Emergency Supplemental Appropriations Legislation for Disaster Assistance: Summary Data
Released: 2008-10-31T00:00:00

Overview

Since FY1989, Congress has appropriated just under $271 billion (constant 2008 dollars) for disaster assistance in 34 appropriations measures, primarily supplemental appropriations acts, after significant catastrophes occurred in the United States. The median annual funding during the 20-year period FY1989 through the present was $2.7 billion; the mean annual funding was $12 billion ($241 billion/20)—both in current dollars. The mean funding in current dollars for all 34 enacted emergency supplemental bills was $7 billion ($241 billion/34).

The median annual funding in constant dollars during the 20 year period FY1989 through the present was $3.8 billion; the mean annual funding in constant dollars was $13.6 billion. The mean funding in constant dollars for all 34 enacted emergency supplemental bills was $8 billion ($271 billion/34). Disasters during 2001 and 2005 were especially costly. In FY2001 and FY2002, supplemental appropriations for disaster assistance exceeded $26 billion, most of which went toward recovery following the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001. In FY2005 and FY2006, after Hurricanes Katrina, Rita, and Wilma struck in 2005, supplemental appropriations for disaster assistance have reached an all-time high. From FY2005 through FY2008, Congress appropriated over $130 billion, almost 60% of the total appropriated since FY1989.

Since the start of the 110 th Congress, the President has signed into law four measures ( P.L. 110-28 , P.L. 110-116 , P.L. 110-252 , and P.L. 110-329 ). These four statutes together provided roughly $41 billion in supplemental appropriations for disaster relief and recovery. P.L. 110-28 , signed on May 25, 2007, included an appropriation of $7.6 billion for disaster assistance, $3.4 billion of which was classified as "Hurricane Katrina Recovery." P.L. 110-116 , signed into law on November 13, 2007, provided a total of $6.355 billion for continued recovery efforts related to Hurricanes Katrina, Rita, and Wilma, and for other declared major disasters or emergencies. This total includes $500 million for firefighting expenses related to 2007 California wildfires. P.L. 110-252 , signed into law June 30, 2008, provided $7 billion in disaster assistance, most of which was directed at continuing recovering needs resulting from the 2005 hurricane season.

P.L. 110-329 , signed into law on September 30, 2008, included an appropriation for emergency and disaster relief of $21.4 billion. Of this amount, roughly $2 billion is continued disaster relief for the 2005 hurricane season. The majority of the funding (just over $8.8 billion) in the law is for disasters occurring in 2008 which included Hurricanes Gustav and Ike, wildfires, and flooding. One of the largest components funding in P.L. 110-329 is for the Department of Housing and Urban Development's (HUD) Community Development Fund, which received $6.5 billion specifically for disaster relief, long-term recovery, and economic revitalization in areas affected by disasters that occurred in 2008. Other funding in the law includes $135 million for wildfire suppression, and a $100 million direct appropriation for the American Red Cross for reimbursement of disaster relief and recovery expenditures associated with emergencies and disasters that have also taken place in 2008.

This report provides summary information on emergency supplemental appropriations legislation enacted since 1989 after significant catastrophes. It includes funds appropriated to the Disaster Relief Fund (DRF) administered by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), as well as funds appropriated to other departments and agencies. This report uses a broad concept of what constitutes emergency disaster assistance. The funds cited in this report include appropriations for disaster relief, repair of federal facilities, and hazard mitigation activities directed at reducing the impact of future disasters. DRF appropriations are obligated for all major disasters and emergencies issued under the Stafford Act, not only those significant events that lead to supplemental appropriations. Counterterrorism, law enforcement, and national security appropriations are not included in this compilation. Unless otherwise noted, this report does not take into account rescissions approved by Congress after funds have been appropriated for disaster assistance.

As reflected in Table 1 below, supplemental appropriations have been enacted as stand-alone legislation. However, in some instances, emergency disaster relief funding has been enacted as part of regular appropriations measures, continuing appropriations acts (continuing resolutions), or in omnibus appropriations legislation. Requested funding levels noted in the third column of Table 1 reflect House Appropriations Committee data on total requested funding for the entire enacted bill. Where possible, Office of Management and Budget (OMB) data taken from correspondence to Congress requesting emergency supplemental funding are used to identify dates of Administration requests for supplemental funding.

Hurricanes Katrina, Rita, and Wilma

In response to the widespread destruction caused by three catastrophic hurricanes at the end of the summer of 2005, the 109 th Congress enacted four emergency supplemental appropriations bills.

Two of the statutes were enacted as FY2005 supplementals after Hurricane Katrina devastated parts of Florida and Alabama and resulted in presidential major disaster declarations for all jurisdictions in Louisiana and Mississippi. The two supplementals ( P.L. 109-61 and P.L. 109-62 ) together provided $62.3 billion for emergency response and recovery needs; most of the funding in these two bills was provided for the Disaster Relief Fund (DRF) administered by FEMA.

After Hurricanes Rita and Wilma struck, the 109 th Congress enacted two other supplementals; the costs of both were offset by rescissions. The FY2006 appropriations legislation for the Department of Defense ( P.L. 109-148 ) rescinded roughly $34 billion in funds previously appropriated (almost 70% of which was taken from funds previously appropriated to the Department of Homeland Security) and appropriated $29 billion to other accounts primarily to pay for the restoration of federal facilities damaged by the hurricanes. Also in FY2006, Congress agreed to an Administration request for further funding—$19.3 billion was appropriated in supplemental legislation ( P.L. 109-234 ) for recovery assistance, with roughly $64 million rescinded from two accounts ($15 million from flood control, Corps of Engineers, and $49.5 million from Navy Reserve construction, Department of Defense). On May 25, 2007, the President signed into law P.L. 110-28 , which appropriated $120 billion in emergency supplemental funding for Iraq, Afghanistan, and other matters, including $6.9 billion for continued Gulf Coast relief. The measure was a successor to previous emergency supplemental legislation in the 110 th Congress, H.R. 1591 , vetoed by the President on May 1, 2007. This was the fifth supplemental measure enacted containing disaster assistance specifically provided in response to Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. The sixth supplemental measure enacted as part of P.L. 110-116 on November 13, 2007, provided an additional $5.9 billion for emergency assistance, most, but not all of which, can be attributed to the Gulf Coast recovery. The $3 billion appropriated for Department of Housing and Urban Development—Community Planning and Development Fund can only be used for the Louisiana Road Home program. However, the $2.9 billion appropriated for the Disaster Relief Fund can be used not only for the Gulf Coast but for other declared disasters as well.

As a result, after enactment of P.L. 110-252 , the total amount appropriated by Congress in supplemental funding after the 2005 hurricanes surpassed the $130 billion mark. Table 2 provides information on the appropriations made in the six supplementals enacted after Hurricanes Katrina, Rita, and Wilma. Table 3 identifies the departments and agencies from which funds were rescinded in P.L. 109-148 .

In addition to these rescissions and appropriations, Congress enacted other funding changes by transferring $712 million from FEMA to the Small Business Administration for disaster loans ( P.L. 109-174 ).

On June 30, 2008, the 110 th Congress enacted the Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2008 ( P.L. 110-252 ). Some of the funding from P.L. 110-252 includes $100 million for the Economic Development Administration's economic development assistance programs, $73 million for the Department of Housing and Urban Development's (HUD) Road Home Program and $300 million for HUD's Community Development fund. The majority of disaster assistance funding (over $4 billion) in P.L. 110-252 is directed at the Corps of Engineers for projects aimed at repairing damages incurred from the 2005 hurricane season, as well as programs designed to mitigate against future hurricanes.

Another supplemental, the Consolidated Security, Disaster Assistance, and Continuing Appropriations Act, 2009 was passed three months later on September 30, 2008 ( P.L. 110-329 ). P.L. 110-329 includes ongoing disaster relief for destruction resulting from the 2005 hurricane season, including $85 million for the Disaster Housing Assistance program administered by the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). The program enables families to settle in areas across the United States that were not affected by hurricane Katrina, Rita, or Wilma. The amount provided in the statute for disaster relief as a result of the 2005 hurricane season is roughly $1.3 billion.

Selected CRS Reports

CRS Report RL33330, Community Development Block Grant Funds in Disaster Relief and Recovery , by [author name scrubbed] and [author name scrubbed].

CRS Report RL34711, Consolidated Appropriations Act for FY2009 (P.L. 110-329): An Overview , by [author name scrubbed].

CRS Report RL33999, Defense: FY2008 Authorization and Appropriations , by [author name scrubbed], [author name scrubbed], and [author name scrubbed].

CRS Report RL33053, Federal Stafford Act Disaster Assistance: Presidential Declarations, Eligible Activities, and Funding , by [author name scrubbed] (pdf).

CRS Report RL33900, FY2007 Supplemental Appropriations for Defense, Foreign Affairs, and Other Purposes , coordinated by [author name scrubbed].

CRS Report RL34451, FY2008 Spring Supplemental Appropriations and FY2009 Bridge Appropriations for Military Operations, International Affairs, and Other Purposes (P.L. 110-252) , by [author name scrubbed] et al.