[Congressional Record Volume 152, Number 19 (Wednesday, February 15, 2006)]
[Senate]
[Pages S1371-S1372]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[[Page S1371]]
                KATRINA EMERGENCY ASSISTANCE ACT OF 2005

  Mr. FRIST. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate 
proceed to the immediate consideration of calendar No. 229, S. 1777.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will report the bill by title.

       A bill (S. 1777) to provide relief for the victims of 
     Hurricane Katrina.

  There being no objection, the Senate proceeded to consider the bill.
  Mr. LEIBERMAN. Mr. President, I have been pleased to work with 
Senator Collins to draft and reach agreement on this legislation to 
provide relief for the victims of Hurricane Katrina.
  The package that the Senate is passing today does not contain 
everything that I would like, but I think the provisions of this bill 
will make a real difference for the families and their communities.
  The challenges facing our country in the aftermath of Hurricane 
Katrina are like nothing we have faced in modern times--if ever.
  This legislation has four parts.
  First, this measure will provides an additional 13 weeks of Federal 
Disaster Unemployment Assistance for those who lost their jobs because 
of Hurricane Katrina, thereby extending the duration of benefits from 
the current 26 weeks to 39 weeks. More than 46,000 gulf coast workers 
were left jobless as a result of Hurricane Katrina, and this 
legislation is urgently needed, as these workers will run out of their 
26 weeks of Federal assistance starting March 4.
  Those who qualify for Disaster Unemployment Assistance, or DUA, 
generally do not qualify for regular unemployment benefits. They mostly 
include the self-employed, like fisherman and small business owners, 
who make up a vital sector of the economy in the gulf coast. Their 
weekly DUA assistance, which corresponds to the amounts provided in 
regular unemployment benefits in the States, is modest, at best. In 
Louisiana, for example, the weekly DUA benefit averages just $100 a 
week.
  The version of this legislation that I proposed on the Senate floor 
on September 15, 2005, would have also increased the minimum DUA 
benefit to $135 a week, or half the national average unemployment 
benefit, and that was retained in our bill reported out of the Homeland 
Security and Governmental Affairs committee; the compromise amendment 
now before the Senate leaves the benefit levels under current statute 
unchanged.
  The fact that so many families remain unemployed almost 6 months 
after the storm is a grave reminder that we as a Nation still have far 
to go to realize our promise of hope to the proud people of New Orleans 
and rest of the gulf coast who suffered the worst natural disaster this 
Nation has ever known. Extending these limited benefits by 13 weeks, 
just as we did for the families left jobless after the events of 
September 11, is the least we can do to allow these displaced families 
some measure of security as they look for work while facing mounting 
expenses and countless other challenges in rebuilding their lives and 
their communities.
  In the current amendment, we added language in section 2(a)(2) 
clarifying what we understand to be the current law regulating the DUA 
program--that an individual is not eligible to collect DUA at any given 
time if the individual is, at the same time, eligible to receive any 
other unemployment benefits available under Federal or State law. 
Individuals whose regular unemployment benefits expire may then be 
eligible to receive DUA if no other Federal or State jobless benefits 
are available. However, under no circumstances can they collect more 
than the 39 weeks in total benefits. This provision is consistent with 
current DUA law as applied by the U.S. Department of Labor. We are 
simply extending the benefit period from 26 weeks under current law to 
39 weeks.
  Two, the second provision in the bill would allow communities to be 
reimbursed for buying certain supplies in bulk--such as linens, cots, 
or toiletries--and giving them out to individual victims of either 
Hurricane Katrina or Hurricane Rita.
  Third, the bill expresses the sense of Congress that international 
students should not be deported solely due to their inability to 
fulfill the terms of their visas as a result of a national disaster 
such as Katrina.
  Fourth and finally, the legislation requires that the Secretary of 
Homeland Security must establish new inspection guidelines saying that 
inspectors who determine eligibility for FEMA assistance may not enter 
into contracts with those for whom they perform inspections.
  This bill does not make all of the changes to disaster assistance 
programs that I would have liked. But that is the nature of compromise. 
In my opinion, the Disaster Unemployment Assistance program, in 
particular, needs further strengthening. I hope there may be an 
opportunity in the future to consider further improvements. But I am 
very pleased that we have been able to make very meaningful 
improvements that will help families weather this terrible storm.
  Mr. FRIST. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the amendment 
at the desk be agreed to, the bill, as amended, be read the third time 
and passed, the motions to reconsider be laid upon the table, and that 
any statements relating to the bill be printed in the Record.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  The amendment (No. 2890) was agreed to, as follows:

       Strike all after the enacting clause and insert the 
     following:

     SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

       This Act may be cited as the ``Katrina Emergency Assistance 
     Act of 2005''.

     SEC. 2. UNEMPLOYMENT ASSISTANCE.

       (a) In General.--Notwithstanding section 410 of the Robert 
     T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (42 
     U.S.C. 5177), in providing assistance under that section to 
     individuals unemployed as a result of Hurricane Katrina--
       (1) the President shall accept applications for assistance 
     during--
       (A) the 90-day period beginning on the date on which the 
     applicable major disaster was declared; or
       (B) such longer period as may be established by the 
     President; and
       (2) subject to subsection (b), the President shall provide 
     assistance to any unemployed individual, to the extent the 
     individual is not entitled to unemployment compensation under 
     any Federal or State law, until that individual is reemployed 
     in a suitable position.
       (b) Limitation for Period of Assistance.--The total amount 
     of assistance payable to an individual under subsection (a) 
     may not exceed payments based on a 39-week period of 
     unemployment.

     SEC. 3. REIMBURSEMENT FOR PURCHASES.

       (a) Definitions.--In this section:
       (1) Disaster period.--The term ``disaster period'' means, 
     with respect to any State that includes an area for which a 
     major disaster has been declared in accordance with section 
     401 of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency 
     Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5170) as a result of Hurricane 
     Katrina or Hurricane Rita, the period beginning on the 
     earliest date on which any area of the State was so declared 
     and ending on the latest date for which any such declaration 
     of an area of the State terminates.
       (2) Katrina or rita survivor.--The term ``Katrina or Rita 
     Survivor'' means an individual who--
       (A) resides in an area for which a major disaster has been 
     declared in accordance with 401 of the Robert T. Stafford 
     Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5170) 
     as a result of Hurricane Katrina or Hurricane Rita; or
       (B) resided in an area described in subparagraph (A) during 
     the 7 days immediately preceding the date of declaration of a 
     major disaster described in subparagraph (A).
       (3) Major disaster.--The term ``major disaster'' has the 
     meaning given the term in section 102 of the Robert T. 
     Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (42 
     U.S.C. 5122).
       (b) Reimbursement.--
       (1) In general.--Notwithstanding any other provision of 
     law, the President may reimburse a community for each 
     purchase of supplies (such as food, personal hygiene 
     products, linens, and clothing) distributed to Katrina or 
     Rita Survivors.
       (2) Eligible purchases.--Reimbursement under paragraph (1) 
     shall be available only with respect to supplies that--
       (A) are purchased with taxpayer dollars; and
       (B) would otherwise be eligible for reimbursement if 
     purchased by a Katrina or Rita Survivor.
       (c) Period of Applicability.--This section and the 
     authority provided by this section apply only to a community 
     assisting Katrina or Rita Survivors from a State during the 
     disaster period of the State.

     SEC. 4. INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS DISPLACED BY KATRINA.

       It is the sense of Congress that the Bureau of Immigration 
     and Customs Enforcement within the Department of Homeland 
     Security should suspend or refrain from initiating removal 
     proceedings for international students and scholars who are 
     deportable solely due to their inability to fulfill the

[[Page S1372]]

     terms of their visas as a result of a national disaster, such 
     as Hurricane Katrina.

     SEC. 5. CONTRACTING AUTHORITY.

       Not later than 90 days after the date of enactment of this 
     Act, the Secretary of Homeland Security, acting through the 
     Under Secretary for Emergency Preparedness, shall propose new 
     inspection guidelines that prohibit an inspector from 
     entering into a contract with any individual or entity for 
     whom the inspector performs an inspection for purposes of 
     determining eligibility for assistance from the Federal 
     Emergency Management Agency.

  The bill (S. 1777), as amended, was read the third time and passed.

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