The bill would create a program to help states and Indian tribal governments address needs left unmet after a major disaster. It would also change disaster assistance for households, including support for home repairs, longer periods to receive some benefits, and clearer information for people who appeal FEMA decisions. FEMA would give more weight to severe local impacts and recent disasters when making recommendations about disaster declarations and federal cost shares. The bill also requires reports and reviews about disaster assistance and recovery.
If enacted, the bill could allow states and tribal governments to use grants for needs such as housing repairs, rebuilding, and disaster-related services. It would allow limited emergency repairs to make owner-occupied homes safe to live in, subject to available funding. People appealing a FEMA assistance decision would receive documents and an explanation of the decision, along with steps they could take to address an eligibility problem. Some assistance periods would increase from 18 to 24 months. The bill does not guarantee that any person or community would receive assistance.
The bill does not state a total cost. It would use amounts appropriated for disaster recovery and allow the President to set aside an amount equal to 10 percent of estimated grants under certain existing disaster assistance programs for unmet-needs assistance. Emergency home repairs would depend on available appropriations.
No publicly available information.
No publicly available information.