[Congressional Bills 112th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 57 Introduced in House (IH)]

112th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                 H. R. 57

     To amend the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency 
    Assistance Act to make improvements in the provision of Federal 
              disaster assistance, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            January 5, 2011

 Mr. Scalise 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 make improvements in the provision of Federal 
              disaster assistance, 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 ``Disaster Recovery Improvement Act''.

SEC. 2. REPAIR, RESTORATION, AND REPLACEMENT OF DAMAGED FACILITIES.

    Not later than 180 days after the date of enactment of this Act, 
the President shall issue and begin to implement the regulations 
required by 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.

SEC. 3. APPEALS PROCESS.

    Section 423(b) of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and 
Emergency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5189a(b)) is amended to read as 
follows:
    ``(b) Period for Decision.--
            ``(1) In general.--A decision regarding an appeal under 
        subsection (a) shall be rendered within 60 days after the date 
        on which the Federal official designated to administer such 
        appeal receives notice of such appeal.
            ``(2) Failure to satisfy deadline.--If the Federal official 
        fails to satisfy the requirement under paragraph (1), the 
        Federal official shall provide a written explanation of such 
        failure to the applicant. The President shall transmit 
        quarterly to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure 
        of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Homeland 
        Security and Governmental Affairs of the Senate a report on 
        such failures.''.

SEC. 4. INDIVIDUAL ASSISTANCE FACTORS.

    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 180 
days 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.

SEC. 5. HOUSEHOLD PETS AND SERVICE ANIMALS.

    Section 502(a) of Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency 
Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5192(a)) is amended--
            (1) by striking ``and'' at the end of paragraph (7);
            (2) by striking the period at the end of paragraph (8) and 
        inserting ``; and''; and
            (3) by adding at the end the following:
            ``(9) provide assistance for rescue, care, shelter, and 
        essential needs--
                    ``(A) to individuals with household pets and 
                service animals; and
                    ``(B) to such pets and animals.''.
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