[Congressional Record Volume 161, Number 184 (Thursday, December 17, 2015)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1814]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




   INTRODUCTION OF THE FEMA HELP AND EDUCATION FOR LOCAL PARTNERS ACT

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                       HON. ELEANOR HOLMES NORTON

                      of the district of columbia

                    in the house of representatives

                      Thursday, December 17, 2015

  Ms. NORTON. Mr. Speaker, I rise to introduce the FEMA Help and 
Education for Local Partners Act (FEMA HELP Act). The bill addresses 
concerns raised by states and local governments about the lack of 
comprehensive information about the various federal assistance programs 
available during and in the aftermath of a natural or man-made 
disaster. The bill creates a federal multi-agency team, led by the 
Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), to provide coordinated 
assistance to state, local, tribal, and territorial leaders in 
implementing a comprehensive approach to recovery and utilizing the 
full range of federal resources across agencies and programs.
  The number and costs of federally declared disasters has been on the 
rise over the last 30 years. For example, total damages from 1972's 
Hurricane Agnes were $2.1 billion, 1999's Hurricane Floyd caused $6 
billion in damage, while Hurricane Sandy resulted in $65 billion in 
total damage. With the multiple disaster assistance programs offered by 
federal agencies in the aftermath of a disaster, the federal government 
needs to work together with state, local, tribal, and territorial 
leaders to provide the right types of aid on time to meet critical 
needs. At a recent Transportation and Infrastructure Committee 
Subcommittee on Economic Development, Public Buildings, and Emergency 
Management roundtable, a state representative suggested that the 
federal government provide a ``menu of resources'' so that state, 
local, tribal, and territorial leaders and their residents can look for 
government resources in one place.
  To address the current lack of coordination, the FEMA HELP Act is 
designed to require federal agencies to work together in a 
collaborative manner with state, local, tribal, and territorial leaders 
and provide them with guidance on federal assistance programs. To 
accomplish this aim, the bill directs FEMA to convene and manage multi-
agency federal teams to work with and provide coordinated assistance to 
state, local, tribal, and territorial leaders in implementing a 
comprehensive approach to recovery and utilizing the full range of 
federal funding resources across agencies and programs. The bill also 
requires FEMA's coordinating officers be trained in the range of 
applicable funding programs. The multi-agency federal team would 
include FEMA, the Federal Transit Administration, the Federal Highway 
Administration, the Department of Housing and Urban Development, the 
Small Business Administration, the Department of Defense, and the Army 
Corps of Engineers. The bill also directs FEMA to create a clear and 
consistent set of guidelines and criteria for making and communicating 
decisions on funding eligibility and requirements. To retain 
institutional knowledge, the bill requires federal teams to minimize 
staff transitions and ensure there is adequate information transfer 
when staff transitions occur.
  I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting this bill.

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