Order Code RL31734
CRS Report for Congress
Received through the CRS Web
Federal Disaster Recovery Programs:
Brief Summaries
Updated September 20, 2006February 7, 2007
Mary Jordan
Information Research Specialist
Knowledge Services Group
Congressional Research Service ˜ The Library of Congress
Federal Disaster Recovery Programs:
Brief Summaries
Summary
This report summarizes principal federal disaster assistance programs for
possible use by Members of Congress and their staff in helping address the needs of
constituents. A number of federal agencies provide assistance to individual victims;
state, territorial, and local governments; and non-governmental entities, following a
disaster. Among otherThe Federal forms of assistance, federal programs can provide include, grants,
loans, loan guarantees,
temporary housing, and counseling.
The programs summarized in this report fall into two broad categories. First are
programs specifically for disaster situations; most of these programs are administered
by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the Small Business
Administration (SBA). Second are general assistance programs that may be used in
either disaster situations, as well assituation, or to meet regular service needs. Many federal agencies,
including the Departments of Health and Human Services, Housing and Urban
Development, and Justice, administer programs that may be brought to bear under
certain circumstances.
The programs may also be classified by recipients: primarily individuals, state
and local governments, or businesses. These programs address such short-term needs
as food and shelter, and such long-term needs as repair of public utilities.
This report includes a list of CRS reports about disaster assistance and
assistance for victims of recent hurricanes. It also includes a list of federal agencies’
websites established specifically to respond to disasters, offering updates on recovery
efforts, and providing a catalog of federal assistance programs.
This report will be updated as significant legislative or administrative changes
occur.
Contents
Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
Program Selection Criteria . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
Federal Disaster Recovery Programs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
Assistance for Individuals and Families . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
Individuals and Households Program . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
Disaster Unemployment Assistance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
Dislocated Worker Activities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Public Safety Officers’ Benefits Program . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Public Safety Officers’ Educational Assistance Program . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Physical Disaster Loans — Residential . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Cora Brown Fund . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45
Assistance for Victims of Crime . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Crisis Counseling . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Disaster Legal Services . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Tax Relief . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Assistance for State, Territorial, and Local Governments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Public Assistance Grants . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Hazard Mitigation Grants . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Pre-Disaster Mitigation Grants . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Community Disaster Loans . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Reimbursement for Firefighting on Federal Property . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Fire Management Assistance Grant Program . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Assistance for Small Businesses & Nonprofit Organizations . . . . . . . . . . . . 89
Economic Injury Disaster Loans . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 89
Physical Disaster Loans — Businesses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Emergency Loans for Farms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Public Assistance Grants . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 910
General Assistance Programs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Other Sources of Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Selected CRS Reports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Federal Agency Websites . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
FEMA Website . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Keith Bea (G&F), Ralph Chite (RSI), Celinda Franco (DSP), Merete Gerli
(KSG/G&F), Pamela Jackson (G&F), Ann Lordeman (DSP), Edward
Pamela Jackson
(G&F), Ann Lordeman (DSP), Francis X. McCarthy (G&F), Nonna Noto
(G&F), Ramya Sundararaman (DSP), Edward Rappaport (DSP), Eric Weiss
(G&F) and Julie Whittaker (DSP) were
consulted in the preparation of this
report.
Federal Disaster Recovery Programs:
Brief Summaries
Introduction
Federal agencies provide a range of assistance to individual victims; state,
territorial, and local governments; and non-governmental entities after major
disasters, including certain terrorist attacks. Types of aid include, but are not limited
to, technical assistance, loans and loan guarantees, grants, temporary housing, access
to counseling professionals, and medical assistance. The full range of federal disaster
relief assistance is available after the President issues a major disaster declaration
pursuant to Stafford Act authority.1 More limited aid is available under a Stafford
Act emergency declaration2 or a declaration issued by a department or agency head.3
This report identifies programs pertinent to the recovery process. It provides
brief descriptive information to help congressional offices determine which programs
bear further consideration in the planning, organization, or implementation of
recovery operations. Most of the programs listed here are authorized as assistance
programs and listed in the Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA). The list
does not include ad hoc assistance that some agencies provide in emergency or
disaster situations.
Program Selection Criteria
Programs discussed in this report satisfy one or more of the following criteria:
!
!
!
Congress expressly designated the program as a disaster relief or
recovery program.
The program is applicable to disaster situations, even if not
specifically authorized for that purpose.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and other
federal agencies have used the program as an emergency response
resource.
1
42 U.S.C.
1
42 U.S.C. §5170. For more information on the Stafford Act, see CRS Report RL33053,
Federal Stafford Act Disaster Assistance: Presidential Declarations, Eligible Activities, and
Funding, by Keith Bea.
2
3
42 U.S.C. §5191.
The Administrators of the Small Business Administration, Farm Services Agency, and the
Secretaries of Agriculture and Transportation, within statutory limitations, may issue
disaster declarations for purposes of providing assistance solely from their agencies.
Citations to these authorities are presented in the relevant program summaries.
CRS-2
!
!
The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and other
federal agencies have used the program as an emergency response
resource.
The program is potentially useful for addressing short-term and
long-term recovery needs (e.g., assistance with processing survivor
benefits or repair of public facilities).
Most of the programs listed in this report are specifically authorized for disaster
situations. General assistance programs that may apply to disaster situations are
described at the end of this report. Both types of programs can be classified by
recipients: primarily individuals, state and local governments, or businesses.
As Congress and the Administration respond to domestic needs, particularly
should other terrorist attacks occur, some of these programs may be altered. For the
most up-to-date information on a particular program, please contact the listed CRS
analyst, or department or agency program officers.
Federal Disaster Recovery Programs
Assistance for Individuals and Families
Individuals and Households Program. The Individuals and Households
Program (IHP) is the primary vehicle for FEMA assistance to individuals after the
President issues a major disaster declaration. Congress appropriates money for the
IHP assistance (and other aid authorized by the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and
Emergency Assistance Act) to the Disaster Relief Fund. Grants assist disaster
victims whose
needs cannot be met through other forms of assistance, such as
insurance or other
federal programs. Program funds have a wide range of eligible
uses, including
temporary housing, limited housing repair or replacement, and
uninsured medical,
dental, or other personal needs (generally referred to as Other
Needs Assistance
[ONA]). There is a statutory matching requirement that states
contribute 25% of
funds. Grants may not exceed $26,200 per individual or
household, adjusted
annually to reflect consumer price changes; IHP assistance is
generally limited to a
period of 18 months. (Also see “Physical Disaster Loans —
Residential,” below, for
additional assistance for homeowners and renters.)
Agency: Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)
Authority: Stafford Act,
Authority: 42 U.S.C. §§ 5174-5188
Regulation: 44 CFR Part §§206.110-120
Phone: Office of Congressional Affairs, 202-646-4500
Website: [http://www.fema.gov/media/fact_sheets/individualassistance.shtm]
CFDA: 97.048-97.050
CRS Contact: Keith BeaFrancis X. McCarthy, 202-707-86729533
Disaster Unemployment Assistance. Disaster Unemployment Assistance
(DUA) provides benefits to previously employed or self-employed individuals
rendered jobless as a direct result of a major disaster, and who are not eligible for
regular federal/state unemployment insurance (UI). DUA is federally funded through
FEMA, but is administered by the state UI agencies. The DUA weekly benefit
amount and duration are the same as those under the UI program. Generally,
applications must be filedcompensation (UC). In certain cases, individuals
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who have no work history or are unable to work may also be eligible for DUA
benefits. DUA is federally funded through FEMA, but is administered by the
Department of Labor and state UC agencies. Generally, individuals must apply for
benefits within 30 days after the date the state announces
availability of DUA
benefits. When applicants have good cause, they may file claims
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after the 30-day
deadline. This deadline may be extended,; however, initial
applications filed after the
26th week following the declaration date will not be
considered. The maximum weekly benefit amount is determined under the
provisions of the state law for unemployment compensation (UC)in the state where
the disaster occurred. The minimum weekly DUA benefit a worker may receive is
considered. When a reasonable
comparative earnings history can be constructed, DUA benefits are determined in a
similar manner to regular state UC benefit rules. The minimum weekly DUA benefit
is required to be half of the average weekly UC benefit for the state where the
disaster occurred. DUA
assistance is available to eligible individuals as long as the
major disaster continues,
but no longer than 26 weeks after the disaster declaration.
For more information, see
CRS Report RS22022, Disaster Unemployment Assistance
(DUA), by Julie M.
Whittaker.
Agency: Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration
Authority: Stafford Act, 42 U.S.C. § 5177
Regulation: 20 CFR Part§ 625; 44 CFR Part§ 206.141
Phone: State UIUC Agency, see
[http://www.workforcesecurity.doleta.gov/map.asp]
Website: [http://ows.doleta.gov/unemploy/disaster.asp]
CFDA: 97.034
CRS Contact: Julie Whittaker, 202-707-2587
Dislocated Worker Activities. The dislocated worker program (which is
authorized by the Workforce Investment Act) provides provides
training and related assistance
to persons who have lost their jobs and are unlikely
to return to their current jobs or
industries. Of the funds appropriated, 80% are
allocated by formula grants to states
and local entities; 20% are reserved by the
Secretary of Labor for activities including
national emergency grants to states or local
entities. One type of national emergency
grant is Disaster Relief Employment
Assistance, under which funds can be made
available to states to employ dislocated
workers in temporary jobs involving recovery
after a national emergency. An
individual may generally earn up to $12,000,
excluding the cost of fringe benefits,
and be employed for up to six months or 1,040
hours, whichever is longer. An
individual may earn the full $12,000 in less than six
months or 1,040 hours by
working in a higher skilled position for which a higher
hourly wage is paid. There
are no matching requirements for Workforce Investment
Act programs.
Agency: Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration
Authority: Workforce Investment Act of 1998, 20 U.S.C. 20 U.S.C. § 9201
Regulation: 20 CFR Part§ 671
Phone: See listing of State Dislocated Worker/Rapid
Response/Coordinators
[http://www.doleta.gov/layoff/rapid_coord.cfm]
Website: [http://www.doleta.gov/layoff/workers.cfm]
CFDA: 17.260
CRS Contact: Ann Lordeman, 202-707-2323
Public Safety Officers’ Benefits Program. This program provides
benefits (lump-sum payment) of $283,385295,194 as of FY2006FY2007 to spouses and children of
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public safety officers who have been permanently disabled or have lost their lives
while in the line of duty. The benefit is adjusted each year to reflect the percentage
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of change in the Consumer Price Index (CPI). There is no matching requirement for
this program.
Agency: Department of Justice, Bureau of Justice Assistance
Authority: 42 U.S.C. §3796
Regulation: 28 CFR Part§ 32.31 et seq.
Phone: Office of Justice Programs, 202-307-0635
Website: [http://www.ncjrs.org/pdffiles1/bja/fs000271.pdfojp.usdoj.gov/BJA/grant/psob/psob_main.html]
CFDA: 16.571
CRS Contact: Edward Rappaport, 202-707-7740
Public Safety Officers’ Educational Assistance Program. This
program provides an educational assistance allowance to eligible survivors of public
safety officers whose death or total permanent disability are the direct and proximate
result of an injury sustained in the line of duty; funds. Funds may be used only to defray
educational expenses, such as tuition, room and board, and books. There is no
matching requirement for this program.
Agency: Department of Justice, Bureau of Justice Assistance
Authority: 42 U.S.C. § 3796d
Regulation: 28 CFR Part§ 32.31 et seq.
Phone: Office of Justice Programs, 202-307-0635
Website: [http://www.ncjrs.org/pdffiles1/bja/fs000270.pdf
[http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/BJA/grant/psob/psob_education.html]
CFDA: 16.615
CRS Contact: Edward Rappaport, 202-707-7740
Physical Disaster Loans — Residential. This program provides loans to
homeowners and renters in declared disaster areas for uninsured physical damage and
losses. Individuals may apply for personal property disaster loans of up to $40,000.
Homeowners may apply for real property disaster loans of up to $200,000. Loans
may be up to 30 years. There is a limited application period that is announced at the
time of the disaster declaration. There is no matching requirement in this program.
For more information, see CRS Report RS21061, Small Business Disaster
Assistance: Responding to the Terrorist Attacks, by Bruce K. Mulock and CRS
Report RL33243, Small Business Administration: A Primer on Programs, by Eric
Weiss.
Agency: Small Business Administration
Authority: Small Business Act of 1953, 15 U.S.C. 15 U.S.C. § 636(b)
Regulation: 13 CFR Part§§ 123.200-204
Phone: Office of Congressional Affairs, 202-205-6700
Website:
[http://www.sba.gov/disaster_recov/loaninfo/property.htmlidc/groups/public/documents/sba_homepage/oda_u
nit_owner_factsheet.pdf]
CFDA: 59.008
CRS Contact: Eric Weiss, 202-707-6209
CRS-5
Cora Brown Fund. This fund directs payments to individuals and groups for
disaster-related needs that have not been or will not be met by government agencies
or other organizations. Annual obligations for the entire program are typically less
than $225,000. There is no matching requirement for this program and no limitation
on the time period in which assistance is available.
CRS-5
Agency: Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)
Authority: 42 U.S.C. §5121 et seq.
Regulation: 44 CFR Part§ 206.181
Phone: Office of Congressional Affairs, 202-646-4500
Website:
[http://a257.g.akamaitech.net/7/257/2422/14mar20010800/edocket.acces
s.gpo.gov/cfr_2002/octqtr/44cfr206.181.htm]
CFDA: 97.031
CRS Contact: Keith Bea, 202-707-8672
Assistance for Victims of Crime. This program offers a variety of services
to victims, including emergency travel assistance, assistance with obtaining
information, and long-term mental health counseling. There is no matching
requirement for this program. For more information, see CRS Report RL32579,
Victims of Crime Compensation and Assistance: Background and Funding, by
Celinda Franco.
Agency: Office of Justice Programs, Office for Victims of Crime,
Department of Justice
Authority: 42 U.S.C. § 10601
Regulation: no specific regulation
Phone: Victim Assistance Center, 1-800-331-0075
Website: [http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/ovc/]
CFDA: 16.575, 16.576, others
CRS Contact: Celinda Franco, 202-707-7360
Crisis Counseling. This program provides grants that enable states to offer
immediate crisis counseling services, when required, to victims of a major federally
declared disaster for the purpose of relieving mental health problems caused or
aggravated by a major disaster or its aftermath; assistance is short-term and
community-oriented. Cost-share requirements are not imposed on this assistance.
The regulations specify that program funding generally ends after nine months, but
time extensions may be approved if requested by the state and approved by federal
officials.
Agency: Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)
Authority: Stafford Act, 42 U.S.C. 5182§ 5183
Regulation: 44 CFR Part§ 206.171
Phone: Office of Congressional Affairs, 202-646-4500
Website: [http://www.fema.gov/assistance/process/additional.shtm]
CFDA: 97.032
CRS Contact: Keith BeaRamya Sundararaman, 202-707-86727285
Disaster Legal Services. These services offer free legal assistance to
individuals affected by a major federal disaster. Types of assistance typically include
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help with insurance claims, preparing powers of attorney, help with guardianships,
and preparing new wills and other lost legal documents. Neither the statute nor the
regulations establish cost-share requirements or time limitations for assistance.
CRS-6
Agency: Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)
Authority: Stafford Act,
Authority: 42 U.S.C. § 5182
Regulation: 44 CFR Part§ 206.164
Phone: Office of Congressional Affairs, 202-646-4500
Website: [http://www.fema.gov/assistance/process/additional.shtm]
CFDA: 97.033
CRS Contact: Keith Bea, 202-707-8672
Tax Relief. Individuals and businesses located in areas included in major
disaster declarations are allowed extra time (four years for homes and two years for
business property) to replace property due to involuntary conversion (e.g., due to
destruction from wind or floods, theft, or property ordered to be demolished).
Casualty losses can also be deducted against income in the prior tax year, and certain
disaster relief grants are not taxable. These losses also include property loss due to
government ordered demolition because the property is unsafe. Disaster relief
payments for certain expenses are not subject to tax. The Internal Revenue Service
also has the authority to extend tax filing deadlines. Special provisions were enacted
in P.L. 109-73, the Katrina Emergency Tax Relief Act of 2005, for (119 stat. 2016) for
the Katrina
disaster area. ThisThat law eliminates floors for the casualty loss deduction,
extends the
replacement period for involuntary conversions to five years, allows
penalty free
withdrawals from IRAs and retirement plans, allows earned income and
child credits
based on prior year incomes, allows tax credits for retaining and hiring
residents, and
exclusions of cancellation of indebtedness. For more information see
CRS Report
RS22249, Income Tax Relief in Times of Disaster, by Pamela J. Jackson.
Agency: Internal Revenue Service
Authority: Internal Revenue Code, 26 USCtitle 26 United States Code
Regulation: No specific regulation
Phone: Congressional Liaison, 202-622-9590
Website:[http://www.irs.ustreas.gov/newsroom/article/0,,id=108362,00.
html]
CRS Contact: Pamela Jackson, 202-707-3967
Assistance for State, Territorial, and Local Governments
Public Assistance Grants. This is FEMA’s Authorized by the Stafford Act, this is FEMA’s
primary assistance program for
state and local governments. Public Assistance (PA)
grants may be used to repair,
replace, or restore disaster-damaged, publicly owned
facilities and the facilities of
certain private nonprofit organizations. This program
has a wide range of eligible
activities, including removal of debris, repair of roads
and bridges, and repair of
water control facilities. There is generally a 25% matching
requirement, but the
statute authorizes the President to waive part or all of the
required match. The
regulations specify that federal officials must obligate funds for approved
approved applications withing 45 days of the approval of applications for assistance
(referred
to as “Project Worksheets”). (Also see “Physical Disaster Loans —
Businesses,”
below, for assistance for nonprofit organizations.)
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Agency: Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)
Authority: Stafford Act,
Authority: 42 U.S.C. 5172 § (a)(1)(A)
Regulation: 44 CFR Part§ 206, subparts G, H, I
Phone: Office of Congressional Affairs, 202-646-4500
Website: [http://www.fema.gov/government/grant/pa/index.shtm]
CFDA: 97.036
CRS Contact: Keith BeaFrancis X. McCarthy, 202-707-86729533
Hazard Mitigation Grants. This program The Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP)
provides grants to states to
implement mitigation measures after recovery from a
disaster and to provide funding
for previously identified mitigation measures to
benefit the area. There is a matching
requirement of 25%. As amended, the statute limits assistance to 75% of the cost of
the hazard mitigation measure, with total assistance limited to 7.5% of the total
assistance provided under the Stafford Act.
Agency: Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)
Authority: 42 U.S.C. 5170c
Regulation: 44 CFR requirement of 25%. The Post-Katrina Act
adjusts the percentage amounts for HMGP awards by establishing a scale that
authorizes a higher percentage (15% of the total Stafford Act assistance in a state) for
major disaster in which no more than $2 billion is provided, to 10% for assistance
that ranges from more than $2 billion to $10 billion, and 7.5% for major disaster that
involve Stafford Act assistance from more than $10 billion to $35.3 billion.4
Agency: Federal Emergency Management Agency
Authority: 42 U.S.C. § 5170c
Regulation: 44 CFR §§ 206.430-440
Phone: Office of Congressional Affairs, 202-646-4500
Website: [http://www.fema.gov/government/grant/hmgp]
CFDA: 97.039
CRS Contact: Keith BeaNatalie Love, 202-707-86729569
Pre-Disaster Mitigation Grants. This program provides grants and
technical assistance to state, territorial, and local communities for cost-effective
hazard mitigation activities that complement a comprehensive hazard mitigation
program, and reduce injuries, loss of life, and damage and destruction of property.
A minimum of $500,000 or 1.0% of appropriated funds is provided to each state and
local government, with assistance capped at 15% of appropriated funds. Federal
funds comprise generally 75% of the cost of approved mitigation projects, except for
small impoverished communities that may receive up to 90% of the cost.
Agency: Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)
Authority: 42 U.S.C.§ 5133
Regulation: 44 CFR Part§ 201
Phone: Office of Congressional Affairs, 202-646-4500
Website: [http://www.fema.gov/government/grant/pdm/index.shtm]
CFDA: 97.047
CRS Contact: Keith BeaNatalie Love, 202-707-86729569
Community Disaster Loans. This program provides loans to local
governments that have suffered substantial loss of tax and other revenue in areas
included in a major disaster declaration. The funds can only be used to maintain
existing functions of a municipal operating character, and the local government must
4
P.L. 109-295, §684, Stafford Act amended Sec. 404, 120 Stat. 1447.
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demonstrate a need for financial assistance. There is no matching requirement, but
a loan amount may not exceed $5 million. The statute does not impose time
limitations on the assistance, but does provide that the repayment requirement must
be cancelled if local government revenues are not sufficient to meet operations
expenses during three years after a disaster.
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Agency: Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)
Authority: 42 U.S.C.§ 5184
Regulation: 44 CFR Part§§ 206.360-378
Phone: Office of Congressional Affairs, 202-646-4500
Website:
[http://www.federalgrantswire.com/community_disaster_loans.html]
CFDA: 97.030
CRS Contact: Keith BeaNonna Noto, 202-707-86727826
Reimbursement for Firefighting on Federal Property. This program
directs payments to fire departments that fight fires on federal property. Applicants
may be reimbursed for direct expenses and direct losses (those not considered normal
operating expenses) incurred in firefighting. Cost share and time limitations are not
imposed in the statute or regulations.
Agency: Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)
Authority: Federal Fire Prevention and Control Act,
Authority: 15 U.S.C. § 2201 et
seq.
Regulation: 44 CFR Part§§ 151.0-23
Phone: Office of Congressional Affairs, 202-646-4500
Website: [http://www.usfa.dhs.gov/grants/rfff/]
CFDA: 97.016
CRS Contact: Keith Bea, 202-707-8672
Fire Management Assistance Grant Program. This program provides
grants to state and local governments to aid states and their communities with the
mitigation, management, and control of fires burning on publicly or privately owned
forests or grasslands. The federal government provides 75% of the costs associated
with fire management projects, but funding is limited to calculations of the “fire cost
threshold” for each state (as set forth in 44 CFR § 204.51). No time limitation is
applied to the program.
Agency: Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)
Authority: Stafford,
Authority: 42 U.S.C. § 5187
Regulation: 44 CFR §§ 204.1 — 204.64
Phone: Office of Congressional Affairs, 202-646-4500
Website: [http://www.usfa.dhs.gov/grants/fedguide/provss.shtm
[http://12.46.245.173/pls/portal30/SYSTEM.PROGRAM_TEXT_RPT.S
HOW?p_arg_names=prog_nbr&p_arg_values=97.046]
CFDA: 97.046
CRS Contact: Keith Bea, 202-707-8672
CRS-9
Assistance for Small Businesses & Nonprofit Organizations
Economic Injury Disaster Loans. This program assists small businesses
suffering economic injury as a result of disasters by offering loans and loan
guarantees. Businesses must be located in disaster areas declared by the President,
the Small Business Administration (SBA), or the Secretary of Agriculture. There is
no no
matching requirement in this program. The maximum loan amount is $1.5
million.
Loans may be up to 30 years. The application period is announced at the
time of the
disaster declaration. For more information, see CRS Report RS21061,
CRS-9
Small Small
Business Disaster Assistance: Responding to the Terrorist Attacks, by Bruce
K. K.
Mulock and CRS Report RL33243, Small Business Administration: A Primer on
Programs, by Eric Weiss.
Agency: Small Business Administration
Authority: Small Business Act of 1953, 15 U.S.C.15 U.S.C.§ 636(b)
Regulation: 13 CFR Part§§ 123.300-303
Phone: Office of Congressional Affairs, 202-205-6700
Website:
[http://www.sba.gov/disaster_recov/loaninfo/ecoinjurylocalresources/disasteroffices/disaster_recov/loanin
fo/econinjury.html]
CFDA: 59.002
CRS Contact: Eric Weiss, 202-707-6209
Physical Disaster Loans — Businesses. This program provides loans
to small and large businesses in declared disaster areas for uninsured physical
damage and
losses. The maximum loan amount is $1.5 million, but this limit can be
waived by
the SBA for businesses that are a “major source of employment.” Loans
may be up
to 30 years. There is no matching requirement in this program. For more
information, see CRS Report RS21061, Small Business Disaster Assistance:
Responding to the Terrorist Attacks, by Bruce K. Mulock and CRS Report RL33243,
Small Business Administration: A Primer on Programs, by Eric Weiss.
Agency: Small Business Administration
Authority: Small Business Act of 1953, 15 U.S.C. 15 U.S.C. § 636(b)
Regulation: 13 CFR Part§§ 123.200-204
Phone: Office of Congressional Affairs, 202-205-6700
Website: [http://www.sba.gov/disaster_recov/loaninfo/phydisasterlocalresources/disasteroffices/diaster_
recov/loaninfo/phydiaster.html]
CFDA: 59.008
CRS Contact: Eric Weiss, 202-707-6209
Emergency Loans for Farms. This program provides loans to established
(owner or tenant) family farmers, ranchers, and aquaculture operators to cover losses
resulting from major and natural disasters. Funds can be used for annual farm
operating expenses and for other essential needs necessary to return disaster victims’
farming operations to a financially sound basis, so that they can return to private
sources of credit as soon as possible. Producers can borrow up to 100% of actual
production or physical losses, to a maximum amount of $500,000.
Agency: Department of Agriculture, Farm Service Agency
Authority: Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act, 7 U.S.C.
1961
Regulation: 7 CFR, PartWhen a county has been declared a disaster
area by either the President or the Secretary of Agriculture, agricultural producers in
that county may become eligible for low-interest emergency disaster (EM) loans
available through the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Farm Service Agency.
Producers in counties that are contiguous to a county with a disaster designation also
become eligible for an EM loan. EM loan funds may be used to help eligible
farmers, ranchers, and aquaculture producers recover from production losses (when
the producer suffers a significant loss of an annual crop) or from physical losses
(such as repairing or replacing damaged or destroyed structures or equipment, or for
CRS-10
the replanting of permanent crops such as orchards). A qualified applicant can then
borrow up to 100% of actual production or physical losses (not to exceed $500,000)
at a below-market interest rate (which is currently 3.75%).
Agency: Department of Agriculture, Farm Service Agency
Authority: 7 U.S.C. § 1961
Regulation: 7 CFR, §§ 1945.1-1945.45
Phone: Legislative Liaison Staff, 202-720-3865
Website: [http://disaster.fsa.usda.gov/fsa.asp]
CFDA: 10.404 and others
CRS Contact: Ralph Chite, 202-707-7296
Public Assistance Grants. This is FEMA’s primary assistance program for
state and local governments. Public Assistance (PA) grants may be used to repair,
replace, or restore disaster-damaged, publicly owned facilities and the facilities of
certain private nonprofit organizations. This program has a wide range of eligible
activities, including removal of debris, repair of roads and bridges, and repair of
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water control facilities. There is generally a 25% matching requirement, but the
statute authorizes the President to waive part or all of the required match. (Also see
“Physical Disaster Loans — Businesses,” above, for assistance for nonprofit
organizations.)
Agency: Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)
Authority: Stafford Act,
Authority: 42 U.S.C. 5172 § (a)(1)(B)
Regulation: 44 CFR Part§ 206, subparts G, H, I
Phone: Office of Congressional Affairs, 202-646-4500
Website: [http://www.fema.gov/government/grant/pa/index.shtm]
CFDA: 97.036
CRS Contact: Keith BeaFrancis X. McCarthy, 202-707-86729533
General Assistance Programs
In addition to programs described above, which provide targeted assistance to
individuals, state, territorial, and local governments, and businesses specifically
affected by disasters, other general assistance programs may be useful to
communities in disaster situations. For example, by losing income, employment, or
health insurance, individuals affected by disasters may become eligible for programs
that are not specifically intended as disaster relief, such as cash assistance under the
Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program, job training under the
Workforce Investment Act, Medicaid, or the State Children’s Health Insurance
Program (S-CHIP).4
Likewise, state or local officials have the discretion to use funds under
programs such as the Social Services Block Grant or Community Development Block
Grant to meet disaster-related needs, even though these programs were not
established specifically for such purposes. Other agencies may offer assistance to
state and local governments, including the Economic Development Administration
and the Army Corps of Engineers. For businesses, however, only the disaster
45
5
Congress enactedpassed special legislation because of the widespread devastation that resulted
from Hurricane Katrina in the fall of 2005. For example, P.L. 109-68, the TANF
Emergency Emergency
Response and Recovery Act of 2005 (119 Stat. 2003), provided additional TANF funds and
waived some program requirements for states affected by Hurricane Katrina. P.L. 109-72,
the Flexibility for Displaced Workers Act (119 Stat. 2013), authorizes the Department of
Labor to assist
unemployed persons forced to evacuate the Gulf Coast States. P.L. 109-86,
the Natural
Disaster Student Aid Fairness Act, provides flexibility to institutions of higher education in
states affected by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, and to students who receive federal loans but
were forced to attend other colleges and universities. P.L.109-82, the Assistance for
Individuals with Disabilities affected by Hurricane Katrina or Rita Act of 2005, reallocates
state funding authorized by the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. P.L.109-87 authorized the
Secretary of Transportation to make project grants for airports that incurred emergency
capital costs because of Hurricanes Katrina or Rita. A list of mandatory spending and tax
relief legislation enacted after the severe hurricanes of 2005, and the cost of the assistance
authorized by the public laws, is included in a press release issued and updated by the
Senate Budget Committee. See U.S. Senate, Budget Committee, “Senate Budget Committee
Releases Current Tally of Hurricane-Related Spending,” at
[http://budget.senate.gov/republican/pressarchive/2006-08-22Katrinatally.pdf], visited Sept.
14, 2006.
CRS-11 Disaster Student Aid Fairness Act (119 Stat. 2056), provides flexibility to
(continued...)
CRS-11
Likewise, state or local officials have the discretion to use funds under
programs such as the Social Services Block Grant or Community Development Block
Grant to meet disaster-related needs, even though these programs were not
established specifically for such purposes. Other agencies may offer assistance to
state and local governments, including the Economic Development Administration
and the Army Corps of Engineers. For businesses, however, only the disaster
programs administered by the Small Business Administration are generally
applicable.
Numerous federal programs potentially offer disaster relief. However, specific
eligibility criteria or other program rules might make it less likely that they would
actually be used. Moreover, available funds might already be obligated for ongoing
program activities. To the extent that federal agencies have discretion in the
administration of programs, some agencies may choose to adapt these non-targeted
programs for use in disaster situations. Also, Congress may choose to provide
additional funds through emergency supplemental appropriations for certain general
assistance programs, specifically for use after a disaster.
CRS analysts and program specialists can help provide information regarding
general assistance programs that might be relevant to a given disaster situation. CRS
appropriations reports may have information on disaster assistance within particular
federal agencies.56 These reports also contain a list of key policy staff at CRS
(including phone numbers), identified by their program area and agency expertise.
5
(...continued)
institutions of higher education in states affected by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, and to
students who receive federal loans but were forced to attend other colleges and universities.
P.L. 109-82, the Assistance for Individuals with Disabilities affected by Hurricane Katrina
or Rita Act of 2005 (119 Stat. 2050), reallocates state funding authorized by the
Rehabilitation Act of 1973. P.L. 109-87 authorized the Secretary of Transportation to make
project grants for airports that incurred emergency capital costs because of Hurricanes
Katrina or Rita (119 Stat. 2059). A list of mandatory spending and tax relief legislation
enacted after the severe hurricanes of 2005, and the cost of the assistance authorized by the
public laws, is included in a press release issued and updated by the Senate Budget
Committee. See U.S. Senate, Budget Committee, “Senate Budget Committee Releases
Current Tally of Hurricane-Related Spending,” at [http://budget.senate.gov/republican/
pressarchive/2006-08-22Katrinatally.pdf], visited Sept. 14, 2006.
6
See the CRS website at [http://beta.crs.gov/cli/level_2.aspx?PRDS_CLI_ITEM_ID=73]
for CRS appropriations reports.
CRS-12
Other Sources of Information
Selected CRS Reports
Disaster Assistance
CRS Report RS22254. The Americans with Disabilities Act and Emergency
Preparedness and Response, by Nancy Lee Jones.
CRS Report RL33330. Community Development Block Grant Funds in Disaster
Relief and Recovery, by Eugene Boyd.
CRS Report RL32972. Federal Flood Insurance: The Repetitive Loss Problem, by
Rawle O. King.
CRS Report RL33174. FEMA’s Community Disaster Loan Program, Nonna A.
Noto.
CRS Report RL33642. Permanent Tax Relief Provisions for Disaster Victims as
Presented in the Internal Revenue Code, by Jennifer Teefy.
CRS Report RL33579. The Public Health and Medical Response to Disasters:
Federal Authority and Funding, by Sarah A. Lister.
CRS Report RL33078. The Role of HUD Housing Programs in Response to Past
Disasters, by Maggie McCarty, Libby Perl, and Bruce Foote.
CRS Report RS22301. Rural Housing: USDA Disaster Relief Provisions, by
Bruce Foote.
CRS Report RS22266. The Use of Federal Troops for Disaster Assistance: Legal
Issues, Jennifer K. Elsea.
Disaster Assistance to Victims of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita
Although the following CRS reports focus on disaster assistance to victims of
recent hurricanes, programs discussed are relevant to other declared disasters or
emergencies as well.
CRS Report RL33729. Federal Emergency Management Policy Changes After
Hurricane Katrina: A summary of Statutory Provisions, by Keith Bea, Elaine
Halchin, Henry Hogue, Frederick Kaiser, Natalie Love, Francis X. McCarthy,
Shawn Reese and Barbara Schwemle.
CRS Report RL33102. Federal Food Assistance in Disasters: Hurricanes Katrina
and Rita, by Joe Richardson.
CRS Report RS22250. Hurricane Katrina: Activities of the Social Security
Administration, by Scott Szymendera.
CRS-13
CRS Report RL33083. Hurricane Katrina: Medicaid Issues, by Evelyne
Baumrucker, April Grady, Jean Hearne, Elicia Herz, Richard Rimkunas, Julie
Stone, and Karen Tritz.
CRS-13
CRS Report RS22249. Income Tax Relief in Times of Disaster, by Pamela J.
Jackson.
CRS Report RS22269. Katrina Emergency Tax Relief Act of 2005, by Erika
Lunder.
CRS Report RS22252. Older Americans Act: Disaster Assistance for Older
Persons After Hurricane Katrina, by Carol O’Shaughnessy.
CRS Report RL33088. Tax Policy Options After Hurricane Katrina, by Jane G.
Gravelle.
CRS Report RS22246. Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF): Its Role
in Response to the Effects of Hurricane Katrina, by Gene Falk.
CRS Report RL33084. Unemployment and Employment Programs Available to
Workers from Alabama, Louisiana, and Mississippi Affected by Hurricane
Katrina, by Julie M. Whittaker and Ann Lordeman.
CRS Report RL33075. U.S. Agriculture After Hurricanes Katrina and Rita: Status
and Issues, by Randy Schnepf and Ralph M Chite.
Federal Agency Websites
[http://www.firstgov.gov/Agencies/Federal/All_Agencies/index.shtmlUSA.gov/]
Many federal agencies have established websites specifically to respond to
disasters. Some agencies maintain websites with comprehensive information about
their disaster assistance programs, while other agencies supply only limited
information; most list contact phone numbers. An A-Z Index of U.S. Government
Departments and Agencies is available at the website above.
FEMA Website
[http://www.fema.gov]
From its website, FEMA offers regular updates on recovery efforts in areas
under a major disaster declaration. Information on a specific disaster may include
a listing of declared counties and contact information for local residents.
Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance
[http://www.cfda.gov]
The CFDA describes over 1,600 federal assistance programs. CFDA program
numbers are given in each program summary included in this report. The Catalog,
however, may not contain the most current information for all programs.
CRS-14
Due to limitations of information available on the Internet, congressional users
of this report are urged to contact the appropriate program analysts, or department
or agency program officers, for more complete, timely information.