I 
114TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 4243 
To improve Federal disaster relief and emergency assistance, and for other 
purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
DECEMBER 11, 2015 
Mr. KILMER (for himself, Mr. NEWHOUSE, and Mr. REICHERT) introduced the 
following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Transportation 
and Infrastructure 
A BILL 
To improve Federal disaster relief and emergency assistance, 
and for other purposes. 
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 ‘‘Individual Assistance 
Improvement Act of 2015’’. 
SEC. 2. IMPROVEMENTS TO FEDERAL DISASTER RELIEF 
AND EMERGENCY ASSISTANCE. 
(a) REPORT ON SMALL STATE AND RURAL AREA AS-
SISTANCE.—Not later than 180 days after the date of the 
enactment of this Act, and annually thereafter, the Ad-
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ministrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agen-
cy shall submit to Congress a report with recommenda-
tions for improving Federal assistance, with respect to 
small States and rural areas, under the Robert T. Stafford 
Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 
5121 et seq.). The report shall include an identification 
of additional resources required for recommended im-
provements. 
(b) FACTORS
FOR INDIVIDUAL ASSISTANCE PRO-
GRAM.—In measuring the severity, magnitude, and impact 
of a disaster and evaluating the need for assistance to in-
dividuals under the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and 
Emergency Assistance Act, the Administrator shall not 
apply, with respect to a rural area, the factor set out in 
section 206.48(b)(1) of title 44, Code of Federal Regula-
tions (relating to the concentration of damages). 
(c) RELEASE OF DOCUMENTATION RELATED TO DIS-
ASTER DECLARATION DECISIONS.—Not later than 25 
days after a Governor, or Chief Executive of an Indian 
tribal government, requests documentation related to a 
major disaster declaration decision under section 401 of 
the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency As-
sistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5170), the Administrator shall 
provide the Governor, or Chief Executive, with all such 
documentation, including— 
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(1) an analysis of the factors that the Federal 
Emergency Management Agency considered in mak-
ing the decision, including any threshold, limit, or 
average that the Agency applied; and 
(2) a rationale explaining the decision. 
(d) STUDY ON DAMAGE ASSESSMENT.— 
(1) STUDY.—The Comptroller General of the 
United States shall conduct a comprehensive review 
of— 
(A) the damage assessment processes of 
the Agency with respect to major disaster dec-
larations; and 
(B) the teams that carry out such proc-
esses. 
(2) REPORT.—Not later than 180 days after 
the date of the enactment of this Act, the Comp-
troller General shall submit to Congress a report on 
the results of the review conducted under paragraph 
(1), including recommendations for improving such 
processes. 
(e) BIENNIAL STUDY OF AVERAGE AMOUNT OF INDI-
VIDUAL ASSISTANCE.— 
(1) STUDY.—Not later than the end of the first 
quarter of the first full fiscal year beginning after 
the date of the enactment of this Act, and biennially 
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