Relief for Recovering Communities Act

Bill: 115-s-1664
Sponsor: full_name: Sen. Cornyn, John [R-TX]
Introduced: 2017-07-27
Policy area: Transportation and Public Works
Subjects: Disaster relief and insurance

Public transit

Transportation programs funding

Urban and suburban affairs and development
Latest action: action_date: 2017-07-27
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs. (text of measure as introduced: CR S4430)

Summaries:
action_date: 2017-07-27
action_desc: Introduced in Senate
text: <p><b>Relief for Recovering Communities Act</b></p> <p>This bill requires the Department of Transportation to treat an area as an &quot;urbanized area&quot; following a major disaster under the Disaster Relief Act of 1974 until the second decennial census conducted after such disaster if: (1) the area was defined and designated as such by the Department of Commerce in the decennial census immediately preceding such disaster, effective with the 2000 decennial census; and (2) the population of the area fell below 50,000 as a result of such disaster. This designation as an urbanized area permits an application for federal transit funding based upon population levels in the area prior to the major disaster. </p> <p>An area treated as an urbanized area shall be assigned the population and square miles of the urban cluster designated by Commerce in the most recent decennial census.</p>

tv_txt: II 115th CONGRESS 1st Session S. 1664 IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES July 27, 2017 Mr. Cornyn (for himself and Mr. Kaine ) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs A BILL To amend section 5307 of title 49, United States Code, with respect to the treatment of communities as urbanized areas following a major disaster.

1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Relief for Recovering Communities Act . 2. Definition of urbanized areas following a major disaster Section 5307 of title 49, United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the following: (i) Urbanized areas following a major disaster (1) Defined term In this section, the term major disaster has the meaning given such term in section 102(2) of the Disaster Relief Act of 1974 ( 42 U.S.C. 5122(2) ). (2) Urbanized area major disaster population criteria Notwithstanding section 5302, the Secretary shall treat an area as an urbanized area for purposes of this section until the second decennial census conducted after a major disaster in such area if— (A) the area was defined and designated as an urbanized area by the Secretary of Commerce in the decennial census immediately preceding such major disaster, effective with the 2000 decennial census; and (B) the population of the area fell below 50,000 as a result of such major disaster. (3) Population calculation An area treated as an urbanized area under this subsection shall be assigned the population and square miles of the urban cluster designated by the Secretary of Commerce in the most recent decennial census. (4) Savings provision Nothing in this subsection may be construed to affect apportionments made under this chapter before the date of the enactment of this subsection. .