Achieving Racial and Ethnic Equity in Disaster Response, Recovery, and Resilience Act of 2020

Bill: 116-s-3658
Sponsor: Sen. Peters, Gary C. [D-MI]
Introduced: 2020-05-07 in the Senate
Policy area: Emergency Management
Subjects: Cardiovascular and respiratory health
Congressional oversight
Department of Homeland Security
Disaster relief and insurance
Emergency medical services and trauma care
Emergency planning and evacuation
Executive agency funding and structure
Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)
Federal-Indian relations
Infectious and parasitic diseases
Intergovernmental relations
Performance measurement
Poverty and welfare assistance
Racial and ethnic relations
Rural conditions and development
State and local government operations

Summary:
action_date: 2020-05-07
text: 

Achieving Racial and Ethnic Equity in Disaster Response, Recovery, and Resilience Act of 2020 

 
This bill establishes an Office of Equal Rights and Community Inclusion (OERCI) within the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).
 
OERCI shall be responsible for
 
 
improving underserved community access to disaster assistance and improving the quality of assistance such communities receive;
 
eliminating racial, ethnic, and other underserved community disparities in the delivery of various preparedness, response, and recovery assistance; and 
 
 carrying out such other responsibilities of the previous Office of Equal Rights as in effect on the day before the enactment of this bill as determined appropriate by FEMA.
 
 
The bill defines 
underserved community
 to mean an historically disadvantaged community, including the Native American, African-American, Hispanic, Pacific Islander, Middle Eastern and North African, and rural communities.
 
OERCI may award specified grants and enter into memoranda of understanding with state, local, tribal, and territorial government agencies. It shall develop measures to evaluate the effectiveness of its activities aimed at reducing disparities in preparedness, response, and recovery.
 
During the period of time for which there is a major disaster or emergency declared by the President with respect to COVID-19 (i.e., coronavirus disease 2019), OERCI shall regularly consult with state, local, territorial, and tribal government officials and community-based organizations from underserved communities that it identifies as disproportionately impacted by COVID-19.

action_date: 2020-12-14
text: 

Achieving Racial and Ethnic Equity in Disaster Response, Recovery, and Resilience Act of 2020 

 
This bill establishes the Office of Equal Rights and Community Inclusion (OERCI) within the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).
 
The OERCI shall be responsible, among other things, for (1) improving underserved community access to disaster assistance and improving the quality of assistance such communities receive; and (2) eliminating racial, ethnic, and other underserved community disparities in the delivery of various preparedness, response, and recovery assistance.
 
The bill defines 
underserved community
 to mean an historically disadvantaged community, including the Native American, African-American, Asian, Hispanic, Pacific Islander, Middle Eastern and North African, rural, low-income, and disability communities.
 
FEMA shall (1) administer and evaluate its programs and activities, including those of recipients of preparedness, response, recovery, and mitigation grants, in a manner to affirmatively further inclusion and engagement of underserved communities and improved outcomes for underserved communities tied to FEMA programs and activities; and (2) establish an underserved community initiative to award grants to specified nonprofit entities.
 
The OERCI shall develop measures to evaluate the effectiveness of the activities of program offices in FEMA and the activities of recipients aimed at reducing disparities in the services provided to underserved communities. 
 
During the period of time for which there is a major disaster or emergency declared by the President with respect to COVID-19 (i.e., coronavirus disease 2019), the OERCI shall regularly consult with state, local, territorial, and tribal government officials and community-based organizations from underserved communities that it identifies as disproportionately impacted by COVID-19.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2020-12-14
text: Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 619.
action_date: 2020-12-14
text: Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs. Reported by Senator Johnson with an amendment in the nature of a substitute. With written report No. 116-316.
action_date: 2020-12-14
text: Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs. Reported by Senator Johnson with an amendment in the nature of a substitute. With written report No. 116-316.
action_date: 2020-07-22
text: Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs. Ordered to be reported with an amendment in the nature of a substitute favorably.
action_date: 2020-05-07
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs.
action_date: 2020-05-07
text: Introduced in Senate