[Congressional Bills 108th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 827 Introduced in House (IH)]






108th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 827

     To amend the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency 
    Assistance Act to reauthorize the temporary mortgage and rental 
                           payments program.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           February 13, 2003

Mrs. Maloney (for herself, Mr. Serrano, Mr. Rangel, Mr. Towns, and Mr. 
 Bishop of New York) 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 Emergency 
    Assistance Act to reauthorize the temporary mortgage and rental 
                           payments program.

    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 ``Mortgage and Rental Assistance 
Reauthorization Act of 2003''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

     Congress finds the following:
            (1) The mortgage and rental assistance program was 
        authorized under the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and 
        Emergency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5121 et seq.) to provide 
        assistance to individuals who have lost a portion of their 
        income and are having difficulties paying their rents or 
        mortgages.
            (2) The Disaster Mitigation Act of 2000 (Public Law 106-
        390) amended the Stafford Act to end the program in May 2002.
            (3) Following the major disaster declaration resulting from 
        the terrorist attacks in New York on September 11, 2001, the 
        Federal Emergency Management Agency allowed the use of funds 
        under the program to aid residents who were having difficulties 
        paying their rents or mortgages.
            (4) Without this assistance, many New Yorkers would have 
        faced further financial hardships and evictions. The use of 
        this program by thousands of people illustrates its usefulness 
        following a major disaster and the need to reinstate it.

SEC. 3. TEMPORARY MORTGAGE RENTAL ASSISTANCE.

     Section 408(c)(1) of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and 
Emergency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5174(c)(1)) is amended--
            (1) by redesignating subparagraph (B) as subparagraph (C); 
        and
            (2) by inserting after subparagraph (A) the following:
                    ``(B) Temporary mortgage and rental payments.--
                            ``(i) In general.--The President is 
                        authorized to provide assistance on a temporary 
                        basis in the form of mortgage or rental 
                        payments to or on behalf of individuals and 
                        families who, as a result of financial hardship 
                        caused by a major disaster, certify that they 
                        face dispossession or eviction from a residence 
                        by reason of a foreclosure of any mortgage or 
                        lien, cancellation of any contract of sale, or 
                        termination of any lease, entered into prior to 
                        such disaster.
                            ``(ii) Duration of assistance.--The 
                        assistance under this subparagraph shall be 
                        provided for the duration of the period of 
                        financial hardship but not to exceed 18 
                        months.''.

SEC. 4. APPLICABILITY.

     The amendments made by section 3 shall apply with respect to a 
major disaster occurring on or after May 30, 2002.
                                 <all>