Gulf Coast Hurricane Aid Act of 2021
Bill: S.2336 | Sponsor: Sen. Kennedy, John (R-LA)
Policy area: Emergency Management

Summary:
Gulf Coast Hurricane Aid Act of 2021
This bill provides emergency assistance for disaster response and recovery and other expenses directly related to Hurricanes Laura, Delta, and Zeta and flooding in calendar year 2021 in Louisiana.
Specifically, the bill provides funding for the Social Services Block Grant for such response, recovery, and expenses. The distribution of grant funds are limited to states directly affected by the hurricanes and flooding. The Department of Health and Human Services must distribute such funds to those states based on demonstrated need in accordance with objective criteria that are made available to the public.
Further, such funds may be used for health services (including mental health services), and for costs of renovating, repairing, or rebuilding health care facilities, child care facilities, or other social services facilities.
The bill also provides emergency assistance through the Community Development Block Grant program.
The amounts provided by the bill are designated as an emergency requirement pursuant to the Statutory Pay-As-You-Go Act of 2010 (PAYGO) and the Senate PAYGO rule. (This exempts the budget effects from being counted for the purposes of enforcing the PAYGO rules.)

To provide emergency assistance for disaster response and recovery, and 
 other expenses directly related to Hurricanes Laura, Delta, and Zeta, 
            and flooding in calendar year 2021 in Louisiana.

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

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Gulf Coast Hurricane Aid Act of 
2021''.

SEC. 2. EMERGENCY ASSISTANCE THROUGH THE SOCIAL SERVICES BLOCK GRANT.

    (a) Supplemental Appropriation.--In addition to amounts otherwise 
appropriated, out of any money in the Treasury of the United States not 
otherwise appropriated, there are appropriated for the Social Services 
Block Grant established under subtitle A of title XX of the Social 
Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1397 et seq.) $110,000,000, to remain available 
through September 30, 2024, for disaster response and recovery, and 
other expenses directly related to Hurricanes Laura, Delta, and Zeta, 
and flooding in calendar year 2021 in Louisiana.
    (b) Rules for Distribution of Funds.--
            (1) In general.--The funds appropriated by subsection (a) 
        for the Social Services Block Grant are in addition to the 
        entitlement grants authorized by subsection (a)(1) of section 
        2002 of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1397a) and, 
        notwithstanding section 2002 of such Act, the distribution of 
        the funds appropriated by subsection (a) for the Social 
        Services Block Grant shall be limited to States directly 
        affected by the hurricanes and flooding described in subsection 
        (a). The Secretary of Health and Human Services shall 
        distribute such funds to such States based on demonstrated need 
        in accordance with objective criteria that are made available 
        to the public.
            (2) Limitations.--The funds appropriated by subsection (a) 
        for the Social Services Block Grant shall not be--
                    (A) available for making entitlement grants 
                authorized by subsection (a)(1) of section 2002 of the 
                Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1397a) to any State; or
                    (B) treated as a payment made under such section 
                2002 for purposes of section 2004 of the Social 
                Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1397c).
    (c) Use of Funds.--In addition to other uses of funds permitted 
under the Social Services Block Grant established under subtitle A of 
title XX of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1397 et seq.), the funds 
appropriated by subsection (a) for the Social Services Block Grant may 
be used for health services (including mental health services), and for 
costs of renovating, repairing, or rebuilding health care facilities, 
child care facilities, or other social services facilities.
    (d) Nonapplication of Certain Provisions.--The following provisions 
shall not apply to the funds appropriated by subsection (a) for the 
Social Services Block Grant:
            (1) Section 2003 of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 
        1397b).
            (2) Paragraphs (1) and (4) of 2005(a) of such Act (42 
        U.S.C. 1397d).
    (e) Deadline for Distribution of Funds.--Within 45 days after the 
date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Health and Human 
Services shall distribute the funds made available by subsection (a), 
which shall be made available to States directly affected by the 
hurricanes and flooding described in subsection (a) on an emergency 
basis for immediate obligation and expenditure.

SEC. 3. EMERGENCY ASSISTANCE THROUGH THE COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT BLOCK 
              GRANT.

    In addition to amounts otherwise appropriated, out of any money in 
the Treasury of the United States not otherwise appropriated, there is 
appropriated to the ``Community Development Fund'', for necessary 
expenses related to disaster relief, long-term recovery, and 
restoration of infrastructure, housing, and economic revitalization in 
areas in States for which the President declared a major disaster under 
title IV of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency 
Assistance Act of 1974 (42 U.S.C. 5170 et seq.) related to Hurricane 
Laura, Delta, or Zeta, and for necessary expenses related to disaster 
relief, long-term recovery, and restoration of infrastructure, housing, 
and economic revitalization in areas in Louisiana for which the 
President declared a major disaster under title IV of the Robert T. 
Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act of 1974 (42 
U.S.C. 5170 et seq.) related to flooding in calendar year 2021, 
$3,000,000,000, to remain available until expended, for activities 
authorized under title I of the Housing and Community Development Act 
of 1974 (42 U.S.C. 5301 et seq.).

SEC. 4. PAYGO/EMERGENCY DESIGNATION LANGUAGE.

    (a) Determination of Budgetary Effects.--The budgetary effects of 
this Act, for the purpose of complying with the Statutory Pay-As-You-Go 
Act of 2010, shall be determined by reference to the latest statement 
titled ``Budgetary Effects of PAYGO Legislation'' for this Act, 
submitted for printing in the Congressional Record by the Chairman of 
the House Budget Committee, provided that such statement has been 
submitted prior to the vote on passage.
    (b) Emergency Designation.--
            (1) In general.--The amounts provided under this Act, or an 
        amendment made by this Act, are designated as an emergency 
        requirement pursuant to section 4(g) of the Statutory Pay-As-
        You-Go Act of 2010 (2 U.S.C. 933(g)).
            (2) Designation in senate.--In the Senate, this Act, and 
        the amendments made by this Act, is designated as an emergency 
        requirement pursuant to section 4112(a) of H. Con. Res. 71 
        (115th Congress), the concurrent resolution on the budget for 
        fiscal year 2018.
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