[Congressional Bills 114th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 3388 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

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114th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                S. 3388

To make improvements to certain wildfire and disaster recovery programs 
           of the Federal Government, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                           September 22, 2016

  Mrs. Murray introduced the following bill; which was read twice and 
referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To make improvements to certain wildfire and disaster recovery programs 
           of the Federal Government, 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 ``Rural Disaster Recovery Act of 
2016''.

SEC. 2. STATE INDIVIDUAL ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS.

    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:

``SEC. 327. STATE INDIVIDUAL ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS.

    ``(a) Incentive for Individual Assistance Programs.--A State may 
receive an increased Federal share for financial assistance under 
subsection (c) if the State develops and implements an individual 
assistance program that authorizes the State government to provide 
financial assistance, and if necessary, direct services, to individuals 
and households in the State who, as a direct result of a major disaster 
or an event that does not trigger a major disaster declaration, have 
necessary expenses and serious needs in cases in which the individuals 
and households are unable to meet such expenses through other means.
    ``(b) Eligibility Criteria.--
            ``(1) In general.--The Administrator of the Federal 
        Emergency Management Agency shall publish minimum eligibility 
        criteria for a State individual assistance program established 
        under subsection (a) that receives an increased Federal share 
        for financial assistance under subsection (c).
            ``(2) Considerations.--In formulating the minimum 
        eligibility criteria required under paragraph (1), the 
        Administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency shall 
        consider--
                    ``(A) the total taxable resources of the individual 
                State or other measure of fiscal capacity, as 
                appropriate;
                    ``(B) the variation of total taxable resources, or 
                other measures of fiscal capacity, among the individual 
                State; and
                    ``(C) the historical frequency of declarations made 
                pursuant to sections 401 and 501.
            ``(3) Publication deadline.--The Administrator of the 
        Federal Emergency Management Agency shall publish--
                    ``(A) interim minimum eligibility criteria required 
                under paragraph (1) not later than 180 days after the 
                date of enactment of this section; and
                    ``(B) final minimum eligibility criteria required 
                under paragraph (1) not later than 1 year after the 
                date of enactment of this section.
    ``(c) Increased Federal Share for Financial Assistance to 
Individuals and Households.--If, at the time of the declaration of a 
major disaster, a State has in effect an individual assistance program 
that meets the criteria published under subsection (b), the President 
may increase to 100 percent, with respect to the major disaster, the 
maximum percentage described in section 408(g)(2)(A).''.

SEC. 3. COMMUNITY SHELTER ASSISTANCE PROGRAM.

    (a) In General.--Title III of the McKinney-Vento Homeless 
Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 11331 et seq.) is amended--
            (1) by striking section 322 and inserting the following:

``SEC. 322. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

    ``(a) Emergency Food and Shelter Grants.--There is authorized to be 
appropriated to carry out subtitle B $180,000,000 for fiscal year 2017.
    ``(b) Disaster Supplemental Food and Shelter Grants.--There is 
authorized to be appropriated to carry out subtitle D $180,000,000 for 
fiscal year 2017.''; and
            (2) by adding at the end the following:

      ``Subtitle D--Disaster Supplemental Food and Shelter Grants

``SEC. 331. GRANTS BY THE ADMINISTRATOR.

    ``Not later than 30 days after the date on which amounts become 
available to carry out this subtitle, the Administrator of the Federal 
Emergency Management Agency (referred to in this subtitle as the 
`Administrator') shall award a grant for the full amount that Congress 
makes available for the program under this subtitle to the National 
Board for the purpose of providing disaster supplemental food and 
shelter grants to needy individuals through private nonprofit 
organizations and local governments in accordance with section 333.

``SEC. 332. RETENTION OF INTEREST EARNED.

    ``(a) In General.--Interest accrued on the balance of any grant to 
the National Board under this subtitle shall be available to the 
National Board for reallocation.
    ``(b) Determination of Costs.--Total administrative costs shall be 
determined based on the total amount of funds available, including 
interest and any private contributions that are made to the National 
Board.

``SEC. 333. PURPOSES OF GRANTS.

    ``(a) Eligible Activities.--Grants to the National Board under this 
subtitle may be used--
            ``(1) to supplement and expand ongoing efforts to provide 
        shelter, food, and supportive services for any area for which 
        the President declares a major disaster under section 401 of 
        the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance 
        Act (42 U.S.C. 5170);
            ``(2) to strengthen efforts to create more effective and 
        innovative local disaster response programs by providing 
        funding for those programs; and
            ``(3) to conduct minimum rehabilitation of existing mass 
        shelter facilities, but only to the extent necessary to make 
        facilities safe, sanitary, and bring facilities into compliance 
        with local building codes.
    ``(b) Limitations on Activities.--
            ``(1) Eligible programs.--The National Board may only 
        provide funding provided under this subtitle for programs that 
        are--
                    ``(A) carried out by private nonprofit 
                organizations and local governments;
                    ``(B) consistent with the purposes of this title; 
                and
                    ``(C) administered within an area for which--
                            ``(i) the President declared a major 
                        disaster under section 401 of the Robert T. 
                        Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency 
                        Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5170) during the 12-
                        month period immediately preceding the grant; 
                        and
                            ``(ii) assistance has not been provided 
                        with respect to the major disaster under 
                        section 408 of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster 
                        Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 
                        5174).
            ``(2) National board.--The National Board may not carry out 
        programs directly.

``SEC. 334. LIMITATION ON CERTAIN COSTS.

    ``Not more than 10 percent of the total amount made available for 
the program under this subtitle for each fiscal year may be expended 
for the costs of administration.

``SEC. 335. DISBURSEMENT OF FUNDS.

    ``Any amount made available by appropriation Acts under this 
subtitle unobligated by the National Board before the expiration of the 
12-month period beginning on the date on which the amount becomes 
available shall be transferred to the general fund of the Treasury.''.
    (b) Technical and Conforming Amendment.--The table of contents in 
section 101(b) of the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 
11301 note) is amended by inserting after the item relating to section 
322 the following:

      ``Subtitle D--Disaster and Supplemental Food Shelter Grants

``Sec. 331. Grants by the Administrator.
``Sec. 332. Retention of interest earned.
``Sec. 333. Purposes of grants.
``Sec. 334. Limitation on certain costs.
``Sec. 335. Disbursement of funds.''.

SEC. 4. EMERGENCY CONSERVATION PROGRAM.

    (a) Maximum Payments Per Person or Legal Entity.--The Secretary of 
Agriculture, acting through the Administrator of the Farm Service 
Agency, shall amend the regulations promulgated pursuant to section 405 
of the Agricultural Credit Act of 1978 (16 U.S.C. 2205) relating to the 
emergency conservation program to provide that the maximum amount of 
payments made under section 401 or 402 of that Act (16 U.S.C. 2201, 
2202) per person or legal entity per natural disaster is $500,000.
    (b) Rulemaking.--Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment 
of this Act, the Secretary of Agriculture, acting through the 
Administrator of the Farm Service Agency, shall initiate a rulemaking 
to amend the regulations promulgated pursuant to section 405 of the 
Agricultural Credit Act of 1978 (16 U.S.C. 2205) relating to the 
emergency conservation program to account for the challenges posed by 
the increase in frequency and intensity of wildland fire.

SEC. 5. EMERGENCY WATERSHED PROTECTION PROGRAM WILDFIRE PILOT.

    (a) Findings.--Congress finds that additional consideration of how 
the Federal Government supports and expedites the recovery of rural 
areas affected by wildfires is necessary because wildfires--
            (1) pose unique mitigation, management, response, and 
        recovery challenges due to the unpredictable size, location, 
        and duration of wildfires; and
            (2)(A) disproportionately impact rural areas; and
            (B) inflict long-term damage on the agricultural systems 
        rural areas economically rely on.
    (b) Definitions.--In this section:
            (1) Eligible jurisdiction.--The term ``eligible 
        jurisdiction'' means a jurisdiction within an area for which 
        the President declared a major disaster in accordance with 
        section 401 of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and 
        Emergency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5170) for wildfire.
            (2) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary 
        of Agriculture, acting through the Chief of the Natural 
        Resources Conservation Service.
    (c) Pilot Program.--Not later than 1 year after the date of 
enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall establish a pilot program 
for the administration of the emergency watershed protection program 
established under section 403 of the Agricultural Credit Act of 1978 
(16 U.S.C. 2203) in eligible jurisdictions to extend deadlines for the 
submission of applications and the provision of amounts under the 
program in accordance with subsection (d).
    (d) Extension of Deadlines.--
            (1) Applications.--During the period described in 
        subsection (f), a sponsor may apply for amounts under the 
        emergency watershed protection program for a project within an 
        eligible jurisdiction by submitting a request to the State 
        conservationist for the State in which the eligible 
        jurisdiction is located not later than--
                    (A) 180 days after the date on which the President 
                declared the major disaster for wildfire;
                    (B) 60 days after the date on which access to site 
                of the project becomes available, as determined by the 
                Secretary; or
                    (C) 60 days after the date of 100-percent 
                containment of a wildfire for which a major disaster 
                declaration is issued.
            (2) Awards.--
                    (A) In general.--During the period described in 
                subsection (f), except as provided in subparagraph (B), 
                not later than 360 days after the date on which the 
                Secretary commits amounts to the applicable State 
                conservationist for the provision of amounts under the 
                emergency watershed protection program for a project 
                within an eligible jurisdiction--
                            (i) the State conservationist shall provide 
                        the amounts to the sponsor of the project; and
                            (ii) the project shall be completed.
                    (B) Emergency situations.--During the period 
                described in subsection (f), in an emergency situation 
                (as determined by the Secretary), not later than 10 
                days after the date on which the Secretary commits 
                amounts to the applicable State conservationist for the 
                provision of amounts under the emergency watershed 
                protection program for a project within an eligible 
                jurisdiction, the project shall be completed.
    (e) Reports to Congress.--
            (1) In general.--Not later than 1 year after the date on 
        which the pilot program is established under subsection (c), 
        and once the following year, the Secretary shall prepare a 
        report describing--
                    (A) the number of applications submitted for a 
                project under the pilot program during the 60-day 
                period beginning on the date on which the pilot program 
                is established;
                    (B) the number of applications described in 
                subparagraph (A) that were approved;
                    (C) the average time of construction of projects 
                for which applications described in subparagraph (B) 
                were submitted; and
                    (D) such other information as the Secretary 
                considers appropriate.
            (2) Submission.--The Secretary shall submit each report 
        under paragraph (1) to each of the following:
                    (A) In the Senate:
                            (i) The Committee on Agriculture, 
                        Nutrition, and Forestry.
                            (ii) The Committee on Homeland Security and 
                        Governmental Affairs.
                            (iii) The Committee on Appropriations.
                    (B) In the House of Representatives:
                            (i) The Committee on Agriculture.
                            (ii) The Committee on Homeland Security.
                            (iii) The Committee on Appropriations.
    (f) Duration.--The pilot program established under subsection (c) 
shall be carried out during the 2-year period beginning on the date on 
which the pilot program is established.

SEC. 6. EXPANDED ELIGIBILITY FOR HAZARD MITIGATION ASSISTANCE.

    Section 404 of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency 
Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5170c) is amended by adding at the end the 
following:
    ``(f) Expanded Eligibility.--Notwithstanding any other provision of 
this section or section 420, the President may provide hazard 
mitigation assistance in accordance with this section in any area in 
which assistance is provided under section 420.''.
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