[Congressional Record Volume 166, Number 43 (Wednesday, March 4, 2020)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E257-E258]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




               FEMA DISASTER PREPAREDNESS IMPROVEMENT ACT

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. JOHN GARAMENDI

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, March 4, 2020

  Mr. GARAMENDI. Madam Speaker, today I introduce the ``FEMA Disaster 
Preparedness Improvement Act,'' with support from the California 
Governor's Office of Emergency Services (Cal OES) and the California 
State Association of Counties. I want to thank my colleague Congressman 
Mike Thompson (D-CA) for his support as the original cosponsor.
  This legislation would increase FEMA support for disaster 
preparedness and emergency response to reflect the needs of communities 
across the country. As states like California face increasingly severe 
and frequent natural disasters due to man-made climate change and 
global public health emergencies, Congress and the federal government 
must step up.

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  The people most impacted by disasters and emergencies are often the 
most vulnerable members of our society: the elderly, the economically 
disadvantaged, and those with disabilities. All Americans deserve 
nothing less than the full-throated support of their federal government 
as they prepare for natural disasters and deal with public health 
emergencies, and that is exactly what my legislation would ensure.
  As a member of California's Congressional delegation, I have seen 
firsthand the devastation that disasters can have on communities. In 
2017 and 2018, our state experienced the most destructive fires 
recorded in California history. The federal government must be a real 
partner for states as they prepare for these disasters and seek to make 
our communities more resilient. My district is also one of the most 
flood-prone in the entire nation, and Travis Air Force Base housed the 
first American evacuees from the coronavirus outbreak in East Asia.
  That is why the ``FEMA Disaster Preparedness Improvement Act'' would 
increase the federal cost share under the Hazard Mitigation and 
Emergency Management Performance Grant Programs to 85 percent, from 75 
percent and 50 percent respectively. FEMA's Emergency Performance Grant 
Program helps state and local officials manage public emergencies 
including health crises, such as the recent coronavirus outbreak.
  My bill would also exempt environmental reviews under federal or 
state law from the 36-month deadline to complete hazard mitigation 
projects and make designated ``special flood hazard areas'' under the 
National Flood Insurance Program automatically eligible for FEMA Hazard 
Mitigation Grants. Lastly, the bill would direct the Government 
Accountability Office to report to Congress on the challenges faced by 
states in utilizing FEMA's Public Assistance Program Alternative 
Procedures.
  Damaged caused by natural disasters in the United States has risen in 
recent years, with an average of 15 disasters with a cost of over a 
billion dollars between 2016 and 2018, more than double the average of 
the previous three decades. Congress must respond to this troubling 
trend and better support vulnerable communities across the country as 
they prepare and increase resilience to natural disasters and other 
public emergencies.
  Madam Speaker, I urge all Members to cosponsor the ``FEMA Disaster 
Preparedness Improvement Act.'' As a senior member of the House 
Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, I plan to make this 
critical legislation a major priority.

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