formaldehyde that are 
applicable to travel trailers. 
(3) APPLICABILITY
OF
DISPOSAL
REQUIRE-
MENTS.—The plan established under paragraph (1) 
shall be subject to— 
(A) the requirements of section 408(d)(2) 
of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and 
Emergency 
Assistance 
Act 
(42 
U.S.C. 
5174(d)(2)), as amended by this Act; 
(B) the special rule contained in section 
103(b)(3) of this Act; and 
(C) any other applicable provision of law. 
(c) IMPLEMENTATION.—Not later than 9 months 
after the date of enactment of this Act, the Administrator 
shall implement the plan described in subsection (b). 
(d) REPORT.—Not later than one year after the date 
of enactment of this Act, the Administrator shall submit 
to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure 
of the House of Representatives and the Committee on 
Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs of the Sen-
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ate a report on the status of the distribution, sale, trans-
fer, or other disposal of the unused temporary housing 
units purchased by the Agency. 
TITLE III—OTHER MATTERS 
SEC. 301. COMMUNITY PREPAREDNESS. 
Subtitle A of title VI of the Robert T. Stafford Dis-
aster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 
5196 et seq.) is amended by adding at the end the fol-
lowing: 
‘‘SEC. 617. COMMUNITY PREPAREDNESS. 
‘‘(a) CITIZEN CORPS.—The Administrator shall con-
tinue to administer the citizen preparedness program 
known as the ‘Citizen Corps’. 
‘‘(b) ACTIVITIES.—In carrying out the program, the 
Administrator may— 
‘‘(1) collaborate with community leaders to co-
ordinate and leverage efforts to strengthen commu-
nity involvement in preparedness, planning, mitiga-
tion, response, and recovery for hazards; 
‘‘(2) educate and train citizens in emergency 
preparedness and mitigation; and 
‘‘(3) train citizens in basic response skills, in-
cluding fire safety, light search and rescue, and 
medical operations in preparation for hazards. 
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‘‘(c) COMMUNITY
EMERGENCY
RESPONSE
TEAM 
PROGRAM.—In carrying out the program, the Adminis-
trator shall continue to administer the Community Emer-
gency Response Team Program. 
‘‘(d) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There 
is authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section— 
‘‘(1) $30,000,000 for fiscal year 2009; 
‘‘(2) $35,000,000 for fiscal year 2010; and 
‘‘(3) $40,000,000 for fiscal year 2011. 
‘‘(e) ALLOCATION OF FUNDS.—Of the amounts ap-
propriated to carry out this section for a fiscal year, not 
to exceed $2,000,000 may be used to carry out the Com-
munity Emergency Response Team Program.’’. 
SEC. 302. EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT ASSISTANCE COM-
PACT GRANTS. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Subtitle A of title VI of the Rob-
ert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance 
Act (42 U.S.C. 5196 et seq.) is further amended by adding 
at the end the following: 
‘‘SEC. 618. EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT ASSISTANCE COM-
PACT GRANTS. 
‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—The Administrator may make 
grants to provide for implementation of the Emergency 
Management Assistance Compact consented to by Con-
gress in the joint resolution entitled ‘Joint resolution 
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granting the consent of Congress to the Emergency Man-
agement Assistance Compact’ (Public Law 104–321; 110 
Stat. 3877). 
‘‘(b) ELIGIBLE GRANT RECIPIENTS.—States and the 
Administrator of the Emergency Management Assistance 
Compact shall be eligible to receive grants under sub-
section (a). 
‘‘(c) USE OF FUNDS.—A grant received under this 
section shall be used— 
‘‘(1) to carry out recommendations identified in 
the Emergency Management Assistance Compact 
after-action reports for the 2004 and 2005 hurricane 
seasons; 
‘‘(2) to administer compact operations on behalf 
of States, as such term is defined in the compact, 
that have enacted the compact; 
‘‘(3) to continue coordination with the Agency 
and appropriate Federal agencies; 
‘‘(4) to continue coordination with States and 
local governments and their respective national orga-
nizations; and 
‘‘(5) to assist State and local governments, 
emergency response providers, and organizations 
representing such providers with credentialing the 
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providers and the typing of emergency response re-
sources. 
‘‘(d) COORDINATION.—The Administrator shall con-
sult with the Administrator of the Emergency Manage-
ment Assistance Compact to ensure effective coordination 
of efforts in responding to requests for assistance. 
‘‘(e) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There 
is authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section 
$4,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2009, 2010, and 2011. 
Such sums shall remain available until expended.’’. 
(b) REPEAL.—Section 661 of the Post-Katrina 
Emergency Management Reform Act of 2006 (6 U.S.C. 
761) is repealed. 
SEC. 303. AUTHORITY TO ACCEPT AND USE GIFTS. 
The first sentence of section 701(b) of the Robert T. 
Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act 
(42 U.S.C. 5201(b)) is amended by inserting ‘‘, through 
any means including grants,’’ before ‘‘bequests’’. 
SEC. 304. INDIVIDUAL ASSISTANCE FACTORS. 
In order to provide more objective criteria for evalu-
ating the need for assistance to individuals and to speed 
a declaration of a major disaster or emergency under the 
Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assist-
ance Act (42 U.S.C. 5121 et seq.), not later than one year 
after the date of enactment of this Act, the Administrator 
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of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, in co-
operation with representatives of State and local emer-
gency management agencies, shall review, update, and re-
vise through rulemaking the factors considered under sec-
tion 206.48 of title 44, Code of Federal Regulations, to 
measure the severity, magnitude, and impact of a disaster. 
SEC. 305. TECHNICAL CORRECTIONS TO REFERENCES. 
The Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emer-
gency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5121 et seq.) is amend-
ed— 
(1) in section 602(a) by striking paragraph (7) 
and inserting the following: 
‘‘(7) ADMINISTRATOR.—The term ‘Adminis-
trator’ means the Administrator of the Federal 
Emergency Management Agency.’’; and 
(2) by striking ‘‘Director’’ each place it appears 
and inserting ‘‘Administrator’’, except— 
(A) the second and fourth places it appears 
in section 622(c); and 
(B) in section 626(b). 
Æ 
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