I 
119TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION 
H. R. 760 
To make certain repairs, replacements, and restorations of private roads 
and bridges eligible for reimbursement under the Robert T. Stafford 
Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JANUARY 28, 2025 
Mr. EDWARDS (for himself, Mr. DAVIS of North Carolina, and Mr. MOORE 
of North Carolina) introduced the following bill; which was referred to 
the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure 
A BILL 
To make certain repairs, replacements, and restorations of 
private roads and bridges eligible for reimbursement 
under the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emer-
gency Assistance Act, 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 ‘‘Restoring Access to 
Mountain Homes Act’’. 
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SEC. 2. REIMBURSEMENT FOR REPAIR, REPLACEMENT, 
AND 
RESTORATION 
WORK 
ON 
PRIVATE 
ROADS AND BRIDGES IMPACTED BY TROP-
ICAL STORM HELENE. 
(a) ELIGIBILITY FOR REIMBURSEMENT.—Notwith-
standing any provision of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster 
Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5121 et 
seq.) or the regulations governing the public assistance 
program of the Federal Emergency Management Agency 
under such Act, the State, Indian Tribal, and local govern-
ments in North Carolina covered under major disaster 
declaration FEMA–4827–DR–NC (relating to Tropical 
Storm Helene) shall be eligible for reimbursement for the 
cost of repairs, replacements, or restoration to private 
roads and bridges, without regard to pre-existing condi-
tion, under section 428 of such Act that— 
(1) are used as the sole means of access to pri-
mary residences or essential community services; 
(2) are significantly damaged or destroyed as a 
direct result of Tropical Storm Helene as identified 
in FEMA–4827–DR–NC; and 
(3) does not duplicate work that has already 
been completed. 
(b) CONDITIONS OF REIMBURSEMENT.—Reimburse-
ment under this section shall be subject to the following 
conditions: 
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(1) Private roads or bridges shall be inspected 
by appropriate State, Indian Tribal, or local govern-
ment officials or their designees to verify the scope, 
need, and cost-effectiveness of any mitigation meas-
ures for the proposed repair, replacement, or res-
toration. 
(2) The State, Indian Tribal, or local govern-
ments requesting assistance shall ensure that the 
private roads or bridges being repaired, replaced, or 
restored remain open for disaster recovery activities 
for the duration of the repair, replacement, or res-
toration process. 
(3) The State or Indian Tribal governments 
shall be responsible for documenting all costs associ-
ated with repairs, replacements, or restorations with-
in their jurisdiction in accordance with Federal 
Emergency Management Agency policy. 
(4) The State, Indian Tribal, or local govern-
ment applying for public assistance funding shall ob-
tain authority or permission to perform the work to 
permanently repair, replace, or restore the private 
roads and bridges. 
(5) The State, Indian Tribal, or local govern-
ment applying for public assistance funding shall en-
sure the work under this section is performed in 
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compliance with all applicable State and Federal 
regulations and requirements that pertain to work 
that is permanent in nature. 
(c) DUPLICATION OF BENEFITS.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—Any individual or household 
that has received assistance prior to the date of en-
actment of this section pursuant to section 408 of 
the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emer-
gency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5174) for the pur-
poses of repairing a private road or bridge eligible 
under this section may proceed with such repairs or 
return any such assistance to have such repair eligi-
ble pursuant to this section. 
(2) CALCULATION.—In the event the individual 
or household chooses to proceed with such repairs 
utilizing assistance provided pursuant to section 408 
of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emer-
gency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5174) for a private 
road or bridge, such assistance shall not be counted 
against the maximum amount of assistance for such 
individual or household under such section. 
(d) ELIGIBLE COSTS.—In determining eligible costs, 
the Administrator shall base such determinations on prop-
erly conducted and certified cost estimates prepared by 
professionally licensed engineers (mutually agreed upon by 
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the Administrator and the applicant). Once certified by 
a professionally licensed engineer and accepted by the Ad-
ministrator, the estimates on which grants made pursuant 
to this section are based shall be presumed to be reason-
able and eligible costs, as long as there is no evidence of 
fraud. 
Æ 
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