[Congressional Record Volume 170, Number 43 (Monday, March 11, 2024)]
[House]
[Pages H1073-H1074]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




              DISASTER ASSISTANCE DEADLINES ALIGNMENT ACT

  Mr. MOLINARO. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the 
bill (S. 1858) to amend the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and 
Emergency Assistance Act to establish a deadline for applying for 
disaster unemployment assistance.
  The Clerk read the title of the bill.
  The text of the bill is as follows:

                                S. 1858

       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 ``Disaster Assistance 
     Deadlines Alignment Act''.

     SEC. 2. DISASTER UNEMPLOYMENT ASSISTANCE APPLICATION 
                   DEADLINE.

       Section 410 of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and 
     Emergency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5177) is amended by 
     adding at the end the following:
       ``(c) Application Deadline.--
       ``(1) In general.--With respect to a major disaster for 
     which assistance is provided under this section and section 
     408, the application deadline for an individual seeking 
     assistance under this section shall match the application 
     deadline for individuals and households seeking assistance 
     under section 408.
       ``(2) Extension.--The President may accept an application 
     from an individual described in paragraph (1) that is 
     submitted after the deadline described in paragraph (1) if--
       ``(A) the individual has good cause for the late 
     submission; and
       ``(B) the individual submits the application before the 
     date on which the period during which assistance is provided 
     under this section for the applicable major disaster 
     expires.''.

     SEC. 3. APPLICABILITY.

       The amendment made by section 2 shall apply only with 
     respect to amounts appropriated on or after the date of 
     enactment of this Act.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from New 
York (Mr. Molinaro) and the gentleman from Tennessee (Mr. Cohen) each 
will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from New York.


                             General Leave

  Mr. MOLINARO. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members 
have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and 
include extraneous material in the Record on S. 1858.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from New York?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. MOLINARO. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, S. 1858 would align the application deadlines for the 
Federal Emergency Management Agency's individual assistance and 
disaster unemployment assistance.
  Currently, disaster victims are faced with two different deadlines 
for their applications, which creates confusion during what is already 
a stressful time.
  This bill simply aligns and ensures identical deadlines to reduce 
burdens

[[Page H1074]]

and help disaster victims in their application process for assistance.
  Mr. Speaker, I urge support of this legislation, and I reserve the 
balance of my time.
  Mr. COHEN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  I rise in support of S. 1858. This bipartisan and bicameral effort 
was led by Senators Peters and Paul in the Senate and Representative 
Neguse and Congresswoman Gonzalez-Colon in the House. This legislation 
aligns the deadlines to apply for FEMA Disaster Unemployment Assistance 
and Individual Assistance programs.
  The application process for Federal disaster assistance can be 
cumbersome and often makes it difficult for survivors to get that 
critical aid.
  The Federal Government must take every possible step to simplify and 
streamline this process. We want to do that with disaster survivors 
quickly because they need help. Navigating the disaster recovery 
application process should not be an added stressor.
  Having to keep track of separate deadlines for Disaster Unemployment 
Assistance and Individual Assistance is unnecessary, complex, and 
confusing for disaster survivors.
  This legislation helps alleviate the burden to keep track of multiple 
deadlines.
  Mr. Speaker, I support the bill. I ask everyone else to support it, 
and I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. MOLINARO. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time.
  Mr. Speaker, in closing, this bill will help to reduce confusion for 
disaster victims by aligning the deadlines for certain types of 
assistance.
  This bill makes a simple adjustment that will ultimately ease the 
process by which disaster victims seek assistance, relieving a burden 
during a difficult period of recovery.
  Mr. Speaker, I urge support of this bill, and I yield back the 
balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from New York (Mr. Molinaro) that the House suspend the rules 
and pass the bill, S. 1858.
  The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the 
rules were suspended and the bill was passed.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

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