Title: To amend the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act to ensure that unmet needs after a major disaster are met.
Policy area: Emergency Management

Summary:
This bill authorizes the President, after the declaration of a major disaster, to direct the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to provide assistance necessary for meeting unmet needs as a result of such disaster.

[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 1311 Introduced in House (IH)]

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116th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 1311

     To amend the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency 
 Assistance Act to ensure that unmet needs after a major disaster are 
                                  met.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           February 19, 2019

 Mr. Graves of Louisiana (for himself and Ms. Plaskett) introduced the 
 following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Transportation 
                           and Infrastructure

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
     To amend the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency 
 Assistance Act to ensure that unmet needs after a major disaster are 
                                  met.

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

SECTION 1. UNMET NEED ASSISTANCE.

    Title IV of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency 
Assistance Act is amended by adding at the end the following:

``SEC. 431. UNMET NEEDS ASSISTANCE.

    ``(a) In General.--After the declaration of a major disaster, the 
President may direct the Administrator of the Emergency Management 
Agency to provide, subject to amounts made available from 
appropriations, assistance necessary for meeting unmet needs as a 
result of such disaster.
    ``(b) Funding.--
            ``(1) Amount of funding.--Subject to appropriations and not 
        later than 30 days after a declaration is made under section 
        401, the President acting through the Administrator may 
        allocate an amount that equals up to 10 percent of the 
        estimated aggregate amount of the grants to be made pursuant to 
        sections 406 and 408 for the major disaster in order to provide 
        technical and financial assistance under this section and such 
        set aside shall be deemed to be related to activities carried 
        out pursuant to major disasters under this Act.
            ``(2) Estimated aggregate amount.--Not later than 180 days 
        after each major disaster declaration pursuant to this Act, the 
        estimated aggregate amount of grants for purposes of paragraph 
        (1) shall be determined by the President and such estimated 
        amount need not be reduced, increased, or changed due to 
        variations in estimates.
            ``(3) No reduction in amounts.--The amount set aside 
        pursuant to paragraph (1) shall not reduce the amounts 
        otherwise made available for sections 403, 404, 406, 407, 408, 
        410, 416, and 428 under this Act.
    ``(c) Unmet Needs.--Financial assistance provided under this 
section may be used to provide assistance, in addition to other amounts 
made available under this Act, for the following unmet needs:
            ``(1) Disaster-related home repair and rebuilding 
        assistance to families for permanent housing purposes, 
        including in conjunction with eligible expenditures under 
        section 408.
            ``(2) Disaster-related unmet needs of families who are 
        unable to obtain adequate assistance from other sources.
            ``(3) Other services that alleviate human suffering and 
        promote the well-being of disaster victims.
            ``(4) Economic and business activities (including food and 
        agriculture) after a disaster to implement post-disaster 
        economic recovery measures, including planning and technical 
        assistance for long-term economic recovery plans, 
        infrastructure improvements, business or infrastructure 
        financing, market or industry research, and other activities 
        authorized under a comprehensive economic development strategy.
    ``(d) Accounting and Fiscal Controls.--
            ``(1) In general.--Not later than 6 months after receipt of 
        funds and every 6 months thereafter until all such funds are 
        expended, a State shall submit a report to the Administrator 
        that includes--
                    ``(A) the criteria established for determining how 
                the funds are spent;
                    ``(B) the allocation of those funds; and
                    ``(C) the process for public notice and comment.
            ``(2) Compliance.--Any individual who receives assistance 
        pursuant to this section shall comply with section 312(b).
            ``(3) Administrative costs.--A State that receives funds 
        under this section may expend not more than 5 percent of the 
        amount of such funds for the administrative costs of providing 
        financial assistance to individuals and households in the 
        State.''.

SEC. 2. REPAIR AND REBUILDING.

    Section 408(c) of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and 
Emergency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5174) is amended--
            (1) in paragraph (2)(A)(i) by striking ``to a safe and 
        sanitary living or functioning condition'' and inserting ``to 
        ensure that their home is habitable during longer term 
        recovery. Assistance allowed under this section may be used in 
        coordination with other sources for the repair and rebuilding 
        of an owner-occupied residence.''; and
            (2) in paragraph (4) by striking ``in cases in which'' and 
        all that follows through the end of the paragraph and by 
        inserting ``if the President considers it a cost effective 
        alternative to other housing solutions, including the costs 
        associated with temporary housing provided under this section, 
        and long-term rebuilding costs associated with section 431''.

SEC. 3. REVIEW BY COMPTROLLER GENERAL.

    Not later than 5 years after the date of enactment of this Act, the 
Comptroller General of the United States shall conduct a review on the 
fiscal controls by States that receive funds under section 431 of the 
Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act and 
shall make recommendations to the Committee on Homeland Security and 
Governmental Affairs of the Senate and the Committee on Transportation 
and Infrastructure of the House of Representatives.
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