I 112th CONGRESS 2d Session H. R. 5870 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES May 30, 2012 Mr. Schiff introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure A BILL To revise the regulations regarding estimated cost of the assistance and localized impacts factors used by the Administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, and for other purposes.

1.

Short title

This Act may be cited as the Disaster Declaration Improvement Act.

2.

Consideration of factors major disaster declaration

(a)

Revision of existing regulation

Not later than 180 days after the date of enactment of this Act, the Administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency shall issue a revised rule for section 206.48 of title 44, Code of Federal Regulations, to include additional factors regarding estimated cost of assistance and localized impacts in evaluating a request for a major disaster declaration. (b)

Revised factors

Except as provided in this section, the revised rule shall be identical in its provisions to part 206 of the regulations in effect on the day before the date of enactment of this Act. Such rule shall amend subsection (a)— (1)in paragraph (1) by adding at the end the following: We also consider this factor equally with the other 5 factors described in this subsection.; and (2)in paragraph (2) by adding at the end the following: We also consider the budgetary resources available to local and State governments to respond to and recover from such disaster and the impact of the disaster on a small city or a census-designated place with a population of less than 25,000 or a medium city with a population of less than 250,000 if either is located within a large county with a population of more than 1,000,000 and in a large State with a population of more than 5,000,000 if the level of financial damage in such city exceeds 10 percent of the city’s general fund or $100 per capita of the census-designated place or city.