I 
119TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 2364 
To provide for a waiver of duplication of benefits for certain assistance 
under the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance 
Act as a result of a major disaster or emergency, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
MARCH 26, 2025 
Mr. EDWARDS (for himself, Mr. DAVIS of North Carolina, and Ms. FOXX) in-
troduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on 
Transportation and Infrastructure 
A BILL 
To provide for a waiver of duplication of benefits for certain 
assistance under the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief 
and Emergency Assistance Act as a result of a major 
disaster or emergency, 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 ‘‘Helene Small Business 
Recovery Act’’. 
SEC. 2. WAIVER OF DUPLICATION OF BENEFITS. 
(a) WAIVER OF GENERAL PROHIBITION.— 
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(1) IN
GENERAL.—The President may waive 
the general prohibition provided in section 312(a) of 
the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emer-
gency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5155(a)) upon re-
quest of a Governor on behalf of the State or on be-
half of a person, business concern, or any other enti-
ty suffering losses as a result of a major disaster or 
emergency, if the President finds such waiver is in 
the public interest and will not result in waste, 
fraud, or abuse. In making this decision, the Presi-
dent may consider the following: 
(A) The recommendations of the Adminis-
tration of the Federal Emergency Management 
Agency made in consultation with the Federal 
agency or agencies administering the duplicative 
program. 
(B) If a wavier is granted, the assistance 
to be funded is cost effective. 
(C) Equity and good conscience. 
(D) Other matters of public policy consid-
ered appropriate by the President. 
(2) GRANT OR DENIAL OF WAIVER.—A request 
under paragraph (1) shall be granted or denied not 
later than 45 days after submission of such request. 
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(3) PROHIBITION
ON
DETERMINATION
THAT 
LOAN IS A DUPLICATION.—Notwithstanding section 
312(c) of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and 
Emergency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5155(c)), in 
carrying out paragraph (1), the President may not 
determine that a loan is a duplication of assistance, 
provided that all Federal assistance is used toward 
a loss suffered as a result of the major disaster or 
emergency. 
(4) PROHIBITION ON INCOME THRESHOLD.—In 
carrying out this subsection, no income threshold 
may be applied to limit the eligibility of a recipient 
from qualifying for a waiver. 
(b) APPLICABILITY.—Subsection (a) shall apply to 
the provision of assistance in response to a major disaster 
declared by the President under the Robert T. Stafford 
Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act that oc-
curred in calendar year 2023 or 2024. 
Æ 
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