Title: Crisis Counseling Act
Policy area: Emergency Management

Summary:
Crisis Counseling Act
This bill requires the President to immediately approve a request from a state, territory, or Indian tribe affected by a major disaster for financial assistance available through the Crisis Counseling Assistance and Training Program (CCP).
Under current law, such states, territories, and tribes must apply to, and wait for approval from, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to implement the CCP. This bill provides for automatic approval for such requests if the requesting state, territory, or tribe has been designated a disaster area under the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act.

[Congressional Bills 117th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 3689 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

<DOC>






117th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                S. 3689

  To ensure that, after the declaration of a major disaster, States, 
local governments, and Indian tribal governments affected by the major 
 disaster receive immediate approval for services and assistance under 
  section 416 of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency 
                            Assistance Act.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                           February 17, 2022

Mr. Warnock (for himself, Ms. Stabenow, and Mr. Padilla) introduced the 
 following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on 
               Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
  To ensure that, after the declaration of a major disaster, States, 
local governments, and Indian tribal governments affected by the major 
 disaster receive immediate approval for services and assistance under 
  section 416 of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency 
                            Assistance Act.

    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 ``Crisis Counseling Act''.

SEC. 2. CRISIS COUNSELING ASSISTANCE AND TRAINING.

    Section 416 of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency 
Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5183) is amended--
            (1) by striking ``The President is authorized'' and 
        inserting the following:
    ``(a) In General.--The President is authorized''; and
            (2) by adding at the end the following:
    ``(b) Immediate Assistance Required.--
            ``(1) In general.--A State or local agency, or an Indian 
        tribal government, that is affected by a major disaster may 
        submit to the President a request for the financial assistance 
        described in subsection (a).
            ``(2) Immediate approval.--Immediately upon receipt of a 
        request for financial assistance under paragraph (1), the 
        President shall--
                    ``(A) approve the request; and
                    ``(B) grant the financial assistance.''.
                                 <all>