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‘‘(ii) whether the State or Tribal gov-
ernment providing assistance under this 
section had the capacity to administer this 
section; and 
‘‘(iii) recommendations for changes to 
improve the program if the State or Tribal 
government’s role to administer the pro-
grams should be continued. 
‘‘(G) PROHIBITION.—The President may 
not condition the provision of Federal assist-
ance under this Act by a State or Tribal gov-
ernment requesting a grant under this section. 
‘‘(H) MISCELLANEOUS.— 
‘‘(i) NOTICE
AND
COMMENT.—The 
Administrator may waive notice and com-
ment rulemaking, if the Administrator de-
termines doing so is necessary to expedi-
tiously implement this section, and may 
carry out this section as a pilot program 
until such regulations are promulgated. 
‘‘(ii) FINAL RULE.—Not later than 2 
years after the date of enactment of this 
paragraph, the Administrator shall issue 
final regulations to implement this sub-
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section as amended by the Disaster Recov-
ery Reform Act. 
‘‘(iii) WAIVER AND EXPIRATION.—The 
authority under clause (i) and any pilot 
program implemented pursuant to such 
clause shall expire 2 years after the date of 
enactment of this paragraph or upon 
issuance of final regulations pursuant to 
clause (ii), whichever occurs sooner.’’. 
SEC. 2011. ASSISTANCE TO INDIVIDUALS AND HOUSE-
HOLDS. 
Section 408(h) of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster 
Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5174(h)) 
is amended— 
(1) in paragraph (1), by inserting ‘‘, excluding 
financial assistance to rent alternate housing accom-
modations under subsection (c)(1)(A)(i) and finan-
cial assistance to address other needs under sub-
section (e)’’ after ‘‘disaster’’; 
(2) by redesignating paragraph (2) as para-
graph (3); 
(3) by inserting after paragraph (1) the fol-
lowing: 
‘‘(2) OTHER
NEEDS
ASSISTANCE.—The max-
imum financial assistance any individual or house-
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hold may receive under subsection (e) shall be equiv-
alent to the amount set forth in paragraph (1) with 
respect to a single major disaster.’’; 
(4) in paragraph (3) (as so redesignated), by 
striking ‘‘paragraph (1)’’ and inserting ‘‘paragraphs 
(1) and (2)’’; and 
(5) by inserting after paragraph (3) (as so re-
designated) the following: 
‘‘(4) EXCLUSION OF NECESSARY EXPENSES FOR 
INDIVIDUALS WITH DISABILITIES.— 
‘‘(A) The maximum amount of assistance 
established under paragraph (1) shall exclude 
expenses to repair or replace damaged accessi-
bility-related improvements under paragraphs 
(2), (3), and (4) of subsection (c) for individ-
uals with disabilities. 
‘‘(B) The maximum amount of assistance 
established under paragraph (2) shall exclude 
expenses to repair or replace accessibility-re-
lated personal property under subsection (e)(2) 
for individuals with disabilities.’’. 
SEC. 2012. MULTIFAMILY LEASE AND REPAIR ASSISTANCE. 
(a) LEASE
AND REPAIR
OF RENTAL UNITS
FOR 
TEMPORARY HOUSING.—Section 408(c)(1)(B)(ii)(II) of 
the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency As-
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sistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5174(c)(1)(B)(ii)(II)) is amended 
to read as follows: 
‘‘(II) IMPROVEMENTS
OR
RE-
PAIRS.—Under the terms of any lease 
agreement for property entered into 
under this subsection, the value of the 
improvements or repairs shall be de-
ducted from the value of the lease 
agreement.’’. 
(b) 
RENTAL
PROPERTIES
IMPACTED.—Section 
408(c)(1)(B)(ii)(I)(aa) of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster 
Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 
5174(c)(1)(B)(ii)(I)(aa)) is amended to read as follows: 
‘‘(aa) enter into lease agree-
ments with owners of multifamily 
rental property impacted by a 
major disaster or located in areas 
covered by a major disaster dec-
laration to house individuals and 
households eligible for assistance 
under this section; and’’. 
(c) INSPECTOR GENERAL REPORT.—Not later than 
2 years after the date of the enactment of this Act, the 
inspector general of the Department of Homeland Security 
shall assess the use of the authority provided under section 
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408(c)(1)(B) of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief 
and 
Emergency 
Assistance 
Act 
(42 
U.S.C. 
5174(c)(1)(B)), including the adequacy of any benefit-cost 
analysis done to justify the use of this alternative, and 
submit a report on the results of that review to the appro-
priate committees of Congress. 
SEC. 2013. FEDERAL DISASTER ASSISTANCE NONPROFIT 
FAIRNESS. 
(a) DEFINITION
OF PRIVATE NONPROFIT FACIL-
ITY.—Section 102(11)(B) of the Robert T. Stafford Dis-
aster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 
5122(11)(B)) is amended to read as follows: 
‘‘(B) ADDITIONAL
FACILITIES.—In addi-
tion to the facilities described in subparagraph 
(A), the term ‘private nonprofit facility’ in-
cludes any private nonprofit facility that pro-
vides essential services of a governmental na-
ture to the general public (including museums, 
zoos, performing arts facilities, community arts 
centers, community centers, houses of worship 
exempt from taxation under section 501(c) of 
the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, libraries, 
homeless shelters, senior citizen centers, reha-
bilitation facilities, shelter workshops, food 
banks, broadcasting facilities, and facilities that 
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HR 4667 RDS 
provide health and safety services of a govern-
mental nature), as defined by the President.’’. 
(b) REPAIR, RESTORATION, AND REPLACEMENT OF 
DAMAGED FACILITIES.—Section 406(a)(3) of the Robert 
T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act 
(42 U.S.C. 5172(a)(3)) is amended by adding at the end 
the following: 
‘‘(C) HOUSES OF WORSHIP.— 
‘‘(i) IN
GENERAL.—A church, syna-
gogue, mosque, temple, or other house of 
worship, and a private nonprofit facility 
operated by a religious organization, shall 
be eligible for contributions under para-
graph 
(1)(B) 
(subject 
to 
paragraph 
(3)(A)), without regard to the religious 
character of the facility or the primary re-
ligious use of the facility. 
‘‘(ii) LIMITATIONS.—Notwithstanding 
clause (i), in spaces dedicated to or pri-
marily used for religious purposes, con-
tributions under paragraph (1)(B) shall 
only be used to cover costs of purchasing 
or replacing, without limitation, the build-
ing structure, building enclosure compo-
nents, building envelope, vertical and hori-
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zontal circulation, physical plant support 
spaces, electrical, plumbing, and mechan-
ical systems (including heating, ventilation, 
air-conditioning, and fire and life safety 
systems), and related site improvements.’’. 
(c) APPLICABILITY.—This section and the amend-
ments made by this section shall apply to the provision 
of assistance in response to a major disaster or emergency 
declared on or after October 28, 2012. 
SEC. 2014. MANAGEMENT COSTS. 
Section 324 of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief 
and Emergency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5165b) is 
amended— 
(1) in subsection (a) by striking ‘‘any adminis-
trative expense, and any other expense not directly 
chargeable to’’ and inserting ‘‘direct administrative 
cost, and any other administrative expense associ-
ated with’’; and 
(2) in subsection (b)— 
(A) by striking ‘‘Notwithstanding’’ and in-
serting the following: 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—Notwithstanding’’; 
(B) by striking ‘‘establish’’ and inserting 
the following: ‘‘implement’’; and 
(C) by adding at the end the following: 
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‘‘(2) SPECIFIC MANAGEMENT COSTS.—The Ad-
ministrator shall provide the following percentage 
rates, in addition to the eligible project costs, to 
cover direct and indirect costs of administering the 
following programs: 
‘‘(A) HAZARD
MITIGATION.—A grantee 
under section 404 may be reimbursed not more 
than 15 percent of the total amount of the 
grant award under such section of which not 
more than 10 percent may be used by the 
grantee and 5 percent by the subgrantee for 
such costs. 
‘‘(B) PUBLIC
ASSISTANCE.—A grantee 
under sections 403, 406, 407, and 502 may be 
reimbursed not more than 12 percent of the 
total award amount under such sections, of 
which not more than 7 percent may be used by 
the grantee and 5 percent by the subgrantee for 
such costs.’’. 
SEC. 2015. FLEXIBILITY. 
(a) DEFINITION.—In this section, the term ‘‘covered 
assistance’’ means assistance provided— 
(1) under section 408 of the Robert T. Stafford 
Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (42 
U.S.C. 5174); and 
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(2) in relation to a major disaster or emergency 
declared by the President under section 401 or 501 
of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emer-
gency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5170; 42 U.S.C. 
5191) on or after October 28, 2012. 
(b) WAIVER AUTHORITY.—Notwithstanding section 
3716(e) of title 31, United States Code, the Administrator 
of the Federal Emergency Management Agency— 
(1) subject to paragraph (2), may waive a debt 
owed to the United States related to covered assist-
ance provided to an individual or household if— 
(A) the covered assistance was distributed 
based on an error by the Federal Emergency 
Management Agency; 
(B) there was no fault on behalf of the 
debtor; and 
(C) the collection of the debt would be 
against equity and good conscience; and 
(2) may not waive a debt under paragraph (1) 
if the debt involves fraud, the presentation of a false 
claim, or misrepresentation by the debtor or any 
party having an interest in the claim. 
(c) MONITORING OF COVERED ASSISTANCE DISTRIB-
UTED BASED ON ERROR.— 
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HR 4667 RDS 
(1) IN GENERAL.—The inspector general of the 
Department of Homeland Security shall monitor the 
distribution of covered assistance to individuals and 
households to determine the percentage of such as-
sistance distributed based on an error. 
(2) REMOVAL OF WAIVER AUTHORITY BASED 
ON EXCESSIVE ERROR RATE.—If the inspector gen-
eral determines, with respect to any 12-month pe-
riod, that the amount of covered assistance distrib-
uted based on an error by the Federal Emergency 
Management Agency exceeds 4 percent of the total 
amount of covered assistance distributed— 
(A) the inspector general shall notify the 
Administrator and publish the determination in 
the Federal Register; and 
(B) with respect to any major disaster or 
emergency declared by the President under sec-
tion 401 or section 501, respectively, of the 
Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emer-
gency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5170; 42 
U.S.C. 5191) after the date on which the deter-
mination is published under subparagraph (A), 
the authority of the Administrator to waive 
debt under subsection (b) shall no longer be ef-
fective. 
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SEC. 2016. ADDITIONAL DISASTER ASSISTANCE. 
(a) DISASTER MITIGATION.—Section 209 of the Pub-
lic Works and Economic Development Act of 1965 (42 
U.S.C. 3149) is amended by adding at the end the fol-
lowing: 
‘‘(e) DISASTER MITIGATION.—In providing assist-
ance pursuant to subsection (c)(2), if appropriate and as 
applicable, the Secretary may encourage hazard mitigation 
in assistance provided pursuant to such subsection.’’. 
(b) EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT ASSISTANCE COM-
PACT
GRANTS.—Section 661(d) of the Post-Katrina 
Emergency Management Reform Act of 2006 (6 U.S.C. 
761(d)) is amended by striking ‘‘for fiscal year 2008’’ and 
inserting ‘‘for each of fiscal years 2018 through 2022’’. 
(c) 
EMERGENCY
MANAGEMENT
PERFORMANCE 
GRANTS PROGRAM.—Section 662(f) of the Post-Katrina 
Emergency Management Reform Act of 2006 (6 U.S.C. 
762(f)) is amended by striking ‘‘the program’’ and all that 
follows through ‘‘2012’’ and inserting ‘‘the program, for 
each of fiscal years 2018 through 2022’’. 
(d) TECHNICAL AMENDMENT.—Section 403(a)(3) of 
the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency As-
sistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5170b(a)(3)) is amended by strik-
ing the second subparagraph (J). 
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SEC. 2017. NATIONAL VETERINARY EMERGENCY TEAMS. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—The Administrator of the Federal 
Emergency Management Agency may establish one or 
more national veterinary emergency teams at accredited 
colleges of veterinary medicine. 
(b) RESPONSIBILITIES.—A national veterinary emer-
gency team shall— 
(1) deploy with a team of the National Urban 
Search and Rescue Response System to assist 
with— 
(A) veterinary care of canine search teams; 
(B) locating and treating companion ani-
mals, service animals, livestock, and other ani-
mals; and 
(C) surveillance and treatment of zoonotic 
diseases; 
(2) recruit, train, and certify veterinary profes-
sionals, including veterinary students, in accordance 
with an established set of plans and standard oper-
ating guidelines to carry out the duties associated 
with planning for and responding to emergencies as 
described in paragraph (1); 
(3) assist State, Tribal, and local governments 
and nonprofit organizations in developing emergency 
management and evacuation plans that account for 
the care and rescue of animals and in improving 
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HR 4667 RDS 
local readiness for providing veterinary medical re-
sponse during a disaster; and 
(4) coordinate with the Department of Home-
land Security, the Department of Health and 
Human Services, the Department of Agriculture, 
State, Tribal, and local governments (including de-
partments of animal and human health), veterinary 
and health care professionals, and volunteers. 
SEC. 2018. DISPUTE RESOLUTION PILOT PROGRAM. 
Section 1105(c) of the Sandy Recovery Improvement 
Act of 2013 (42 U.S.C. 5189a note) is amended by strik-
ing ‘‘2015’’ and inserting ‘‘2022’’. 
SEC. 2019. EMERGENCY RELIEF. 
Notwithstanding any other provision of law, for each 
of fiscal years 2018 and 2019, obligations for projects un-
dertaken to respond to damages caused by Hurricanes 
Irma and Maria shall be excluded from any calculation 
of total obligations for purposes of section 125(d)(4) of 
title 23, United States Code. 
SEC. 2020. UNIFIED FEDERAL ENVIRONMENTAL AND HIS-
TORIC PRESERVATION REVIEW. 
(a) REVIEW AND ANALYSIS.—Not later than 180 
days after the date of enactment of this Act, the Adminis-
trator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency 
shall review the Unified Federal Environmental and His-
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toric Preservation review process established pursuant to 
section 429 of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and 
Emergency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5189g), and submit 
a report to the Committee on Transportation and Infra-
structure of the House of Representatives and the Com-
mittee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs 
of the Senate that includes the following: 
(1) An analysis of whether and how the unified 
process has expedited the interagency review process 
to ensure compliance with the environmental and 
historic requirements under Federal law relating to 
disaster recovery projects. 
(2) A survey and analysis of categorical exclu-
sions used by other Federal agencies that may be 
applicable to any activity related to a Presidentially 
declared major disaster or emergency under such 
Act. 
(3) Recommendations on any further actions, 
including any legislative proposals, needed to expe-
dite and streamline the review process. 
(b) REGULATIONS.—After completing the review, 
survey, and analyses under subsection (a), but not later 
than 2 years after the date of enactment of this Act, and 
after providing notice and opportunity for public comment, 
the Administrator shall issue regulations to implement any 
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regulatory recommendations, including any categorical ex-
clusions identified under subsection (a), to the extent that 
the categorical exclusions meet the criteria for a categor-
ical exclusion under section 1508.4 of title 40, Code of 
Federal Regulations, and section II of DHS Instruction 
Manual 023–01–001–01. 
SEC. 2021. CLOSEOUT INCENTIVES. 
(a) FACILITATING CLOSEOUT.—Section 705 of the 
Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assist-
ance Act (42 U.S.C. 5205) is amended by adding at the 
end the following: 
‘‘(d) FACILITATING CLOSEOUT.— 
‘‘(1) INCENTIVES.—The Administrator may de-
velop incentives and penalties that encourage State, 
Tribal, or local governments to close out expendi-
tures and activities on a timely basis related to dis-
aster or emergency assistance. 
‘‘(2) AGENCY
REQUIREMENTS.—The Agency 
shall, consistent with applicable regulations and re-
quired procedures, meet its responsibilities to im-
prove closeout practices and reduce the time to close 
disaster program awards.’’. 
(b) REGULATIONS.—The Administrator shall issue 
regulations to implement this section. 
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SEC. 2022. PERFORMANCE OF SERVICES. 
Section 306 of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief 
and Emergency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5149) is 
amended by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(c) The Administrator of the Federal Emergency 
Management Agency is authorized to appoint temporary 
personnel, after serving continuously for 3 years, to posi-
tions in the Agency in the same manner that competitive 
service employees with competitive status are considered 
for transfer, reassignment, or promotion to such positions. 
An individual appointed under this subsection shall be-
come a career-conditional employee, unless the employee 
has already completed the service requirements for career 
tenure.’’. 
SEC. 2023. STUDY TO STREAMLINE AND CONSOLIDATE IN-
FORMATION COLLECTION. 
Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment 
of this Act, the Administrator of the Federal Emergency 
Management Agency shall— 
(1) in coordination with the Small Business Ad-
ministration, the Department of Housing and Urban 
Development, and other appropriate agencies, con-
duct a study and develop a plan, consistent with law, 
under which the collection of information from dis-
aster assistance applicants and grantees will be 
modified, streamlined, expedited, efficient, flexible, 
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consolidated, and simplified to be less burdensome, 
duplicative, and time consuming for applicants and 
grantees; 
(2) in coordination with the Small Business Ad-
ministration, the Department of Housing and Urban 
Development, and other appropriate agencies, de-
velop a plan for the regular collection and reporting 
of information on Federal disaster assistance award-
ed, including the establishment and maintenance of 
a website for presenting the information to the pub-
lic; and 
(3) submit the plans to the Committee on 
Transportation and Infrastructure of the House of 
Representatives and the Committee on Homeland 
Security and Governmental Affairs of the Senate. 
SEC. 2024. AGENCY ACCOUNTABILITY. 
Title IV of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and 
Emergency Assistance Act is amended by adding at the 
end the following: 
‘‘SEC. 430. AGENCY ACCOUNTABILITY. 
‘‘(a) PUBLIC ASSISTANCE.—Not later than 5 days 
after an award of a public assistance grant is made under 
section 406 that is in excess of $1,000,000, the Adminis-
trator shall publish on the Agency’s website the specifics 
of each such grant award, including— 
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‘‘(1) identifying the Federal Emergency Man-
agement Agency Region; 
‘‘(2) the disaster or emergency declaration 
number; 
‘‘(3) the State, county, and applicant name; 
‘‘(4) if the applicant is a private nonprofit orga-
nization; 
‘‘(5) the damage category code; 
‘‘(6) the amount of the Federal share obligated; 
and 
‘‘(7) the date of the award. 
‘‘(b) MISSION ASSIGNMENTS.— 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 5 days after 
the issuance of a mission assignment or mission as-
signment task order, the Administrator shall publish 
on the Agency’s website any mission assignment or 
mission assignment task order to another Federal 
department or agency regarding a major disaster in 
excess of $1,000,000, including— 
‘‘(A) the name of the impacted State or 
Tribe; 
‘‘(B) the disaster declaration for such 
State or Tribe; 
‘‘(C) the assigned agency; 
‘‘(D) the assistance requested; 
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‘‘(E) a description of the disaster; 
‘‘(F) the total cost estimate; 
‘‘(G) the amount obligated; 
‘‘(H) the State or Tribal cost share, if ap-
plicable; 
‘‘(I) the authority under which the mission 
assignment or mission assignment task order 
was directed; and 
‘‘(J) if applicable, the date a State or 
Tribe requested the mission assignment. 
‘‘(2) RECORDING CHANGES.—Not later than 10 
days after the last day of each month until a mission 
assignment or mission assignment task order de-
scribed in paragraph (1) is completed and closed 
out, the Administrator shall update any changes to 
the total cost estimate and the amount obligated. 
‘‘(c) DISASTER RELIEF MONTHLY REPORT.—Not 
later than 10 days after the first day of each month, the 
Administrator shall publish on the Agency’s website re-
ports, including a specific description of the methodology 
and the source data used in developing such reports, in-
cluding— 
‘‘(1) an estimate of the amounts for the fiscal 
year covered by the President’s most recent budget 
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pursuant to section 1105(a) of title 31, United 
States Code, including— 
‘‘(A) the unobligated balance of funds to 
be carried over from the prior fiscal year to the 
budget year; 
‘‘(B) the unobligated balance of funds to 
be carried over from the budget year to the 
budget year plus 1; 
‘‘(C) the amount of obligations for non-
catastrophic events for the budget year; 
‘‘(D) the amount of obligations for the 
budget year for catastrophic events delineated 
by event and by State; 
‘‘(E) the total amount that has been pre-
viously obligated or will be required for cata-
strophic events delineated by event and by State 
for all prior years, the current fiscal year, the 
budget year, and each fiscal year thereafter; 
‘‘(F) the amount of previously obligated 
funds that will be recovered for the budget 
year; 
‘‘(G) the amount that will be required for 
obligations for emergencies, as described in sec-
tion 102(1), major disasters, as described in 
section 102(2), fire management assistance 
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grants, as described in section 420, surge ac-
tivities, and disaster readiness and support ac-
tivities; and 
‘‘(H) the amount required for activities not 
covered under section 251(b)(2)(D)(iii) of the 
Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Con-
trol Act of 1985 (2 U.S.C. 901(b)(2)(D)(iii)); 
and 
‘‘(2) an estimate or actual amounts, if available, 
of the following for the current fiscal year shall be 
submitted not later than the fifth day of each 
month, published by the Administrator on the Agen-
cy’s website not later than the fifth day of each 
month: 
‘‘(A) A summary of the amount of appro-
priations made available by source, the trans-
fers executed, the previously allocated funds re-
covered, and the commitments, allocations, and 
obligations made. 
‘‘(B) A table of disaster relief activity de-
lineated by month, including— 
‘‘(i) the beginning and ending bal-
ances; 
‘‘(ii) the total obligations to include 
amounts obligated for fire assistance, 
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emergencies, surge, and disaster support 
activities; 
‘‘(iii) the obligations for catastrophic 
events delineated by event and by State; 
and 
‘‘(iv) the amount of previously obli-
gated funds that are recovered. 
‘‘(C) A summary of allocations, obligations, 
and expenditures for catastrophic events delin-
eated by event. 
‘‘(D) The cost of the following categories 
of spending: 
‘‘(i) Public assistance. 
‘‘(ii) Individual assistance. 
‘‘(iii) Mitigation. 
‘‘(iv) Administrative. 
‘‘(v) Operations. 
‘‘(vi) Any other relevant category (in-
cluding emergency measures and disaster 
resources) delineated by disaster. 
‘‘(E) The date on which funds appro-
priated will be exhausted. 
‘‘(d) CONTRACTS.— 
‘‘(1) INFORMATION.—Not later than 10 days 
after the first day of each month, the Administrator 
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shall publish on the Agency’s website the specifics of 
each contract in excess of $1,000,000 that the Agen-
cy enters into, including— 
‘‘(A) the name of the party; 
‘‘(B) the date the contract was awarded; 
‘‘(C) the amount and scope of the contract; 
‘‘(D) if the contract was awarded through 
competitive bidding process; 
‘‘(E) if no competitive bidding process was 
used, the reason why competitive bidding was 
not used; and 
‘‘(F) the authority used to bypass the com-
petitive bidding process. 
The information shall be delineated by disaster, if 
applicable, and specify the damage category code, if 
applicable. 
‘‘(2) REPORT.—Not later than 10 days after 
the last day of the fiscal year, the Administrator 
shall provide a report to the appropriate committees 
of Congress summarizing the following information 
for the preceding fiscal year: 
‘‘(A) The number of contracts awarded 
without competitive bidding. 
‘‘(B) The reasons why a competitive bid-
ding process was not used. 
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‘‘(C) The total amount of contracts award-
ed with no competitive bidding. 
‘‘(D) The damage category codes, if appli-
cable, for contracts awarded without competi-
tive bidding.’’. 
SEC. 2025. AUDIT OF CONTRACTS. 
Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the Ad-
ministrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agen-
cy shall not reimburse a State, Tribe, or local government 
or the owner or operator of a private nonprofit facility for 
any activities made pursuant to a contract entered into 
after August 1, 2017, that prohibits the Administrator or 
the Comptroller General of the United States from audit-
ing or otherwise reviewing all aspects relating to the con-
tract. 
SEC. 2026. INSPECTOR GENERAL AUDIT OF FEMA CON-
TRACTS FOR TARPS AND PLASTIC SHEETING. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 30 days after the 
date of enactment of this Act, the inspector general of the 
Department of Homeland Security shall initiate an audit 
of the contracts awarded by the Federal Emergency Man-
agement Agency (in this section referred to as ‘‘FEMA’’) 
for tarps and plastic sheeting for the Commonwealth of 
Puerto Rico and the United States Virgin Islands in re-
sponse to Hurricane Irma and Hurricane Maria. 
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(b) CONSIDERATIONS.—In carrying out the audit 
under subsection (a), the inspector general shall review— 
(1) the contracting process used by FEMA to 
evaluate offerors and award the relevant contracts to 
contractors; 
(2) FEMA’s assessment of the past perform-
ance of the contractors, including any historical in-
formation showing that the contractors had sup-
ported large-scale delivery quantities in the past; 
(3) FEMA’s assessment of the capacity of the 
contractors to carry out the relevant contracts, in-
cluding with respect to inventory, production, and fi-
nancial capabilities; 
(4) how FEMA ensured that the contractors 
met the terms of the relevant contracts; and 
(5) whether the failure of the contractors to 
meet the terms of the relevant contracts and 
FEMA’s subsequent cancellation of the relevant con-
tracts affected the provision of tarps and plastic 
sheeting to the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico and 
the United States Virgin Islands. 
(c) REPORT.—Not later than 270 days after the date 
of initiation of the audit under subsection (a), the inspec-
tor general shall submit to the Committee on Transpor-
tation and Infrastructure of the House of Representatives 
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and the Committee on Homeland Security and Govern-
mental Affairs of the Senate a report on the results of 
the audit, including findings and recommendations. 
SEC. 2027. RELIEF ORGANIZATIONS. 
Section 309 of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief 
and Emergency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5152) is 
amended— 
(1) in subsection (a), by striking ‘‘and other re-
lief or’’ and inserting ‘‘long-term recovery groups, 
domestic hunger relief, and other relief, or’’; and 
(2) in subsection (b), by striking ‘‘and other re-
lief or’’ and inserting ‘‘long-term recovery groups, 
domestic hunger relief, and other relief, or’’. 
SEC. 2028. GUIDANCE ON INUNDATED AND SUBMERGED 
ROADS. 
The Administrator of the Federal Emergency Man-
agement Agency, in coordination with the Administrator 
of the Federal Highway Administration, shall develop and 
issue guidance for State, local, and Tribal governments 
regarding repair, restoration, and replacement of inun-
dated and submerged roads damaged or destroyed by a 
major disaster, and for associated expenses incurred by 
the Government, with respect to roads eligible for assist-
ance under section 406 of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster 
Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5172). 
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SEC. 2029. AUTHORITIES. 
Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the non- 
federally funded actions of private parties and State, local, 
or Tribal governments, on State, local, Tribal, and private 
land, and the effects of those actions, shall not be attrib-
uted to the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s ac-
tions under the National Flood Insurance Act of 1968 (42 
U.S.C. 4001 et seq.), the Flood Disaster Protection Act 
of 1973 (42 U.S.C. 4002 et seq.), the Biggert-Waters 
Flood Insurance Reform Act of 2012 (subtitle A of title 
II of division F of Public Law 112–141; 126 Stat. 916), 
and the Homeowner Flood Insurance Affordability Act of 
2014 (Public Law 113–89; 128 Stat. 1020) for the pur-
poses of section 7 (16 U.S.C. 1536) and section 9 (16 
U.S.C. 1538) of the Endangered Species Act. Actions 
taken under the National Flood Insurance Act of 1968, 
the Flood Disaster Protection Act of 1973, the Biggert- 
Waters Flood Insurance Reform Act of 2012, and the 
Homeowner Flood Insurance Affordability Act of 2014, 
that may influence private actions do not create a Federal 
nexus for the purpose of applying the requirements of sec-
tion 7 of the Endangered Species Act of 1973 (16 U.S.C. 
1536). 
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SEC. 2030. RECOUPMENT OF CERTAIN ASSISTANCE PRO-
HIBITED. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Notwithstanding section 3716(e) 
of title 31, United States Code, and unless there is evi-
dence of civil or criminal fraud, the Federal Emergency 
Management Agency may not take any action to recoup 
covered assistance from the recipient of such assistance 
if the receipt of such assistance occurred on a date that 
is more than 3 years before the date on which the Federal 
Emergency Management Agency first provides to the re-
cipient written notification of an intent to recoup. 
(b) COVERED ASSISTANCE DEFINED.—In this sec-
tion, the term ‘‘covered assistance’’ means assistance pro-
vided— 
(1) under section 408 of the Robert T. Stafford 
Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (42 
U.S.C. 5174); and 
(2) in relation to a major disaster or emergency 
declared by the President under section 401 or 501 
of such Act (42 U.S.C. 5170; 42 U.S.C. 5191) on 
or after January 1, 2012. 
SEC. 2031. STATUTE OF LIMITATIONS. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Section 705 of the Robert T. 
Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act 
(42 U.S.C. 5205) is amended— 
(1) in subsection (a)(1)— 
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(A) by striking ‘‘Except’’ and inserting 
‘‘Notwithstanding section 3716(e) of title 31, 
United States Code, and except’’; and 
(B) by striking ‘‘report for the disaster or 
emergency’’ and inserting ‘‘report for project 
completion as certified by the grantee’’; and 
(2) in subsection (b)— 
(A) in paragraph (1) by striking ‘‘report 
for the disaster or emergency’’ and inserting 
‘‘report for project completion as certified by 
the grantee’’; and 
(B) in paragraph (3) by inserting ‘‘for 
project completion as certified by the grantee’’ 
after ‘‘final expenditure report’’. 
(b) APPLICABILITY.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—With respect to disaster or 
emergency assistance provided to a State or local 
government on or after January 1, 2004— 
(A) no administrative action may be taken 
to recover a payment of such assistance after 
the date of enactment of this Act if the action 
is prohibited under section 705(a)(1) of the 
Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emer-
gency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5205(a)(1)), 
as amended by subsection (a); and 
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(B) any administrative action to recover a 
payment of such assistance that is pending on 
such date of enactment shall be terminated if 
the action is prohibited under section 705(a)(1) 
of that Act, as amended by subsection (a). 
(2) LIMITATION.—This section, including the 
amendments made by this section, may not be con-
strued to invalidate or otherwise affect any adminis-
tration action completed before the date of enact-
ment of this Act. 
SEC. 2032. TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE AND RECOMMENDA-
TIONS. 
(a) TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE.—The Administrator of 
the Federal Emergency Management Agency shall provide 
technical assistance to a common interest community that 
provides essential services of a governmental nature on ac-
tions that a common interest community may take in 
order to be eligible to receive reimbursement from a grant-
ee that receives funds from the Agency for certain activi-
ties performed after an event that results in a disaster 
declaration. 
(b) RECOMMENDATIONS.—Not later than 90 days 
after the date of enactment of this Act, the Administrator 
shall provide to the Committee on Transportation and In-
frastructure of the House of Representatives and the Com-
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mittee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs 
of the Senate a legislative proposal on how to provide eligi-
bility for disaster assistance with respect to common areas 
of condominiums and housing cooperatives. 
SEC. 2033. GUIDANCE ON HAZARD MITIGATION ASSIST-
ANCE. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 180 days after the 
date of enactment of this Act, the Administrator of the 
Federal Emergency Management Agency shall issue guid-
ance regarding the acquisition of property for open space 
as a mitigation measure under section 404 of the Robert 
T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act 
(42 U.S.C. 5170c) that includes— 
(1) a process by which the State hazard mitiga-
tion officer appointed for such an acquisition shall, 
not later than 60 days after the applicant for assist-
ance enters into an agreement with the Adminis-
trator regarding the acquisition, provide written no-
tification to each affected unit of local government 
for such acquisition that includes— 
(A) the location of the acquisition; 
(B) the State-local assistance agreement 
for the hazard mitigation grant program; 
(C) a description of the acquisition; and 
(D) a copy of the deed restriction; and 
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(2) recommendations for entering into and im-
plementing a memorandum of understanding be-
tween units of local government and covered entities 
that includes provisions to allow an affected unit of 
local government notified under paragraph (1) to— 
(A) use and maintain the open space cre-
ated by such a project, consistent with section 
404 (including related regulations, standards, 
and guidance) and consistent with all adjoining 
property, subject to the notification of the ad-
joining property, so long as the cost of the 
maintenance is borne by the local government; 
and 
(B) maintain the open space pursuant to 
standards exceeding any local government 
standards defined in the agreement with the 
Administrator described under paragraph (1). 
(b) DEFINITIONS.—In this section the following defi-
nitions apply: 
(1) AFFECTED
UNIT
OF
LOCAL
GOVERN-
MENT.—The term ‘‘affected unit of local govern-
ment’’ means any entity covered by the definition of 
local government in section 102 of the Robert T. 
Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance 
Act (42 U.S.C. 5122), that has jurisdiction over the 
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property subject to the acquisition described in sub-
section (a). 
(2) COVERED ENTITY.—The term ‘‘covered en-
tity’’ means— 
(A) the grantee or subgrantee receiving as-
sistance for an open space project described in 
subsection (a); 
(B) the State in which such project is lo-
cated; and 
(C) the applicable Regional Administrator 
of the Federal Emergency Management Agency. 
SEC. 2034. LOCAL IMPACT. 
In making recommendations to the President regard-
ing a major disaster declaration, the Administrator of the 
Federal Emergency Management Agency shall give great-
er weight and consideration to severe local impact or re-
cent multiple disasters. Further, the Administrator shall 
make corresponding adjustments to the Agency’s policies 
and regulations regarding such consideration. Not later 
than 1 year after the date of enactment of this section, 
the Administrator shall report to the Committee on Trans-
portation and Infrastructure of the House of Representa-
tives and the Committee on Homeland Security and Gov-
ernmental Affairs of the Senate on the changes made to 
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regulations and policies and the number of declarations 
that have been declared based on the new criteria. 
SEC. 2035. ADDITIONAL HAZARD MITIGATION ACTIVITIES. 
Section 404 of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief 
and Emergency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5170c) is fur-
ther amended by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(g) USE
OF ASSISTANCE.—Recipients of hazard 
mitigation assistance provided under this section and sec-
tion 203 may use the assistance to conduct activities to 
help reduce the risk of future damage, hardship, loss, or 
suffering in any area affected by earthquake hazards, in-
cluding— 
‘‘(1) improvements to regional seismic networks 
in support of building a capability for earthquake 
early warning; 
‘‘(2) improvements to geodetic networks in sup-
port of building a capability for earthquake early 
warning; and 
‘‘(3) improvements to seismometers, Global Po-
sitioning System receivers, and associated infrastruc-
ture in support of building a capability for earth-
quake early warning.’’. 
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