This week, the House will consider two bills, both related to disaster assistance.
Legislation under consideration this week includes:
The Sandy Recovery Improvement Act of 2013 (H.R. 219): makes numerous changes to federal disaster response programs to expedite the disaster aid process and reduce costs. This includes establishing an alternative system for state and local governments to receive aid more quickly, establishing a pilot dispute resolution program to resolve funding disputes more quickly, streamlining the environmental and historical preservation reviews for hazard mitigation projects, and requiring FEMA to develop recommendations for reducing costs, loss of life, and injuries associated with disasters.
Disaster Relief Appropriations Act of 2013 (H.R. 152): provides emergency funding for continued Superstorm Sandy relief and recovery efforts. The bill provides $17 billion to address immediate needs, including FEMA’s Disaster Relief Fund and federal transit emergency relief. The House will also vote on an amendment to provide an additional $33.7 billion in longer-term aid, including funding for HUD community development activities, FEMA’s Disaster Relief Fund, transit support, and Army Corps of Engineers projects. These two packages would combine to a total of $50.7 billion in disaster assistance – which, when combined with the $9.7 billion National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) funding package passed last week, would equal the $60.4 billion asked for by the Obama Administration and passed by the Senate last Congress.