I 
115TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 7333 
To provide for reform and reorganization of the Federal Emergency 
Management Agency, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
DECEMBER 19, 2018 
Ms. JACKSON LEE (for herself, Ms. KAPTUR, Mr. JOHNSON of Georgia, and 
Mr. PAYNE) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Com-
mittee on Transportation and Infrastructure, and in addition to the Com-
mittees on Small Business, Energy and Commerce, Education and the 
Workforce, the Judiciary, Financial Services, and Homeland Security, for 
a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for 
consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the com-
mittee concerned 
A BILL 
To provide for reform and reorganization of the Federal 
Emergency Management Agency, 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; TABLE OF CONTENTS. 
(a) SHORT TITLE.—This Act may be cited as the 
‘‘FEMA Modernization Act of 2018’’. 
(b) TABLE OF CONTENTS.—The table of contents for 
this Act is as follows: 
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Sec. 1. Short title; table of contents. 
Sec. 2. Definitions. 
TITLE I—DISASTER RESPONSE AND RECOVERY 
Sec. 101. Office of Disaster Response; Office of Disaster Recovery; Office of 
Long-Term Recovery. 
Sec. 102. Medical disaster response and recovery training facility. 
Sec. 103. Labor training program. 
Sec. 104. Disaster Emergency Housing Assistance Grant Program. 
Sec. 105. Housing post disaster stability. 
Sec. 106. Prohibition on enforcement of immigration. 
TITLE II—REPORTS 
Sec. 201. Federal Emergency Management Agency reports. 
Sec. 202. Government Accountability Office. 
Sec. 203. Circumstances which may impact first responders during a terrorist 
event. 
TITLE III—DISASTER RECOVERY SMALL BUSINESS GRANT 
PROGRAM 
Sec. 301. Short title. 
Sec. 302. Definitions. 
Sec. 303. Office of Disaster Recovery Small Business Grants. 
Sec. 304. Compensation for victims of a federally declared disaster. 
Sec. 305. Reports and audits. 
Sec. 306. Authorization of appropriations. 
Sec. 307. Termination of authority. 
TITLE IV—ADMINISTRATIVE PROVISIONS 
Sec. 401. Extension of authorities for pandemic and all-hazards preparedness. 
Sec. 402. Transfer of the Surge Capacity Force. 
SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS. 
In this Act: 
(1) ADMINISTRATOR.—The term ‘‘Adminis-
trator’’ means the Administrator of FEMA. 
(2) FEMA.—The term ‘‘FEMA’’ means the 
Federal Emergency Management Agency. 
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TITLE I—DISASTER RESPONSE 
AND RECOVERY 
SEC. 101. OFFICE OF DISASTER RESPONSE; OFFICE OF DIS-
ASTER RECOVERY; OFFICE OF LONG-TERM 
RECOVERY. 
(a) ESTABLISHMENT.—Not later than 1 year after 
the date of enactment of this Act, the Administrator shall 
take such actions as are necessary to ensure that the Of-
fice of Response and Recovery of the Agency is divided 
into an Office of Disaster Response and an Office of Dis-
aster Recovery, subject to the requirements of this section. 
(b) OFFICE OF DISASTER RESPONSE.— 
(1) DUTIES.—The duties of the Office of Dis-
aster Response shall be as follows: 
(A) Lead Federal disaster response. 
(B) Prepare for, coordinate, and facilitate 
Federal support for State managed and locally 
executed multi-stakeholder engagement in plan-
ning and coordinating of disaster response. 
(C) Coordinate and manage Federal Emer-
gency Management Agency assigned staff and 
maintain awareness of other Federal agency 
disaster response assigned staff or other per-
sonnel deployments to State or local govern-
ment offices to better collaborate and coordi-
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nate Federal efforts in support of State man-
aged and locally executed disaster preparedness 
and response activities. 
(D) Conduct public education on the dis-
aster response roles of Federal, State and local 
governments. 
(E) Any other duty determined appropriate 
by the Administrator. 
(2) OFFICERS.—Not later than 1 year after the 
date of enactment of this Act, the Administrator 
shall appoint an Associate Administrator of the Of-
fice of Disaster Response and deputy associate ad-
ministrators, as determined appropriate. 
(3) ADDITIONAL
POSITIONS.—The Adminis-
trator may create, and appoint individuals to, such 
positions as are considered necessary by the Admin-
istrator, including— 
(A) a military liaison officer to work with 
the defense coordinating officer; and 
(B) a Liaison Officer for Asset Acquisition 
and Deployment in Federal supported, State 
managed, and locally executed plan to support 
the delivery of funds, equipment, and resources 
to local jurisdictions in advance of pending dis-
asters by facilitating engagement by the private 
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sector with State and local governments in sup-
port of meeting the pending disaster response 
needs. 
(c) OFFICE OF DISASTER RECOVERY.— 
(1) DUTIES.—The duties of the Office of Dis-
aster Recovery shall be as follows: 
(A) Assess recovery following a disaster 
and make recommendations on the estimated 
time for recovery. 
(B) Provide definitions of what constitutes 
a short-term recovery and a long-term recovery, 
and how this determination shall be made in as-
sessing post disaster recovery periods. 
(C) Coordinate and manage Federal as-
signed staff from the Federal Emergency Man-
agement Agency to be sent to work in State or 
local government agencies. 
(D) Carry out the accurate collection, re-
tention, and reporting of data related to Fed-
eral disaster recovery and shall act as a re-
source on post-disaster recovery efforts. 
(E) Submit to the Committee on Oversight 
and Government Reform of the House of Rep-
resentatives and the Committee on Homeland 
Security and Governmental Affairs of the Sen-
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ate an annual report on the status of all recov-
ery projects during the prior year, including 
whether Federal projects are on time, within 
cost, and meeting the needs and objectives of 
recovery. 
(F) Provide for civil engineers that make 
recommendations to the Administrator and 
partnering Federal agencies on the scope and 
severity of damage, projections on rehabilita-
tion, demolition, repair, and reconstruction of 
critical infrastructure deemed essential to Fed-
eral, State, and local government, accessing im-
pacted areas, or achieving stability in the recov-
ery process. 
(G) Any other duty determined appropriate 
by the Administrator. 
(2) OFFICERS.—Not later than 1 year after the 
date of enactment of this Act, the Administrator 
shall appoint an Associate Administrator of the Of-
fice of Disaster Recovery and deputy associate ad-
ministrators, as determined appropriate. 
(3) ADDITIONAL
POSITIONS.—The Adminis-
trator may create, and appoint individuals to, such 
positions as are considered necessary by the Admin-
istrator. 
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(d) OMBUDSMAN.—The Office of Disaster Response 
and the Office of Disaster Recovery shall both employ an 
ombudsman. 
(e) OFFICE OF LONG-TERM RECOVERY.—Not later 
than 18 months after the date of enactment of this Act, 
the Administrator shall establish an Office of Long Term 
Recovery. The duties of such Office shall be determined 
by the Administrator. 
SEC. 102. MEDICAL DISASTER RESPONSE AND RECOVERY 
TRAINING FACILITY. 
Section 303 of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief 
and Emergency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5143) is 
amended by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(c) MEDICAL DISASTER RESPONSE AND RECOVERY 
TRAINING FACILITY.— 
‘‘(1) ESTABLISHMENT.—Not later than 18 
months after the date of enactment of the FEMA 
Modernization Act of 2018, the President, acting 
through the Secretary of Health and Human Serv-
ices in consultation with the Administrator of the 
Federal Emergency Management Agency, shall es-
tablish a medical disaster response and recovery 
training facility in accordance with this subsection. 
‘‘(2) MANAGEMENT.—The medical facility es-
tablished under paragraph (1) shall be managed by 
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the Secretary of Health and Human Services and in 
consultation with the Administrator of the Federal 
Emergency Management Agency. 
‘‘(3) CAPACITY.—The facility established under 
this subsection shall have a capacity to train 800 
medical personnel annually, which shall increase to 
1,200 annually on the date that is 5 years after the 
date of enactment of the FEMA Modernization Act 
of 2018. 
‘‘(4) REPORT.—Not later than 240 days after 
the date of enactment of the FEMA Modernization 
Act of 2018 the Administrator shall submit to the 
Committee on Homeland Security, the Committee on 
Energy and Commerce, the Committee on Ways and 
Means, and the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs of 
the House of Representatives, the Committee on 
Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs, the 
Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Af-
fairs, the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, 
and Pensions, and the Committee on Veterans’ Af-
fairs of the Senate a report containing a plan to en-
gage local and State government partners in pro-
motion of the development of surge teams. 
‘‘(d) NATIONAL DISASTER MEDICAL TRIAGE.— 
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(B) ABSENCE OF DOCUMENTS.—If docu-
mentary evidence substantiating substantial 
economic injury is not reasonably available, the 
Administrator may pay a claim based on an af-
fidavit or other documentation executed by the 
claimant. 
(e) PAYMENT OF CLAIMS.— 
(1) 
DETERMINATION
AND
PAYMENT
OF 
AMOUNT.— 
(A) IN GENERAL.—To the maximum ex-
tent practicable, not later than 180 days after 
the date on which a claim is submitted under 
subsection (b), the Administrator shall— 
(i) determine the amount, if any, to 
be paid for the claim; and 
(ii) pay the amount. 
(B) PRIORITY.—The Administrator may 
establish priorities for processing and paying 
claims based on— 
(i) an assessment of the needs of the 
claimants; and 
(ii) any other criteria that the Admin-
istrator determines to be appropriate. 
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