To modify certain requirements to encourage the recovery of Puerto Rico and the United States Virgin Islands.
Bill: H.R.2017 | Sponsor: Resident Commissioner González-Colón, Jenniffer (R-PR)
Policy area: Emergency Management

Summary:
This bill modifies certain requirements to assist Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands in recovering from specified incidents relating to Hurricanes Irma and Maria.
Specifically, the bill directs the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), in providing assistance for critical services for the duration of the recovery for such incidents, to
The bill requires (currently, authorizes) FEMA to provide specified assistance for critical services for the duration of the recovery.
Public assistance program alternative procedures adopted by FEMA must ensure that work performed by providers, suppliers, and contractors to the federal, state, local, or tribal governments or nonprofit facilities is paid for and reimbursed in a timely manner.
A local government or nongovernmental organization, in meeting any federal cost-sharing requirement, may use funds from any disaster recovery program or source to meet federal cost-sharing requirements with respect to such incidents.

To modify certain requirements to encourage the recovery of Puerto Rico 
                 and the United States Virgin Islands.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. ALTERNATIVE PROCEDURES.

    In providing assistance pursuant to section 428 of the Robert T. 
Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 
5189f), for critical services as set forth in section 406(a)(3) for the 
duration of the recovery for incidents DR-4336-PR, DR-4339-PR, DR-4340-
USVI, and DR-4335-USVI, the Administrator of the Federal Emergency 
Management Agency shall--
            (1) revise the guidance definitions for application of 
        section 20601 of the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2018 (Public Law 
        115-123) to provide explicitly that multicomponent systems or 
        facilities be inspected, evaluated, and estimated as a single 
        project rather than requiring every component of the system to 
        be inspected, evaluated, and estimated;
            (2) at the request of an applicant, put into effect a 
        procedure for evaluation and authorization of projects through 
        professionally licensed engineers, as provided by subparagraphs 
        (F) and (G) subsection (d)(1) of section 428 of the Robert T. 
        Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act; and
            (3) extend the deadline for the presentation of cost 
        estimates and project worksheets under such incidents until 
        October 31, 2021.

SEC. 2. ASSISTANCE THROUGHOUT RECOVERY.

    Section 20601 of the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2018 (Public Law 115-
123) is amended by striking ``may'' and inserting ``shall''.

SEC. 3. TIMELY BASIS FOR PAYMENT AND REIMBURSEMENT.

    Section 428(c) of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and 
Emergency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5189f) is amended--
            (1) in paragraph (3), by striking ``and'';
            (2) in paragraph (4), by striking the period and inserting 
        ``; and''; and
            (3) by adding at the end the following:
            ``(5) ensuring that work performed by providers, suppliers, 
        and contractors to the Federal, State, local, or tribal 
        governments or nonprofit facilities under the provisions of 
        this Act is paid for and reimbursed in a timely manner.''.

SEC. 4. SUBRECIPIENT PAYMENTS.

    (a) In General.--For incidents DR-4336-PR, DR-4339-PR, DR-4340-
USVI, and DR-4335-USVI/ For any major disaster or emergency declared 
under the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance 
Act (42 U.S.C 5121 et seq.) in Puerto Rico or the United States Virgin 
Islands, a subrecipient in meeting any Federal cost-sharing requirement 
may use available funds from any disaster recovery program/source, 
including Community Development Block Grants--Disaster Recovery, 
Community Development Block Grants, community disaster loans, and any 
in-kind contributions (unless prohibited by law) to meet any Federal 
cost-sharing requirement. Such funds or loans shall cover the 
cumulative costs of any approved obligation under the specific public 
assistance category determined by the Federal Emergency Management 
Administration under such Act rather than having to apply individually 
to each specific cost estimate or project worksheet issued under such 
obligation.
    (b) Definition.--For purposes of this section, the term 
``subrecipient'' means a local government or a non-governmental 
organization (NGO).
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