Short title

This Act may be cited as the

Disaster Relief and Recovery Development Act of 2009

Ability to provide disaster information to individuals with limited English proficiency

(a)

Study

The Comptroller General of the United States shall conduct a study on the ability of existing alert and warning systems to provide information relating to disasters to individuals with limited English proficiency. (b)

Report

Not later than one year after the date of enactment of this Act, the Comptroller General shall submit to Congress a report on the results of the study conducted under subsection (a). The report shall include recommendations with respect to any additional resources necessary to adequately provide information relating to disasters to individuals with limited English proficiency.

Review of regulations and policies

(a)

In general

Not later than one year after the date of enactment of this Act, the President shall review regulations and policies relating to Federal disaster assistance to eliminate regulations the President determines are no longer relevant, to harmonize contradictory regulations, and to simplify and expedite disaster recovery and assistance. (b)

Report

Not later than 18 months after the date of enactment of this Act, the President shall transmit to Congress a report describing changes made to regulations as a result of the review required under subsection (a), together with any legislative recommendations relating thereto.

Issuance of regulations relating to eligible cost

Not later than six months after the date of enactment of this Act, the President shall issue and begin implementation of the regulations required under section 406(e)(3)(C) of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5172(e)(3)(C)) to provide for cost estimation procedures that expedite recovery and to reduce the costs and time for completion of recovery projects through the creation of financial and performance incentives.

Use of financial assistance to disseminate information regarding cost-effective mitigation technologies

Section 203(e)(2) of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5133(e)(2)) is amended by striking 10 percent and inserting 15 percent.

Recovery responsibilities

(a)

Functions of Federal coordinating officer

Section 302(b) of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5143(b)) is amended— (1)in paragraph (3) by striking and at the end; (2)by redesignating paragraph (4) as paragraph (6); and (3)by inserting after paragraph (3) the following:

(4)not later than one month after the date of the declaration of a major disaster or emergency, make an initial appraisal of the types of recovery assistance needed; (5)coordinate with State government officials the establishment of detailed short-term and long-term recovery plans and methods for implementation of such plans; and

(b)

Emergency support, response, and recovery teams

Section 303 of such Act (42 U.S.C. 5144) is amended— (1)in the section heading by striking

support and response

and inserting

support, response, and recovery

; and (2)by adding at the end the following:

(c)

Emergency recovery teams

(1)

Establishment

In carrying out subsection (a), the President, acting through the Administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, shall establish— (A)at a minimum 3 national recovery teams; (B)sufficient regional recovery teams, including Regional Office strike teams under section 507 of the Homeland Security Act of 2002; and (C)other recovery teams as may be necessary to meet the incident management responsibilities of the Federal Government. (2)

Target capability level

The Administrator shall ensure that specific target capability levels, as defined pursuant to the guidelines established under section 646(a) of the Post-Katrina Emergency Management Reform Act of 2006, are established for Federal emergency recovery teams. (3)

Personnel

The President, acting through the Administrator, shall ensure that the Federal emergency recovery teams consist of adequate numbers of properly planned, organized, equipped, trained, and exercised personnel to achieve the established target capability levels. Each emergency recovery team shall work in coordination with State and local officials and onsite personnel associated with a particular incident. (4)

Readiness Reporting

The Administrator shall evaluate team readiness on a regular basis and report team readiness levels in the report required under section 652(a) of the Post-Katrina Emergency Management Reform Act of 2006.

Federal interagency disaster recovery task force

Title III of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5141 et seq.) is amended by adding at the end the following:

327.

Federal interagency disaster recovery task force

(a)

Establishment

The President shall establish a Federal interagency disaster recovery task force (hereinafter referred to in this section as the task force) to carry out the following: (1)Identify, maintain a catalogue of, and submit to Congress at least twice each year a report describing the Federal programs that may be used to assist in recovery efforts after a major disaster or emergency. (2)Ensure communication, before and after major disasters and emergencies, between the Federal departments and agencies determined by the President to administer the Federal programs referred to in paragraph (1). (b)

Chairperson

The Administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency shall serve as the chairperson of the task force. (c)

Membership

The task force shall include a representative of each Federal department and agency determined by the President to administer a program that may be used to assist in recovery efforts after a major disaster or emergency. (d)

Meeting frequency

The task force shall meet at least four times each year.

Repair, restoration, and replacement of damaged facilities

Section 406(a) of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5172(a)) is amended— (1)in paragraph (4) by striking $20,000,000 and inserting $5,000,000; and (2)by adding at the end the following:

(5)

Contribution status reports

Not less frequently than every 180 days, the President shall transmit to Congress a report on the status of applications, obligations, and contributions under this section with respect to each major disaster for which, on the date of the transmission of such report, a contribution is eligible to be requested or made under this section.

Special rule for certain major disasters

Section 406 of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5172) is amended by adding at the end the following:

(f)

Special rule for certain major disasters

(1)

Consolidation of funds

Notwithstanding subsection (a)(1), if the President determines that there is extensive and widespread damage and destruction resulting from a major disaster, the President may allow a State or local government or a private nonprofit facility, as the case may be, to consolidate contributions received as a lump sum payment to repair, restore, reconstruct, or replace more than one public facility. A State or local government and a private nonprofit facility may choose whether or not to repair, restore, reconstruct, or replace one or more of such facilities after assessing the need for such facilities after such major disaster. (2)

Federal share

Notwithstanding subsection (c)(1)(A), the Federal share for a public facility shall be an amount equal to 100 percent of the Federal estimate of the cost of repairing, restoring, reconstructing, or replacing the facilities and of management expenses.