Wildfire Recovery Act

Bill: 116-hr-8945
Sponsor: full_name: Rep. Neguse, Joe [D-CO-2]
Introduced: 2020-12-10
Policy area: Emergency Management
Subjects: Administrative law and regulatory procedures

Disaster relief and insurance

Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)

Fires

Forests, forestry, trees

Natural disasters

State and local finance

State and local government operations
Latest action: action_date: 2020-12-11
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Economic Development, Public Buildings, and Emergency Management.

Summaries:
action_date: 2020-12-10
action_desc: Introduced in House
text: <p><b>Wildfire Recovery Act</b></p> <p>This bill provides that the federal cost share for fire management assistance under the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act shall not be less than 75% of the cost of such assistance.</p> <p>The bill requires the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to develop guidelines and a rule that establish thresholds for cases in which the federal cost share for fire management assistance may be increased. Such thresholds shall use a fire-specific metric to determine fire damage and recommend a federal cost share adjustment for fire damage that meets the established thresholds.</p>

tv_txt: I 116th CONGRESS 2d Session H. R. 8945 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES December 10, 2020 Mr. Neguse 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 provide flexibility with the cost share for fire management assistance, and for other purposes.

1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Wildfire Recovery Act . 2. Fire management assistance cost share Section 420 of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act is amended by adding at the end the following: (f) Federal share The Federal share of assistance under this section shall be not less than 75 percent of the eligible cost, as set forth in the regulations, of such assistance. . 3. Rulemaking Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of this Act, the President, acting through the Administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency and in consultation with the heads of relevant Federal departments and agencies, including the United States Forest Service and Department of Interior, shall conduct and complete a rulemaking to develop guidelines and a rule that establishes thresholds for cases in which the Federal cost share for section 420 of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act ( 42 U.S.C. 5187 ) may be increased. Such thresholds shall use a fire-specific metric to determine fire damage referred to in subsection (a) of such section, and recommend a Federal cost share adjustment for fire damage that meets the established thresholds. The Administrator shall follow all notice and comment requirements set forth in section 553 of title 5, United States Code, for such rulemaking.