[Congressional Bills 109th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 4431 Introduced in House (IH)]







109th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 4431

To authorize financial assistance under the community development block 
grant program for disaster relief and recovery for communities affected 
                by Hurricane Katrina or Hurricane Rita.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           November 18, 2005

  Mr. Wicker (for himself and Mr. Pickering) introduced the following 
    bill; which was referred to the Committee on Financial Services

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To authorize financial assistance under the community development block 
grant program for disaster relief and recovery for communities affected 
                by Hurricane Katrina or Hurricane Rita.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT BLOCK GRANT ASSISTANCE.

    (a) Authorization of Appropriations.--In addition to any other 
amounts authorized to be appropriated under other provisions of law, 
there is authorized to be appropriated for fiscal year 2006 for 
activities authorized under title I of the Housing and Community 
Development Act of 1974 (42 U.S.C. 5301 et seq.), $13,000,000,000, to 
remain available until expended.
    (b) Use.--
            (1) In general.--Any amounts made available pursuant to 
        this section shall be used only for disaster relief, long-term 
        recovery, and mitigation in communities in any area for which 
        the President declared a major disaster or emergency under 
        title IV of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and 
        Emergency Assistance Act in connection with Hurricane Katrina 
        or Hurricane Rita, except those activities reimbursable by the 
        Federal Emergency Management Agency.
            (2) Use under cdbg program.--Any amounts made available 
        pursuant to this section shall be administered by each State in 
        conjunction with its community development block grants 
        program. Notwithstanding paragraph (2) of section 106(d) of the 
        Housing and Community Development Act of 1974, States may 
        provide assistance with amounts made available under this 
        section to entitlement communities.
            (3) Projects in progress.--In the case of any project or 
        activity in an area described in paragraph (1) that was 
        underway before the Presidential declaration with respect to 
        such area, the project or activity may not be provided any 
        amounts made available under this section unless the disaster 
        or emergency for which such declaration was made directly 
        impacted the project.
    (c) Allocation.--Any amounts made available pursuant to this 
section shall be awarded by the Secretary of Housing and Urban 
Development to States (including Indian tribes for all purposes under 
this section) as follows:
            (1) 60 percent of such amounts shall be awarded to the 
        State of Louisiana.
            (2) 40 percent of such amounts shall be awarded to the 
        State of Mississippi.
    (d) Waiver.--
            (1) Authority.--In administering any amounts made available 
        under this section, the Secretary may waive, or specify 
        alternative requirements for, any provision of any statute or 
        regulation that the Secretary administers in connection with 
        the obligation by the Secretary or the use by the recipient of 
        such amounts (except for requirements related to fair housing, 
        nondiscrimination, labor standards, and the environment), upon 
        a finding that such waiver is required to facilitate the use of 
        such amounts, and would not be inconsistent with the overall 
        purpose of the statute. The Secretary may waive the 
        requirements that activities benefit persons of low and 
        moderate income, except that at least 50 percent of the amounts 
        made available under this section shall benefit primarily 
        persons of low and moderate income unless the Secretary makes a 
        finding of compelling need.
            (2) Publication.--The Secretary shall publish in the 
        Federal Register any waiver of any statute or regulation 
        authorized under this subsection no later than 5 days before 
        the effective date of such waiver.
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