IB 
Union Calendar No. 478 
116TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 8266 
[Report No. 116–580] 
To modify the Federal cost share of certain emergency assistance provided 
under the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance 
Act, to modify the activities eligible for assistance under the emergency 
declaration issued by the President on March 13, 2020, relating to 
COVID–19, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
SEPTEMBER 16, 2020 
Mr. DEFAZIO (for himself, Mr. THOMPSON of California, Mrs. LOWEY, Ms. 
TITUS, Ms. ROYBAL-ALLARD, Mr. BLUMENAUER, Mr. WALDEN, Mr. 
SCHRADER, Ms. BONAMICI, Ms. NORTON, Mrs. NAPOLITANO, Mr. SEAN 
PATRICK MALONEY of New York, Mr. PAYNE, Mr. CARBAJAL, Mr. 
LOWENTHAL, Mr. STANTON, Mr. HUFFMAN, Mr. PAPPAS, Mr. 
GARAMENDI, Ms. FINKENAUER, Mr. LIPINSKI, Mr. CARSON of Indiana, 
Mr. SIRES, Ms. MUCARSEL-POWELL, Mr. LYNCH, Mr. DESAULNIER, Mr. 
ROUDA, Mr. PANETTA, Mr. COSTA, Ms. JOHNSON of Texas, Mr. COHEN, 
Ms. SA´NCHEZ, Mr. BROWN of Maryland, Ms. ESHOO, and Ms. LOFGREN) 
introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on 
Transportation and Infrastructure 
NOVEMBER 16, 2020 
Additional sponsors: Ms. PLASKETT, Ms. BROWNLEY of California, Mr. 
MALINOWSKI, Mr. LARSEN of Washington, Mr. KHANNA, Mr. SWALWELL 
of California, Ms. CRAIG, Ms. JUDY CHU of California, and Mr. BYRNE 
NOVEMBER 16, 2020 
Reported with an amendment; committed to the Committee of the Whole 
House on the State of the Union and ordered to be printed 
[Strike out all after the enacting clause and insert the part printed in italic] 
[For text of introduced bill, see copy of bill as introduced on September 16, 2020] 
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A BILL 
To modify the Federal cost share of certain emergency assist-
ance provided under the Robert T. Stafford Disaster 
Relief and Emergency Assistance Act, to modify the ac-
tivities eligible for assistance under the emergency dec-
laration issued by the President on March 13, 2020, 
relating to COVID–19, and for other purposes. 
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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 Assistance Relief 
Act of 2020’’. 
SEC. 2. COST SHARE. 
(a) TEMPORARY FEDERAL SHARE.—Notwithstanding 
sections 
403(b), 
403(c)(4), 
404(a), 
406(b), 
408(d), 
408(g)(2), 428(e)(2)(B), and 503(a) of the Robert T. Staf-
ford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (42 
U.S.C. 5121 et seq.), for any emergency or major disaster 
declared by the President under such Act during the period 
beginning on January 1, 2020 and ending on December 31, 
2020, the Federal share of assistance provided under such 
sections shall be not less than 90 percent of the eligible cost 
of such assistance. 
(b) COST SHARE UNDER COVID EMERGENCY DEC-
LARATION.—Notwithstanding subsection (a), assistance 
provided under the emergency declaration issued by the 
President on March 13, 2020, pursuant to section 501(b) 
of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency 
Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5191(b)), and under any subse-
quent major disaster declaration under section 401 of such 
Act (42 U.S.C. 5170) that supersedes such emergency dec-
laration, shall be at a 100 percent Federal cost share. 
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SEC. 3. CLARIFICATION OF ASSISTANCE. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—For the emergency declared on 
March 13, 2020 by the President under section 501 of the 
Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assist-
ance Act (42 U.S.C. 5191), the President may provide as-
sistance for activities, costs, and purchases of States, Indian 
tribal governments, or local governments, including— 
(1) activities eligible for assistance under sec-
tions 301, 415, 416, and 426 of the Robert T. Stafford 
Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (42 
U.S.C. 5141, 5182, 5183, 5189d); 
(2) backfill costs for first responders and other 
essential employees who are ill or quarantined; 
(3) increased operating costs for essential govern-
ment services due to such emergency, including costs 
for implementing continuity plans, and sheltering or 
housing for first responders, emergency managers, 
health providers and other essential employees; 
(4) costs of providing guidance and information 
to the public and for call centers to disseminate such 
guidance and information, including private non-
profit organizations; 
(5) costs associated with establishing and oper-
ating virtual services; 
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(6) costs for establishing and operating remote 
test sites, including comprehensive community based 
testing; 
(7) training provided specifically in anticipation 
of or in response to the event on which such emer-
gency declaration is predicated; 
(8) personal protective equipment and other crit-
ical supplies and services for first responders and 
other essential employees, including individuals work-
ing in public schools, courthouses, law enforcement, 
and public transit systems; 
(9) medical equipment, regardless of whether 
such equipment is used for emergency or inpatient 
care; 
(10) public health costs, including provision and 
distribution of medicine and medical supplies; 
(11) costs associated with maintaining alternate 
care facilities or related facilities currently inactive 
but related to future needs tied to the ongoing pan-
demic event; 
(12) costs of establishing and operating shelters 
and providing services, including transportation, that 
help alleviate the need of individuals for shelter; and 
(13) costs, including costs incurred by private 
nonprofit organizations, of procuring and distrib-
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uting food to individuals affected by the pandemic 
through networks established by State, local, or Tribal 
governments, or other organizations, including res-
taurants and farms, and for the purchase of food di-
rectly from food producers and farmers. 
(b) APPLICATION
TO
SUBSEQUENT
MAJOR
DIS-
ASTER.—The activities described in subsection (a) may also 
be eligible for assistance under any major disaster declared 
by the President under section 401 of such Act (42 U.S.C. 
5170) that supersedes the emergency declaration described 
in such subsection. 
(c) FINANCIAL
ASSISTANCE
FOR
FUNERAL
EX-
PENSES.—For any emergency or major disaster described 
in subsection (a) or (b), the President shall provide finan-
cial assistance to an individual or household to meet dis-
aster-related funeral expenses under section 408(e)(1) of 
such Act (42 U.S.C. 5174(e)). 
(d) ADVANCED ASSISTANCE.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—In order to facilitate activities 
under this section, the President, acting through the Admin-
istrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, 
may provide assistance in advance to an eligible applicant 
if a failure to do so would prevent the applicant from car-
rying out such activities. 
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(2) ANNUAL REPORT.—The Administrator shall sub-
mit to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure 
of the House of Representatives and the Committee on 
Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs a report on 
assistance provided in advance pursuant to paragraph (1). 
(3) AUDIT BY DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY 
INSPECTOR GENERAL.—Not later than 1 year after the date 
of enactment of this Act, the Inspector General of the De-
partment of Homeland Security shall conduct a follow-up 
review of assistance provided in advance pursuant to para-
graph (1). 
(4) REVIEW.—The audit under paragraph (2) shall in-
clude, at a minimum— 
(A) a review of the assumptions and methodolo-
gies used to determine eligibility for advanced assist-
ance; and 
(B) a determination of whether the advanced as-
sistance was used appropriately. 
(5) REPORT TO CONGRESS.—The Inspector General 
shall submit to the Committee on Transportation and In-
frastructure of the House of Representatives and the Com-
mittee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs of 
the Senate a report on the results of the review carried out 
under this subsection. 
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(e) RULE OF CONSTRUCTION.—Nothing in this section 
shall be construed to make ineligible any assistance that 
would otherwise be eligible under section 403, 408, or 502 
of such Act (42 U.S.C. 5170b, 5192). 
(f) STATE; INDIAN TRIBAL GOVERNMENT; LOCAL GOV-
ERNMENT DEFINED.—In this section, the terms ‘‘State’’, 
‘‘Indian tribal government’’, and ‘‘local government’’ have 
the meanings given such terms in section 102 of the Robert 
T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act 
(42 U.S.C. 5122). 
SEC. 4. HAZARD MITIGATION ASSISTANCE. 
For all States or Indian tribal governments, as such 
terms are defined in section 102 of the Robert T. Stafford 
Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 
5122), receiving an emergency declaration on March 13, 
2020 by the President under section 501 of the Robert T. 
Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (42 
U.S.C. 5191), and a major disaster declared by the Presi-
dent under section 401 of such Act (42 U.S.C. 5170) that 
supersedes such emergency declaration, the President shall 
approve the availability of hazard mitigation assistance 
pursuant to section 404 of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster 
Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5170c) as 
part of such major disaster declarations, if requested. 
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