To require rulemaking by the Administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency to address considerations in evaluating the need for public and individual disaster assistance, and for other purposes.
About This Bill
Committee
Latest Action · September 22, 2023
Referred to the Subcommittee on Economic Development, Public Buildings, and Emergency Management.
The Rural Disaster Declaration Fairness Act requires the Federal Emergency Management Agency to update its rules for deciding when to approve disaster assistance requests, with a specific focus on how economic conditions in affected areas are evaluated. Under the new rules, FEMA must consider local economic factors such as the local tax base, sales tax revenue, median income, and poverty rates when determining whether to provide public assistance to communities and individual assistance to residents affected by disasters. The agency has 120 days from the bill's enactment to complete this rulemaking. The updated rules would apply retroactively to any major disaster declaration requests that were denied since January 1, 2012, potentially allowing communities to reapply for assistance under the new criteria. Additionally, the bill reduces the minimum local cost-sharing requirement for disaster recovery projects from a higher percentage to 10 percent, making it easier for economically disadvantaged areas to access federal assistance.
Take Action
Your position
Add a comment
to comment on this bill.
Annotate the text
Highlight any passage on the Summary or Full Text tab to attach a note. Annotations appear on the Annotations tab.