[Congressional Bills 114th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 4288 Introduced in House (IH)]

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114th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 4288

To establish a multi-agency Federal team to improve and reform Federal 
                          disaster assistance.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           December 17, 2015

  Ms. Norton introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
             Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To establish a multi-agency Federal team to improve and reform Federal 
                          disaster assistance.

    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 ``FEMA Help and Education for Local 
Partners Act (FEMA HELP Act)''.

SEC. 2. MULTI-AGENCY FEDERAL DISASTER TEAM.

    (a) In General.--Not later than 30 days after the date of enactment 
of this Act, the Administrator of the Federal Emergency Management 
Agency shall establish and convene a multi-agency Federal disaster 
assistance team to work and coordinate with State, local, tribal, and 
territorial leaders to develop a comprehensive approach to disaster 
recovery by using a full range of Federal program funding resources 
through collaboration between the Federal agencies referred to in 
subsection (b), including through program requirements, release of 
funds, and multi-agency funding opportunities.
    (b) Team Members.--The multi-agency Federal team referred to in 
subsection (a) shall be composed of representatives of the Federal 
Emergency Management Agency, the Department of Housing and Urban 
Development, the Federal Highway Administration, the Small Business 
Administration, the Federal Transit Administration, the Department of 
Defense, and the Army Corps of Engineers, and State, local, tribal, and 
territorial governments and any other agency the Federal Emergency 
Management Agency Administrator thinks appropriate.
    (c) Coordinating Officers.--Not later than 60 days after the date 
of enactment of this Act, the Administrator shall ensure that every 
coordinating officer of the Federal Emergency Management Agency is 
trained in a range of applicable disaster recovery funding programs 
across the team members.
    (d) Guidelines.--Not later than 180 days after the date of 
enactment of this Act, the Administrator of the Federal Emergency 
Management Agency shall establish and publish guidelines and criteria 
for making and communicating decisions regarding funding eligibility 
and requirements for disaster recovery personnel across the team 
members.
    (e) Staff Transitions.--To the extent practicable, the Federal team 
shall minimize staff transitions and ensure that there is adequate 
information transfer if staff transitions do occur.
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