[Congressional Bills 107th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 5676 Introduced in House (IH)]






107th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 5676

    To authorize the Secretary of Education to make grants to local 
               educational agencies for disaster relief.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            October 16, 2002

Mrs. Maloney of New York (for herself, Mr. Serrano, Mr. Towns, and Mr. 
    Frost) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
                Committee on Education and the Workforce

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
    To authorize the Secretary of Education to make grants to local 
               educational agencies for disaster relief.

    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 ``Disaster Relief for Our Schools 
Act''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

    The Congress finds the following:
            (1) The terrorist attack on September 11, 2001, had a 
        devastating impact on New York City, New York, including its 
        schools.
            (2) Since the terrorist attack, the New York City School 
        System has experienced tremendous difficulty in obtaining aid 
        from the Federal Government to help with resulting expenses.
            (3) Under prior legislation enacted in 1965, the Department 
        of Health, Education, and Welfare was authorized to distribute 
        disaster assistance to local school districts impacted by a 
        declared disaster, and the Department performed this task well.
            (4) Following the Northridge, California, earthquake in 
        1994, the Los Angeles school district received assistance from 
        the Department of Education as quickly as 2 weeks from the 
        incident.
            (5) In 1994, responsibility for disaster assistance for 
        education institutions was officially transferred from the 
        Department of Education to the Federal Emergency Management 
        Agency under the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and 
        Emergency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5121 et seq.).
            (6) Given the experience of the New York City School 
        System, and with statements made by the Federal Emergency 
        Management Agency that the Agency cannot provide assistance for 
        operating expenses, the Department of Education should be 
        authorized to provide immediate disaster assistance for 
        schools.

SEC. 3. DISASTER RELIEF GRANTS FOR LOCAL EDUCATIONAL AGENCIES.

    (a) Establishment.--The Secretary of Education may make grants for 
disaster relief to local educational agencies located in any area for 
which the President has declared a major disaster pursuant to the 
Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (42 
U.S.C. 5121 et seq.).
    (b) Use of Funds.--The Secretary may not make a grant under this 
section unless the applicant involved agrees to use the grant as 
reimbursement or payment for expenses resulting from a major disaster 
described in subsection (a) that occurred after September 10, 2001. 
Such expenses may include any of the following:
            (1) Additional classroom instruction time and related 
        activities for students who lost instructional time as a result 
        of the disaster.
            (2) Mental health and trauma counseling and other 
        appropriate support services to students suffering from long-
        term or short-term trauma-related disorders resulting from the 
        disaster.
            (3) Guidance and grief counseling and mental health 
        services, including overtime payment for counselors and mental 
        health professionals, for students and school staff.
            (4) Textbooks and other school supplies and equipment 
        damaged or destroyed as a result of the disaster, or used to 
        support the relocation of students from schools in the disaster 
        area.
            (5) Relocating students, including transportation of 
        students to temporary school facilities.
            (6) Loss of perishable food stock and revenue lost from 
        food services.
            (7) Renting or leasing alternate temporary facilities or 
        transportation.
    (c) Application.--To seek a grant under this section, a local 
educational agency shall submit an application to the Secretary at such 
time, in such manner, and containing such information as the Secretary 
reasonably requires.
    (d) Rule of Construction.--Nothing in this Act shall be construed 
as prohibiting or exempting the Federal Emergency Management Agency 
from its obligation to provide assistance to local educational agencies 
in connection with a major disaster, including debris removal and 
cleanup, and restoration of facilities to their predisaster condition.
    (e) Definitions.--For purposes of this section:
            (1) The term ``local educational agency'' has the meaning 
        given to that term in section 9101 of the Elementary and 
        Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 7801).
            (2) The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary of 
        Education.
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