(3) ASSISTING CHILDREN IMPACTED BY HURRI-
CANE
KATRINA.—For an additional amount of 
$10,000,000 to remain available until expended for 
the Missing Children Program at the National Cen-
ter for Missing and Exploited Children to find, 
unite, and transport children impacted by Hurricane 
Katrina to their parents, legal guardian, or next of 
kin. 
SEC. 133. ASSISTANCE TO COURTS. 
Section 462(f) title 28, United States Code, is 
amended by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(g) The Chief Judge of each United States District 
Court is encouraged to cooperate with requests from State 
and local authorities whose operations have been signifi-
cantly disrupted as a result of Hurricane Katrina to pro-
vide accommodations in Federal facilities for State and 
local courts to conduct proceedings. The Administrator of 
General Services is authorized and directed to provide the 
accommodations requested by the Chief Judge.’’. 
TITLE II—IMPROVEMENTS TO 
DISASTER ASSISTANCE 
SEC. 200. SENSE OF THE SENATE REGARDING THE AP-
POINTMENT OF FEDERAL CENTRAL COORDI-
NATING AGENT. 
It is the Sense of the Senate that—
(1) the President, in order to efficiently coordi-
nate and monitor the Federal relief and reconstruc-
tion efforts for the State of Louisiana, should ap-
point an individual to coordinate Federal efforts to 
work with the State of Louisiana and local govern-
ments directly impacted by the Hurricane Katrina 
as those respective entities plan for their rehabilita-
tion and reconstruction, oversee all Federal work re-
lating to such rehabilitation and reconstruction, and 
oversee the obligation of all federally appropriated 
funds for the purpose of Hurricane Katrina recov-
ery, rehabilitation and reconstruction; and 
(2) the appointed individual should be invested 
with authority to waive Federal regulatory processes 
and legislative impediments to the reconstruction ef-
forts, and further, that the individual be the central 
coordinating agent for the Federal actions pursuant 
to Katrina recovery, rehabilitation, and reconstruc-
tion. 
Subtitle A—Immediate Disaster 
Relief 
SEC. 201. WAIVER OF COST-SHARING AND MAXIMUM AS-
SISTANCE REQUIREMENTS. 
With respect to the provision of assistance to individ-
uals, households, State and local public entities, and non-
profit entities in response to a major disaster relating to 
Hurricane Katrina declared by the President on August 
29, 2005, in accordance with section 401 of the Robert 
T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act 
(42 U.S.C. 5170), for the 2-year period beginning on the 
date of enactment of this Act— 
(1) 
the 
Federal 
share 
under 
subsection 
(g)(2)(A) of that section shall be 100 percent; 
(2) the maximum limitations on assistance 
under paragraphs (2) and (3) of subsection (c), and 
subsection (h), of that section shall not apply; 
(3) the Federal shares required under para-
graphs (1)(A) and (2)(A) of section 406(c) of the 
Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency 
Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5172(c)) shall be 100 
percent; and 
(4) subsections (b)(1) and (b)(2) of section 406 
of that Act (42 U.S.C. 5172) shall not apply. 
SEC. 202. HAZARD MITIGATION GRANT PROGRAM. 
Section 404(a) of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Re-
lief and Emergency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5170c(a)) 
is amended in the third sentence by striking ‘‘7.5’’ and 
inserting ‘‘15’’.
SEC. 203. STATE MANAGEMENT COSTS. 
Not later than 90 days after the date of enactment 
of this Act, the Secretary of Homeland Security shall— 
(1) develop and implement a process for the ap-
proval of requests for State management cost fund-
ing to ensure, to the maximum extent practicable, 
that each such request is approved or disapproved 
within the 30-day period after the date of receipt by 
the Secretary of the request; and 
(2) acting through the Director of the Federal 
Emergency Management Agency, develop and pro-
vide to States clear and concise guidance to ensure, 
to the maximum extent practicable, that the submis-
sion content and evaluation of those requests is con-
sistent. 
SEC. 204. DISASTER RELIEF EQUITY. 
Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the reli-
gious status of a private nonprofit facility located in an 
area in which a major disaster relating to Hurricane 
Katrina was declared by the President under section 401 
of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency 
Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5170), or of the owner or oper-
ator of such a facility, shall not preclude the facility from 
being eligible to receive Federal assistance for use in re-
pairing, restoring, reconstructing, or replacing the facility
following damage or destruction of the facility as a result 
of Hurricane Katrina. 
SEC. 205. PRESIDENTIALLY DECLARED DISASTER AREA 
MAY INCLUDE THE OUTER CONTINENTAL 
SHELF. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Section 102(3) of the Robert T. 
Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act 
(42 U.S.C. 5122(3)) is amended by inserting ‘‘, and in-
cludes the outer Continental Shelf (as defined in section 
2(a) of the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act (43 U.S.C. 
1331(a))’’ after ‘‘Islands’’. 
(b) EFFECTIVE DATE.—The amendment made by 
this section shall apply to— 
(1) declarations made after August 28, 2005, 
or 
(2) modifications made after such date with re-
spect to declarations made after December 31, 2003. 
SEC. 206. EXPEDITED PAYMENTS OF FEDERAL ASSISTANCE 
FOR DEBRIS REMOVAL AND EMERGENCY 
PROTECTIVE MEASURES. 
(a) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 
(1) ELIGIBLE APPLICANT.—The term ‘‘eligible 
applicant’’ means— 
(A) a State government; 
(B) a local government;.
(C) a private nonprofit organization or in-
stitution that owns or operates any private non-
profit educational, utility, emergency, medical, 
or custodial care facility, including a facility for 
the aged or disabled, or any other facility pro-
viding essential governmental services to the 
general public, and such facilities on Indian res-
ervations; and 
(D) an Indian tribe or authorized tribal or-
ganization, or an Alaska Native village or orga-
nization (other than an Alaska Native Corpora-
tion), the ownership of which is vested in a pri-
vate individual. 
(2) ELIGIBLE
CLAIM
FOR
ASSISTANCE.—The 
term ‘‘eligible claim for assistance’’ means— 
(A) a claim for the clearance, removal, or 
disposal of debris (such as trees, sand, gravel, 
building components, wreckage, vehicles, and 
personal property), if the debris is the result of 
an emergency or major disaster and the clear-
ance, removal, or disposal is necessary— 
(i) to eliminate an immediate threat, 
as determined by the Secretary of Home-
land Security, to human life, public health, 
or safety;