FEMA Disaster Preparedness Improvement Act

I 116TH CONGRESS 2D SESSION H. R. 6071 To amend the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act to modify the Federal share requirement and establish a period of performance requirement for the hazard mitigation grant program, to amend the Post-Katrina Emergency Management Reform Act of 2006 to modify the Federal share requirement of emergency management performance grants, and for other purposes. IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES MARCH 4, 2020 Mr. GARAMENDI (for himself and Mr. THOMPSON of California) 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 Emer- gency Assistance Act to modify the Federal share re- quirement and establish a period of performance require- ment for the hazard mitigation grant program, to amend the Post-Katrina Emergency Management Reform Act of 2006 to modify the Federal share requirement of emergency management performance grants, and for other purposes. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa- 1 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 2 VerDate Sep 11 2014 23:18 Mar 06, 2020 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H6071.IH H6071 pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS 2 •HR 6071 IH SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 1 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘FEMA Disaster Pre- 2 paredness Improvement Act’’. 3 SEC. 2. HAZARD MITIGATION. 4 Section 404 of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief 5 and Emergency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5170c) is 6 amended— 7 (1) in subsection (a) by striking ‘‘75’’ and in- 8 serting ‘‘85’’; and 9 (2) by adding at the end the following: 10 ‘‘(h) EXPANDED ELIGIBILITY.—Notwithstanding any 11 other provision of this section, the President may provide 12 hazard mitigation assistance in accordance with this sec- 13 tion in any area designated by the Administrator under 14 the National Flood Insurance Act of 1968 (42 U.S.C. 15 4001 et seq.) as an area having special flood hazards that 16 has suffered at least one severe repetitive loss (as such 17 term is defined in section 1307(h) of such Act) or repet- 18 itive loss (as defined in section 1370 of such Act). 19 ‘‘(i) PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE.— 20 ‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—A project receiving assist- 21 ance under this section shall be completed not later 22 than the date that is 36 months after the date of 23 the completion of all applicable environmental re- 24 views required by Federal or State law with respect 25 VerDate Sep 11 2014 23:18 Mar 06, 2020 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H6071.IH H6071 pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS 3 •HR 6071 IH to such project or a later feasible date determined 1 by the Administrator. 2 ‘‘(2) EXTENSION OF PERIOD OF PERFORM- 3 ANCE.—Upon the request of a recipient of hazard 4 mitigation assistance provided under this section, 5 the Administrator may— 6 ‘‘(A) issue an extension of not more than 7 1 year of the period of performance deadline de- 8 scribed in paragraph (1); and 9 ‘‘(B) issue additional extensions of not 10 more than 1 year upon the expiration of an ex- 11 tension issued pursuant to subparagraph (A) or 12 this subparagraph. 13 ‘‘(3) RULE OF STATUTORY CONSTRUCTION.— 14 Nothing in this subsection shall be construed to au- 15 thorize the Administrator or a State delegated au- 16 thority under subsection (c) to establish a period of 17 performance shorter than the period of performance 18 described in paragraph (1).’’. 19 SEC. 3. EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT PERFORMANCE 20 GRANTS PROGRAM. 21 Section 662(c) of the Post-Katrina Emergency Man- 22 agement Reform Act of 2006 (6 U.S.C. 762) is amended 23 by striking ‘‘50 percent’’ and inserting ‘‘85 percent’’. 24 VerDate Sep 11 2014 23:18 Mar 06, 2020 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H6071.IH H6071 pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS 4 •HR 6071 IH SEC. 4. GAO REPORT TO CONGRESS ON CHALLENGES 1 UNDER PUBLIC ASSISTANCE ALTERNATIVE 2 PROCEDURES. 3 (a) IN GENERAL.—The Comptroller General of the 4 United States shall conduct a study on the challenges to 5 States and Territories of the United States in obtaining 6 assistance under section 428 of the Robert T. Stafford 7 Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 8 5189f). 9 (b) CONTENTS.—In conducting the study described 10 in subsection (a), the Comptroller General shall study the 11 challenges for assistance described in subsection (a) faced 12 by the following: 13 (1) Rural areas, as such term is defined in sec- 14 tion 423 of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief 15 and Emergency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5189a). 16 (2) Small impoverished communities, as such 17 term is defined in section 203 of such Act. 18 (3) Other communities, areas, or individuals 19 that the Comptroller General determines pertinent. 20 (c) REPORT TO CONGRESS.—Not later than 1 year 21 after the date of enactment of this Act, the Comptroller 22 General shall submit to Congress a report describing the 23 results of the study required under subsection (a). 24 Æ VerDate Sep 11 2014 23:18 Mar 06, 2020 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6301 E:\BILLS\H6071.IH H6071 pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS