[Congressional Bills 109th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 1137 Introduced in House (IH)]






109th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 1137

     To amend the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency 
Assistance Act to improve Federal response to disasters, and for other 
                               purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             March 7, 2005

 Mr. Hastings of Florida (for himself, Mr. Shaw, Mr. Meek of Florida, 
   Ms. Corrine Brown of Florida, Mr. Davis of Florida, Ms. Wasserman 
Schultz, Mr. Boyd, and Mr. Wexler) 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 improve Federal response to disasters, and for other 
                               purposes.

    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 ``Responding Equitably, Swiftly, 
Proportionally, and On-time to Natural Disasters Act of 2005''.

SEC. 2. ENSURING DECLARATION.

    Section 101(b) of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and 
Emergency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5121(b)) is amended--
            (1) by striking ``and'' at the end of paragraph (5);
            (2) by striking the period at the end of paragraph (6) and 
        inserting a semicolon; and
            (3) by inserting after paragraph (6) the following:
            ``(7) ensuring that Federal assistance is adequate and 
        allows individuals to maintain a quality of life that is, to 
        the extent possible and practicable, similar to that before a 
        disaster without adversely affecting a State or local 
        government's ability to provide the necessary services to its 
        citizens; and
            ``(8) ensuring that minority and low-income individuals and 
        households and those living in underserved communities receive 
        the equitable technical, human, and financial assistance.''.

SEC. 3. REIMBURSEMENT FOR DEBRIS REMOVAL IN PRIVATE COMMUNITIES.

    Section 407 of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency 
Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5173) is amended--
            (1) by redesignating subsections (b), (c), and (d) as 
        subsections (c), (d), and (e), respectively; and
            (2) by inserting after subsection (a) the following:
    ``(b) Reimbursement for Debris Removal on Private-Lands and 
Communities.--
            ``(1) In general.--A State or local government shall be 
        eligible for reimbursement under this title for debris removal 
        on private lands if the State or local government maintains the 
        roads utilized for access to such lands, provides public safety 
        services, or provides individual and communal garbage removal 
        services to the residents of such lands.
            ``(2) Special rule.--A State or local government shall be 
        eligible for reimbursement under this title for debris removal 
        on private lands in a community if failure to remove debris in 
        that community places the lives, health, and safety of those 
        living in the community at immediate risk.
            ``(3) Effective date.--This subsection shall apply to all 
        presidential disaster declarations issued under this Act on or 
        after August 11, 2004.''.

SEC. 4. IMPROVING INDIVIDUAL AND HOUSEHOLD ASSISTANCE.

    (a) Eligibility for Assistance.--Section 408(a) of the Robert T. 
Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 
5174(a)) is amended by inserting after paragraph (2) the following:
            ``(3) Eligibility for assistance.--Under paragraph (1), an 
        individual or household shall be eligible to apply for 
        assistance provided under this section for a period of 18 
        months beginning on the date of declaration of the major 
        disaster by the President. The President may extend such 18-
        month period with respect to a major disaster if the President 
        determines that due to extraordinary circumstances with respect 
        to that major disaster an extension would be in the public 
        interest.''.
    (b) Increase in Individual and Household Assistance.--Section 408 
of such Act is further amended--
            (1) in subsection (c)(1)(A)(ii) by inserting ``plus 25 
        percent of that fair market rent'' after ``provided'';
            (2) in subsection (c)(2)(C) by striking ``$5,000'' and 
        inserting ``$10,000'';
            (3) in subsection (c)(3)(B) by striking ``$10,000'' and 
        inserting ``$20,000''; and
            (4) in subsection (h)(1) by striking ``$25,000'' and 
        inserting ``$50,000''.

SEC. 5. IMPROVING COORDINATION AND RESPONSE EFFORTS AT LOCAL EMERGENCY 
              OPERATIONS CENTERS.

    Section 302(b) of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and 
Emergency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5143(b)) is amended--
            (1) by redesignating paragraph (4) as paragraph (5);
            (2) by striking ``and'' at the end of paragraph (3);
            (3) by and inserting after paragraph (3) the following:
            ``(4) designate a local coordinating officer per affected 
        county for the duration of a major disaster who is either an 
        employee of the Federal Emergency Management Agency or has 
        significant experience in administering Federal disaster 
        assistance for the purpose of maintaining consistent Federal 
        representation in the affected county and assisting in the 
        coordination of State and local disaster assistance efforts 
        with those of the Federal Government; and''.

SEC. 6. USE OF FEDERAL EMPLOYEES IN DETERMINING AND ADMINISTERING 
              FEDERAL DISASTER ASSISTANCE.

    (a) In General.--Section 307 of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster 
Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5150) is amended--
            (1) by inserting ``(a) In General'' before ``In the''; and
            (2) by adding at the end the following:
    ``(b) Special Rule.--Notwithstanding subsection (a), only employees 
of the Department of Homeland Security or any other appropriate Federal 
department or agency may allocate, distribute, or approve Federal 
financial assistance under this Act.''.
    (b) Report to Congress.--
            (1) Preparation.--The Under Secretary of Homeland Security 
        for Emergency Preparedness and Response shall prepare a report 
        on the role and effectiveness of private organizations, firms, 
        or individuals, in approving, coordinating and administering 
        Federal emergency disaster assistance, including the results of 
        any internal or external audits of private organizations, 
        firms, or individuals on the administration of disaster 
        assistance by these private organizations.
            (2) Deadline for transmittal.--The Under Secretary shall 
        transmit the report to the Committee on Transportation and 
        Infrastructure of the House of Representatives and the 
        Committee on Environment and Public Works of the Senate not 
        later than 180 days after the date of enactment of this Act.

SEC. 7. DISASTER EXPERT PROGRAM.

    (a) Authorization of Program.--Title VII of the Robert T. Stafford 
Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5201-5205) is 
amended by adding at the end the following:

``SEC. 706. DISASTER EXPERT PROGRAM.

    ``(a) In General.--The Under Secretary of Homeland Security for 
Emergency Preparedness and Response shall establish and carry out a 
disaster expert grant program in accordance with this section. Grants 
under the program shall be made on a competitive basis.
    ``(b) Grant Purposes.--Under the grant program, grants may only be 
made--
            ``(1) to establish and maintain a disaster strike force 
        team consisting of emergency planners, public safety officers, 
        administrators, and other State and local officials with first-
        hand experience and knowledge in the coordination and 
        administration of Federal, State, and local emergency 
        assistance that are capable of providing the Federal Emergency 
        Management Agency with timely on-the-ground assistance in 
        disaster areas;
            ``(2) to provide disaster response training for members of 
        such team, including training through real life experience; and
            ``(3) to supplement the relief efforts of Federal, State, 
        and local officials in disaster areas with State and local 
        government disaster experts.
    ``(c) Grant Recipients.--Under the grant program, the Under 
Secretary may only make grants to units of local government and Indian 
tribes (as defined in section 4 of the Indian Self-Determination and 
Education Assistance Act (25 U.S.C. 450b)) that have first hand 
experience in coordinating, facilitating, and administering local and 
Federal disaster assistance and that are able to coordinate operations 
within a local emergency operations center between Federal, State, and 
local emergency coordinators.
    ``(d) Limitation.--Participation in the grant program shall not 
adversely affect the ability of a unit of local government or Indian 
tribe to conduct its normal day to day business and respond to any 
natural disaster or emergency within its own community.
    ``(e) Federal Share.--The Federal share of the cost of activities 
for which a grant is made under this section shall be 100 percent.
    ``(f) Administrative Expenses.--Not to exceed 5 percent of the 
amount of a grant under this section may be used to pay the 
administrative expenses of the grant recipient in carrying out the 
activities for which the grant is made.''.
    (b) Publishing of Regulations.--Not later than 120 days after the 
date of enactment of this Act, the Under Secretary of Homeland Security 
for Emergency Preparedness and Response shall issue regulations for the 
administering of the disaster expert grant program under section 706 of 
the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act and 
publish those regulations in the Federal Register.
    (c) Authorization of Funds.--There is authorized to be appropriated 
to carry out this section $5,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2006 
through 2012. Such sums shall remain available until expended.
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