Title: FEMA Disaster Preparedness Improvement Act
Policy area: Emergency Management

Summary:
FEMA Disaster Preparedness Improvement Act
This bill increases Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) support for disaster preparedness and emergency response to states and U.S. territories.
Specifically, the bill increases the federal cost share to 85% for (1) hazard mitigation measures with respect to a major disaster (currently, 75%); and (2) emergency management performance grants (currently, 50%).
The bill makes special flood hazard areas that have suffered at least one severe repetitive loss or repetitive loss under the National Flood Insurance Program eligible for FEMA hazard mitigation grants. It also exempts the time it takes to complete environmental reviews from the 36-month deadline to complete FEMA-funded hazard mitigation projects.
The Government Accountability Office must report on the challenges to states and U.S. territories in obtaining assistance under FEMA's public assistance program alternative procedures.

[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 6071 Introduced in House (IH)]

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116th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 6071

     To amend the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency 
Assistance Act to modify the Federal share requirement and establish a 
   period of performance requirement for the hazard mitigation grant 
 program, to amend the Post-Katrina Emergency Management Reform Act of 
 2006 to modify the Federal share requirement of emergency management 
              performance grants, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             March 4, 2020

 Mr. Garamendi (for himself and Mr. Thompson of California) 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 modify the Federal share requirement and establish a 
   period of performance requirement for the hazard mitigation grant 
 program, to amend the Post-Katrina Emergency Management Reform Act of 
 2006 to modify the Federal share requirement of emergency management 
              performance grants, 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 ``FEMA Disaster Preparedness 
Improvement Act''.

SEC. 2. HAZARD MITIGATION.

    Section 404 of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency 
Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5170c) is amended--
            (1) in subsection (a) by striking ``75'' and inserting 
        ``85''; and
            (2) by adding at the end the following:
    ``(h) Expanded Eligibility.--Notwithstanding any other provision of 
this section, the President may provide hazard mitigation assistance in 
accordance with this section in any area designated by the 
Administrator under the National Flood Insurance Act of 1968 (42 U.S.C. 
4001 et seq.) as an area having special flood hazards that has suffered 
at least one severe repetitive loss (as such term is defined in section 
1307(h) of such Act) or repetitive loss (as defined in section 1370 of 
such Act).
    ``(i) Period of Performance.--
            ``(1) In general.--A project receiving assistance under 
        this section shall be completed not later than the date that is 
        36 months after the date of the completion of all applicable 
        environmental reviews required by Federal or State law with 
        respect to such project or a later feasible date determined by 
        the Administrator.
            ``(2) Extension of period of performance.--Upon the request 
        of a recipient of hazard mitigation assistance provided under 
        this section, the Administrator may--
                    ``(A) issue an extension of not more than 1 year of 
                the period of performance deadline described in 
                paragraph (1); and
                    ``(B) issue additional extensions of not more than 
                1 year upon the expiration of an extension issued 
                pursuant to subparagraph (A) or this subparagraph.
            ``(3) Rule of statutory construction.--Nothing in this 
        subsection shall be construed to authorize the Administrator or 
        a State delegated authority under subsection (c) to establish a 
        period of performance shorter than the period of performance 
        described in paragraph (1).''.

SEC. 3. EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT PERFORMANCE GRANTS PROGRAM.

    Section 662(c) of the Post-Katrina Emergency Management Reform Act 
of 2006 (6 U.S.C. 762) is amended by striking ``50 percent'' and 
inserting ``85 percent''.

SEC. 4. GAO REPORT TO CONGRESS ON CHALLENGES UNDER PUBLIC ASSISTANCE 
              ALTERNATIVE PROCEDURES.

    (a) In General.--The Comptroller General of the United States shall 
conduct a study on the challenges to States and Territories of the 
United States in obtaining assistance under section 428 of the Robert 
T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 
5189f).
    (b) Contents.--In conducting the study described in subsection (a), 
the Comptroller General shall study the challenges for assistance 
described in subsection (a) faced by the following:
            (1) Rural areas, as such term is defined in section 423 of 
        the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance 
        Act (42 U.S.C. 5189a).
            (2) Small impoverished communities, as such term is defined 
        in section 203 of such Act.
            (3) Other communities, areas, or individuals that the 
        Comptroller General determines pertinent.
    (c) Report to Congress.--Not later than 1 year after the date of 
enactment of this Act, the Comptroller General shall submit to Congress 
a report describing the results of the study required under subsection 
(a).
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