Expediting Disaster Recovery Act
Floor Speech
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Ms. NORTON. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 5774) to amend the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act to ensure that unmet needs after a major disaster are met, as amended.
The Clerk read the title of the bill.
The text of the bill is as follows: H.R. 5774
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Expediting Disaster Recovery Act''. SEC. 2. UNMET NEED ASSISTANCE.
(a) In General.--Title IV of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act is amended by adding at the end the following: ``SEC. 431. UNMET NEEDS ASSISTANCE.
``(a) In General.--After the declaration of a major disaster, the President may direct the Administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency to provide to the State, subject to amounts made available from appropriations, assistance necessary for meeting unmet needs as a result of such disaster.
``(b) Funding.--
``(1) Amount of funding.--Subject to appropriations and not later than 30 days after a declaration is made under section 401, the President acting through the Administrator may allocate an amount that equals up to 10 percent of the estimated aggregate amount of the grants to be made pursuant to sections 406 and 408 for the major disaster in order to provide technical and financial assistance under this section and such set aside shall be deemed to be related to activities carried out pursuant to major disasters under this Act.
``(2) Estimated aggregate amount.--Not later than 180 days after each major disaster declaration pursuant to this Act, the estimated aggregate amount of grants for purposes of paragraph (1) shall be determined by the President and such estimated amount need not be reduced, increased, or changed due to variations in estimates.
``(3) No reduction in amounts.--The amount set aside pursuant to paragraph (1) shall not reduce the amounts otherwise made available for sections 403, 404, 406, 407, 408, 410, 416, and 428 under this Act.
``(c) Unmet Needs.--Financial assistance provided under this section may be used to provide assistance, in addition to other amounts made available under this Act, for the following unmet needs:
``(1) Disaster-related home repair and rebuilding assistance to families for permanent housing purposes, including in conjunction with eligible expenditures under section 408.
``(2) Disaster-related unmet needs of families who are unable to obtain adequate assistance from other sources.
``(3) Other services that alleviate human suffering and promote the well-being of disaster victims.
``(4) Economic and business activities (including food and agriculture) after a disaster to implement post-disaster economic recovery measures, including planning and technical assistance for long-term economic recovery plans, infrastructure improvements, business or infrastructure financing, market or industry research, and other activities authorized under a comprehensive economic development strategy.
``(d) Accounting and Fiscal Controls.--
``(1) In general.--Not later than 6 months after receipt of funds and every 6 months thereafter until all such funds are expended, a State shall submit a report to the Administrator that includes--
``(A) the criteria established for determining how the funds are spent;
``(B) the allocation of those funds; and
``(C) the process for public notice and comment.
``(2) Compliance.--Any individual who receives assistance pursuant to this section shall comply with section 312(b).
``(3) Administrative costs.--A State that receives funds under this section may expend not more than 5 percent of the amount of such funds for the administrative costs of providing financial assistance to individuals and households in the State.''.
(b) Applicability.--This section and the amendments made by this section shall apply to funds appropriated on or after the date of enactment of this Act. SEC. 3. REPAIR AND REBUILDING.
(a) In General.--Section 408(c) of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5174) is amended--
(1) in paragraph (2)--
(A) in subparagraph (A)(i) by striking ``to a safe and sanitary living or functioning condition'';
(B) in subparagraph (B) by striking ``A recipient of'' and inserting ``(i) Evidence of other means of assistance.--A recipient of''; and
(C) by adding at the end the following:
``(ii) Coordination with other assistance.--Assistance allowed under this paragraph may be used in coordination with other sources for the repair and rebuilding of an owner- occupied residence.''; and
(2) in paragraph (4) by striking ``in cases in which'' and all that follows through the end of the paragraph and inserting ``if the President considers it a cost effective alternative to other housing solutions, including the costs associated with temporary housing provided under this section, and long-term rebuilding costs associated with section 431.''.
(b) Applicability.--This section and the amendments made by this section shall apply to funds appropriated on or after the date of enactment of this Act. SEC. 4. REVIEW BY COMPTROLLER GENERAL.
Not later than 5 years after the date of enactment of this Act, the Comptroller General of the United States shall conduct a review on the fiscal controls by States that receive funds under section 431 of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act and shall make recommendations to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs of the Senate and the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure of the House of Representatives. SEC. 5. DUPLICATION OF BENEFITS.
Section 312(b)(4) of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5155(b)(4)) is amended by adding at the end the following:
``(D) Limitation on use of income criteria.--In carrying out subparagraph (A), the President may not impose additional income criteria on a potential grant recipient who has accepted a qualified disaster loan in determining eligibility for duplications of benefit relief.''.
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Ms. NORTON. 5774, as amended.
Mr. Speaker, I support H.R. 5774, the Expediting Disaster Recovery Act, legislation introduced by Mr. Graves of Louisiana.
This legislation is designed to expedite the delivery of Federal disaster assistance and address the unpaid, unmet needs of disaster survivors.
The authorizations in this bill allow the Federal Emergency Management Agency to estimate the total cost of disaster recovery and provide States up to 10 percent of this estimate when a major disaster is declared.
States would be able to use these funds to administer a broad range of recovery solutions not covered by FEMA's individual assistance program. Such activities could include home repair and support for business activities.
Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to support this legislation, and I reserve the balance of my time.
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Ms. NORTON. Mr. Speaker, in closing, I urge my colleagues to support this legislation, and I yield back the balance of my time.
Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 5774, the ``Expediting Disaster Recovery Act of 2022'' which promotes swift strategic implementation of resources by the president following natural disasters.
After the declaration of a major disaster, the Expediting Disaster Recovery Act of 2022 authorizes the President to direct the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to provide assistance for unmet needs of those impacted by the disaster.
The President may also provide financial or direct assistance to individuals or households to construct permanent or semi-permanent housing in areas outside the continental United States if the President deems it a more cost-effective solution.
According to the National Center for Environmental Information, the U.S. spent approximately $152 Billion just last year from various environmental events such as the Deep Freeze in Texas and Hurricanes across the Gulf Coast.
One of the most critical and unprecedented natural disaster emergencies was the Deep Freeze in Texas, resulting in a number of unforeseen complications for Texas residents.
Millions of households lost power during the Deep Freeze, disrupting their heating, food and water supplies, and communication systems.
Based on the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission report for the Deep Freeze, estimated costs for damages in Texas reached a staggering $80 Billion, with $35 Billion alone due to physical damages, of which insurance only covered $20 Billion.
Texas residents will need to pay for a large portion of the damages, putting their own lives on hold until they are financially stabilized. Meanwhile, families who are unable to meet the expenses out of pocket are stuck in bleak living conditions.
Alongside the unprecedented winter storms in Texas, were the devastating effects of Hurricane Ida, which ravaged many coastal cities and counties. The National Center for Environmental Information estimated that there were $75 Billion in damage costs.
Unfortunately, most home insurance policies do not cover flood damages, including damages caused by Hurricane Ida, This means that individuals would have needed to purchase separate policies dedicated for flood damages on top of the already rising home insurance prices.
Recent flood disasters, such as those in Kentucky, have once again highlighted the dangers of inadequate planning and the overall expenses incurred by its residents.
Outdated federal flood zone maps underestimate the occurrence of floods within certain communities. Therefore, insurance companies, which base their policies on federal flood zone maps, end up paying for a small portion of damages to households.
For residents of some of the poorest counties in the U.S., this means they will be forced to pay mostly out of pocket for all damage expenses, further hindering their chances of recovery from future disasters.
H.R. 5774 can help families with unmet needs, easing financial burdens by distributing funds for the purpose of rebuilding homes and communities. This can provide these families the opportunity to dedicate their finances towards health concerns, exploring education, and other basic living expenses.
Millions of families suffer from natural disaster events without the ability to recover effectively. With the help of the Expediting Disaster Recovery Act of 2022, families with unmet needs will be able to recover more fully and more rapidly, allowing them to reinvest themselves in their communities and return to their normal lifestyles.
The Expediting Disaster Recovery Act of 2022 sets forth the requirements for the President to establish swift and effective financial and technical assistance to aid in the recovery of families who may be unable to cover financial costs for repair and rebuilding.
I urge my colleagues to support this very helpful legislation.
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