,,iib  #aacth ,,congress  #ast ,session 
,h4 ,r4 #eib  ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of  
,,the ,,united ,,states  ,february #ad1 
#bjac ,received  ,march #ac1 #bjac ,read
 twice and referred to the ,committee on
 ,homeland ,security and ,governmental  
,affairs  ,,an ,,act  ,to amend the     
,robert ,t4 ,stafford ,disaster ,relief 
and ,emergency ,assistance ,act to      
clarify that houses of worship are      
eligible for certain disaster relief and
 emergency assistance on terms equal to 
other eligible private nonprofit        
facilities1 and for other purposes4  #a4
 ,short title ,this ,act may be cited as
 the ,federal ,disaster ,assistance     
,nonprofit ,fairness ,act of #bjac4  #b4
 ,findings ,congress finds the          
following3  7#a7 ,hurricane ,sandy      
inflicted catastrophic damage in the    
,northeastern ,united ,states4  7#b7    
,houses of worship across the           
,northeast's many faiths and            
denominations were among the private    
nonprofit facilities that sustained     

damage4  7#c7 ,churches1 synagogues1    
mosques1 temples1 and other houses of   
worship throughout communities in ,new  
,york1 ,new ,jersey1 ,connecticut1 and  
elsewhere play an essential role in the 
daily lives of the communities4  7#d7   
,the ,federal ,emergency ,management    
,agency's 7,,fema7 public assistance    
program provides financial grants for   
the repair of various types of private  
nonprofit facilities4  7#e7 ,among the  
types of nonprofits to which ,,fema     
provides such grants are those in which 
citizens gather and engage in a variety 
of educational1 enrichment1 and social  
activities4 ,these activities are       
essential to community building and     
occur in houses of worship4  7#f7 ,under
 the ,robert ,t4 ,stafford ,disaster    
,relief and ,emergency ,assistance ,act 
7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #eaba et seq471 ,,fema's 
disaster relief program is a general    
government program under which          
assistance is provided in the wake of a 
natural disaster using criteria that are

 neutral with regard to religion4  7#g7 
,congress has previously enacted        
legislation providing financial         
assistance to religious nonprofit       
institutions1 including houses of       
worship1 on terms equal to other        
eligible nonprofit institutions4  7#h7  
,such legislation is consistent with    
recent precedents of the ,supreme ,court
 of the ,united ,states and legal       
opinions issued by the ,office of ,legal
 ,counsel of the ,department of         
,justice4  #c4 ,inclusion of houses of  
worship as private nonprofit facilities 
eligible for disaster relief  7a7       
,definition of private nonprofit        
facility ,section #ajb7aj77;,b7 of the  
,robert ,t4 ,stafford ,disaster ,relief 
and ,emergency ,assistance ,act 7#db    
,u4,s4,c4 #eabb7aj77;,b77 is amended to 
read as follows3  7,b7 ,additional      
facilities ,in addition to the          
facilities described in subparagraph    
7,a71 the term private nonprofit        
facility includes any private nonprofit 

facility that provides essential        
services of a governmental nature to the
 general public 7including museums1     
zoos1 performing arts facilities1       
community arts centers1 community       
centers1 including houses of worship    
exempt from taxation under section      
#eja7;c7 of the ,internal ,revenue ,code
 of #aihf1 libraries1 homeless shelters1
 senior citizen centers1 rehabilitation 
facilities1 shelter workshops1 and      
facilities that provide health and      
safety services of a governmental       
nature71 as defined by the ,president4  
4  7b7 ,repair1 restoration1 and        
replacement of damaged facilities       
,section #djf7;a77#c7 of the ,robert ,t4
 ,stafford ,disaster ,relief and        
,emergency ,assistance ,act 7#db        
,u4,s4,c4 #eagb7;a77#c77 is amended by  
adding at the end the following3  7,c7  
,houses of worship ,a church1 synagogue1
 mosque1 temple1 or other house of      
worship1 and a private nonprofit        
facility operated by a religious        

organization1 shall be eligible for     
contributions under paragraph 7#a77;,b71
 without regard to the religious        
character of the facility or the primary
 religious use of the facility4  4  7c7 
,applicability ,this section and the    
amendments made by this section shall   
apply to the provision of assistance in 
response to a major disaster or         
emergency declared on or after ,october 
#bh1 #bjab4  ,passed the ,house of      
,representatives ,february #ac1 #bjac4  
,karen ,l4 ,haas1 ,clerk