Small State and Rural Rescue Act
Bill: H.R.7211 | Sponsor: Rep. Katko, John (R-NY)
Policy area: Emergency Management

Summary:
Small State and Rural Rescue Act
This bill addresses requests for, and other matters pertaining to, disaster assistance provided through the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), with a focus on small states and rural communities.
The bill expands the duties of FEMA's Small State and Rural Advocate to include assistance for states in the collection and presentation of material in the disaster or emergency declaration request relevant to demonstrate severe localized impacts within the state for a specific incident.
Additionally, the Government Accountability Office must review FEMA's implementation of its final rule regarding factors considered when evaluating a governor's request for a major disaster declaration. In particular, the review must focus on requests for a major disaster declaration authorizing individual assistance.

To amend the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency 
Assistance Act, review a final rule of the Federal Emergency Management 
                    Agency, and for other purposes.

    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 ``Small State and Rural Rescue Act''.

SEC. 2. DESIGNATION OF SMALL STATE AND RURAL ADVOCATE.

    Section 326(c) of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and 
Emergency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5165d (c)) is amended--
            (1) by striking ``and'' at the end of paragraph (2);
            (2) by redesignating paragraph (3) as paragraph (4); and
            (3) by inserting after paragraph (2) the following:
            ``(3) assist States in the collection and presentation of 
        material in the disaster or emergency declaration request 
        relevant to demonstrate severe localized impacts within the 
        State for a specific incident, including--
                    ``(A) the per capita personal income by local area, 
                as calculated by the Bureau of Economic Analysis;
                    ``(B) the disaster impacted population profile, as 
                reported by the Bureau of the Census, including--
                            ``(i) the percentage of the population for 
                        whom poverty status is determined;
                            ``(ii) the percentage of the population 
                        already receiving Government assistance such as 
                        Supplemental Security Income and Supplemental 
                        Nutrition Assistance Program benefits;
                            ``(iii) the pre-disaster unemployment rate;
                            ``(iv) the percentage of the population 
                        that is 65 years old and older;
                            ``(v) the percentage of the population 18 
                        years old and younger;
                            ``(vi) the percentage of the population 
                        with a disability;
                            ``(vii) the percentage of the population 
                        who speak a language other than English and 
                        speak English less than `very well'; and
                            ``(viii) any unique considerations 
                        regarding American Indian and Alaskan Native 
                        Tribal populations raised in the State's 
                        request for a major disaster declaration that 
                        may not be reflected in the data points 
                        referenced in this subparagraph;
                    ``(C) the impact to community infrastructure, 
                including--
                            ``(i) disruptions to community life-saving 
                        and life-sustaining services;
                            ``(ii) disruptions or increased demand for 
                        essential community services; and
                            ``(iii) disruptions to transportation, 
                        infrastructure, and utilities; and
                    ``(D) any other information relevant to demonstrate 
                severe local impacts.; and''.

SEC. 3. GAO REVIEW OF A FINAL RULE.

    (a) In General.--The Comptroller General shall conduct a review of 
the Federal Emergency Management Agency's implementation of its final 
rule, published on March 21, 2019, amending section 206.48(b) of title 
44, Code of Federal Regulations (regarding factors considered when 
evaluating a Governor's request for a major disaster declaration), 
which revised the factors that the Agency considers when evaluating a 
Governor's request for a major disaster declaration authorizing 
individual assistance under the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and 
Emergency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5121 et seq).
    (b) Scope.--The review required under subsection (a) shall include 
the following:
            (1) An assessment of the criteria used by the Agency to 
        assess individual assistance requests following a major 
        disaster declaration authorizing individual assistance.
            (2) An assessment of the consistency with which the Agency 
        uses the updated Individual Assistance Declaration Factors when 
        assessing the impact of individual communities after a major 
        disaster declaration.
            (3) An assessment of the impact, if any, of using the 
        updated Individual Assistance Declaration Factors has had on 
        equity in disaster recovery outcomes.
            (4) Recommendations to improve the use of the Individual 
        Assistance Declaration Factors to increase equity in disaster 
        recovery outcomes.
    (c) Report.--Not later than 1 year after the date of the enactment 
of this Act, the Comptroller General shall submit to the Committee on 
Transportation and Infrastructure of the House of Representatives and 
the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs of the 
Senate a report on the review required under this section.
                                                       Calendar No. 650

117th CONGRESS

  2d Session

                               H. R. 7211

                          [Report No. 117-259]

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