IB 
Union Calendar No. 472 
116TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 2914 
[Report No. 116–574] 
To make available necessary disaster assistance for families affected by major 
disasters, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
MAY 22, 2019 
Mr. ESPAILLAT (for himself and Miss GONZA´LEZ-COLO´N of Puerto Rico) in-
troduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on 
Transportation and Infrastructure 
NOVEMBER 16, 2020 
Additional sponsors: Mr. LAWSON of Florida, Mr. SERRANO, Mr. CARBAJAL, 
Ms. NORTON, Ms. VELA´ZQUEZ, and Mr. MCNERNEY 
NOVEMBER 16, 2020 
Reported with an amendment; committed to the Committee of the Whole 
House on the State of the Union and ordered to be printed 
[Strike out all after the enacting clause and insert the part printed in italic] 
[For text of introduced bill, see copy of bill as introduced on March 22, 2019] 
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A BILL 
To make available necessary disaster assistance for families 
affected by major disasters, and for other purposes. 
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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 ‘‘Housing Survivors of 
Major Disasters Act of 2020’’. 
SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS. 
In this Act: 
(1) FEMA.—The term ‘‘FEMA’’ means the Fed-
eral Emergency Management Agency. 
(2) 
ADMINISTRATOR.—The 
term 
‘‘Adminis-
trator’’ means the Administrator of FEMA. 
SEC. 3. ELIGIBILITY FOR AND USE OF DISASTER ASSIST-
ANCE. 
(a) FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE.—Notwithstanding any 
other provision of law, individuals and households described 
in subsection (c) may be eligible for assistance made avail-
able under section 408 of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster 
Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5174) in 
connection with a major disaster declared by the President 
under section 401 of such Act (42 U.S.C. 5170), including 
Hurricane Maria of 2017. 
(b) USE OF FUNDS.—Any assistance provided pursu-
ant to subsection (a) may include costs relating to obtaining 
title for a property described in subsection (c)(1), including 
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the cost of land surveys and any other taxes or fees associ-
ated with obtaining the title for such property. 
(c) ELIGIBLE INDIVIDUALS OR HOUSEHOLDS.—With 
respect to a major disaster declared by the President under 
section 401 of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and 
Emergency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5170), an individual 
or household described in this subsection is an individual 
or household who— 
(1) is residing on a property located in the area 
for which the major disaster was declared but does not 
have documented ownership rights to such property 
and is not renting such property; or 
(2) is or was residing in an area for which a 
major disaster has been declared by the President 
under section 401 of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster 
Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 
5170), during the designated incident period, includ-
ing residing in any housing accommodation or prop-
erty upon which a housing accommodation is located, 
including any living quarters, boardinghouse, bunk-
house, manufactured home, mobile home, or travel 
trailer. 
(d) EVIDENCE.— 
(1) CONSIDERATION.—In making a determina-
tion to provide assistance pursuant to this Act, the 
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Administrator shall consider a wide range of evi-
dence. 
(2) ALTERNATIVE FORMS OF EVIDENCE.—In de-
termining if an individual or household is eligible for 
assistance pursuant to this Act, the Administrator 
shall accept either a declarative statement or the pres-
entation of at least one item of alternative evidence, 
including the following: 
(A) A utility (including gas, electric, sewer, 
or water) bill with the name and address of the 
individual. 
(B) A merchant’s statement (including a 
credit card, delivery notice, or first class mail) 
with the name and address of the individual. 
(C) A pay stub from an employer with the 
name and address of the individual. 
(D) A current driver’s license or State- 
issued identification card of the individual. 
(E) The deed or title for the applicable 
property. 
(F) A mortgage payment booklet or another 
mortgage document. 
(G) Property title of mobile home certificate 
of title. 
(H) A real estate property tax receipt. 
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(I) A school registration containing the ad-
dress of self, child, or children. 
(J) A will and testament with the name 
and address of the individual. 
(K) In a State that does not require a will 
and testament for the transfer of immovable 
property, a death certificate and birth certificate 
that establishes an automatic transfer of legal 
ownership. 
(L) Medical records that list the name and 
address of the individual. 
(M) A charitable donation receipt that list 
the name and address of the individual. 
(N) Any other documentation, certification, 
identification, or proof of occupancy or owner-
ship not included on this list that can reasonably 
link the individual requesting assistance to the 
applicable property. 
SEC. 4. DECLARATIVE STATEMENT. 
(a) DEVELOPMENT OF DECLARATIVE STATEMENT.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 30 days after 
the date of enactment of this Act, the Administrator 
shall create, in coordination with the appropriate au-
thorities of the applicable jurisdiction, and distribute, 
where necessary, a declarative statement form that an 
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applicant for assistance provided pursuant to section 
3 may use to self-certify such applicant’s eligibility 
for assistance pursuant to this Act. 
(2) PROHIBITION OF NOTARIZATION.—The Ad-
ministrator may not require the declarative statement 
form created under paragraph (1) to require notariza-
tion by the applicant. 
(b) EXEMPTIONS.—A declarative statement form cre-
ated under subsection (a)(1) is exempt from publication no-
tice, public comment periods, and agency information col-
lection review and approval by the Office of Management 
and Budget required by the Paperwork Reduction Act (44 
U.S.C. 3501 et seq.). 
(c) GUIDANCE.—Not later than 30 days after the date 
of enactment of this Act, the Administrator shall provide 
written notification and guidance to employees of FEMA 
regarding the requirements of this Act. 
(d) PUBLICATION.—Not later than 30 days after the 
date of enactment of this Act, the Administrator shall— 
(1) make the declarative statement form created 
under subsection (a)(1) available in Spanish and 
English at all active Disaster Recovery Centers; and 
(2) publish in English, Spanish, and any other 
locally predominant languages on the website of 
FEMA and on social media the declarative statement 
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