I 111th CONGRESS 1st Session H. R. 4297 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES December 11, 2009 Mr. Hodes introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure A BILL To direct the Administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency to review, update, and revise certain regulations relating to assistance under the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act, and for other purposes.

1.

Short title

This Act may be cited as the Rural Disaster Assistance Improvement Act of 2009.

2.

Individual assistance factors

(a)

In general

In order to provide more objective criteria for evaluating the need for assistance to individuals and to speed a declaration of a major disaster or emergency under the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5121 et seq.), not later than one year after the date of enactment of this Act, the Administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, in cooperation with representatives of State and local emergency management agencies, shall review, update, and revise through rulemaking the factors considered under section 206.48 of title 44, Code of Federal Regulations, to measure the severity, magnitude, and impact of a disaster. (b)

Rural areas

In carrying out subsection (a), the Administrator shall consider any disproportionate impacts of disasters on rural areas, including rural areas in which a relatively small number of residences are damaged or destroyed.