1. Short title
This Act may be cited as the “Diversifying Emergency Benchmarks for the Recovery of Individuals after Storms Act” or the “DEBRIS Act”.
Diversifying Emergency Benchmarks for the Recovery of Individuals after Storms Act
A BILL
To provide disaster relief assistance to individuals for the purpose of clearing fallen debris, and for other purposes.
2. Federal assistance to individuals and households
Amendment— Section 408(c)(2)(A) of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5174(c)(2)(A)) is amended—
in clause (i), by striking “and” at the end;
by redesignating clause (ii) as clause (iii); and
by inserting after clause (i) the following:
“(ii) the removal of debris from owner-occupied private residences and property; and”
Applicability—
Covered disaster defined— In this subsection, the term covered disaster means a major disaster declared by the President under section 401 of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5170) on or after May 1, 2018.
Applicability— The amendments made by subsection (a) shall apply with respect to any covered disaster.
Resubmission of requests for assistance— If a request for assistance, with respect to a covered disaster, was made under section 408 of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5174), as in effect before the date of enactment of this Act, for the removal of debris from an owner-occupied private residence or property and the request for such assistance was denied before the date of enactment of this Act, the request for assistance under such section 408, as amended by this Act, may be resubmitted.
3. Factors to be considered in major disaster declarations
Not later than 180 days after the date of enactment of this Act, the Administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency shall, by rulemaking, amend the factors considered when evaluating a Governor's request for a major disaster declaration under the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5121 et seq.) to include the estimated cost of removing fallen debris from owner-occupied private residences and property.