#aadth ,,congress #b;d ,session ,h4 ,r4 #adga ,,an ,,act ,to reauthorize the programs and activities of the ,federal ,emergency ,management ,agency4 #a4 ,short title2 table of contents 7a7 ,short title ,this ,act may be cited as the ,,fema ,disaster ,assistance ,reform ,act of #bjae4 7b7 ,table of contents ,the table of contents for this ,act is as follows3 ,sec4 #a4 ,short title2 table of contents4 ,title ,i--,,fema ,reauthorization ,sec4 #aja4 ,reauthorization of ,federal ,emergency ,management ,agency4 ,title ,,ii--,comprehensive ,study of ,disaster ,costs and ,losses ,sec4 #bja4 ,comprehensive study of disaster costs and losses4 ,title ,,iii--,stafford ,act and ,other ,programs ,sec4 #cja4 ,reauthorization of urban search and rescue response system4 ,sec4 #cjb4 ,statute of limitations4 ,sec4 #cjc4 ,action plan to improve field transition4 ,sec4 #cjd4 ,simplified procedures4 ,sec4 #cje4 ,management costs4 ,sec4 #cjf4 ,debts owed to the ,united ,states related to disaster assistance4 ,sec4 #cjg4 ,statute of limitations for debts owed to the ,united ,states related to disaster assistance4 ,sec4 #cjh4 ,technical assistance and recommendations4 ,sec4 #cji4 ,local impact4 ,sec4 #caj4 ,proof of insurance4 ,sec4 #caa4 ,authorities4 ,sec4 #cab4 ,responsibilities4 ,sec4 #cac4 ,earthquake and ,tsunami ,interagency ,task ,force4 ,sec4 #cad4 ,mitigation assistance4 ,sec4 #cae4 ,additional activities4 ,i ,,fema ,reauthorization #aja4 ,reauthorization of ,federal ,emergency ,management ,agency ,section #fii of the ,post-,katrina ,emergency ,management ,reform ,act of #bjjf 7,public ,law #aji-bie2 #f ,u4,s4,c4 #haa7 is amended-- 7#a7 by striking administration and operations each place it appears and inserting management and administration2 and 7#b7 in paragraph 7#b71 by striking 2 and2 7#c7 in paragraph 7#c71 by striking the period and inserting 2 and2 and 7#d7 by adding at the end the following3 7#d7 for fiscal year #bjaf1 #idf1ihb1jjj2 7#e7 for fiscal year #bjag1 #idf1ihb1jjj2 and 7#f7 for fiscal year #bjah1 #idf1ihb1jjj4 4 ,,ii ,comprehensive ,study of ,disaster ,costs and ,losses #bja4 ,comprehensive study of disaster costs and losses 7a7 ,establishment ,not later than #cj days after the date of enactment of this ,act1 the ,administrator of the ,federal ,emergency ,management ,agency shall commence1 through the ,national ,advisory ,council1 a comprehensive study related to disaster costs and losses 7referred to in the subsection as the 8,study074 7b7 ,additional membership ,for the purposes of the ,study1 as soon as practicable after the date of enactment of this section1 the ,administrator shall appoint additional qualified members to the ,national ,advisory ,council from the following3 7#a7 ,individuals that have the requisite technical knowledge and expertise on issues related to disaster costs and losses4 7#b7 ,representatives of the insurance industry4 7#c7 ,experts in and representatives of the construction and building industry4 7#d7 ,individuals nominated by national organizations representing local governments and personnel4 7#e7 ,academic experts4 7#f7 ,vendors1 developers1 and manufacturers of systems1 facilities1 equipment1 and capabilities for emergency management services4 7#g7 ,representatives of such other stakeholders and interested and affected parties as the ,administrator considers appropriate4 7c7 ,consultation with nonmembers ,the ,national ,advisory ,council shall consult with other relevant agencies and groups that are not represented on the ,national ,advisory ,council to consider research1 data1 findings1 recommendations1 innovative technologies and developments1 including-- 7#a7 entities engaged in federally funded research2 and 7#b7 academic institutions engaged in relevant work and research4 7d7 ,recommendations ,not later than #abj days after the date of enactment of this ,act1 the ,national ,advisory ,council shall convene to evaluate the following topics and develop recommendations for reducing disaster costs and losses3 7#a7 ,disaster ,losses 7,a7 ,cost trends ,trends in disaster costs including loss of life and injury1 property damage to individuals1 the private sector1 and each level of government 7,state1 local1 and tribal7 since the enactment of the ,robert ,t4 ,stafford ,disaster ,relief and ,emergency ,assistance ,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #eaba et seq471 to the extent data is available4 7,b7 ,contributing factors ,contributing factors such as shifting demographics and aging infrastructure and their impacts on the trends in disaster losses and costs4 7#b7 ,disaster ,costs 7,a7 ,trends in declarations ,trends in disaster declarations1 including factors contributing to the trends4 7,b7 ,disaster assistance ,disaster assistance available from all ,federal sources1 including descriptions of programs1 eligibility and authorities1 where assistance has been used geographically1 how quickly the funds are used1 how that assistance is coordinated among the various agencies and departments1 and recommendations for ways to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of the delivery of such assistance4 7,c7 ,costs ,disaster costs borne by the private sector and individuals4 7#c7 ,disaster ,roles and ,responsibility ,fundamental principles that should drive national disaster assistance decision making1 including the appropriate roles for each level of government1 the private sector1 and individuals4 7#d7 ,reduction of ,costs and ,losses 7,a7 ,mechanisms and incentives ,mechanisms and incentives1 including tax incentives1 to promote disaster cost reduction1 mitigation1 and recovery1 including cost data1 projections for the return on investment1 and measures of effectiveness4 7,b7 ,identification of challenges ,identify fundamental legal1 societal1 geographic1 and technological challenges to implementation4 7#e7 ,legislative proposals ,legislative proposals for implementing the recommendations in the report compiled pursuant to the requirement in section #aaaa of the ,sandy ,recovery ,improvement ,act of #bjac 7,public ,law #aac-b74 7e7 ,report to administrator and ,congress ,not later than #a year after the date of enactment of this section1 the ,national ,advisory ,council shall submit a report containing the data1 analysis1 and recommendations developed under subsection 7d7 to-- 7#a7 the ,administrator of the ,federal ,emergency ,management ,agency2 7#b7 the ,committee on ,transportation and ,infrastructure of the ,house of ,representatives2 and 7#c7 the ,committee on ,homeland ,security and ,governmental ,affairs of the ,senate4 ,the ,administrator shall make the data collected pursuant to this section publically available on the ,agency's website4 ,,iii ,stafford ,act and ,other ,programs #cja4 ,reauthorization of urban search and rescue response system 7a7 ,in general ,title ,,iii of the ,robert ,t4 ,stafford ,disaster ,relief and ,emergency ,assistance ,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #eada et seq47 is amended by adding at the end the following3 #cbg4 ,national urban search and rescue response system 7a7 ,definitions ,in this section1 the following definitions apply3 7#a7 ,administrator ,the term ,administrator means the ,administrator of the ,federal ,emergency ,management ,agency4 7#b7 ,agency ,the term ,agency means the ,federal ,emergency ,management ,agency4 7#c7 ,hazard ,the term hazard has the meaning given that term by section #fjb4 7#d7 ,nonemployee system member ,the term nonemployee ,system member means a ,system member not employed by a sponsoring agency or participating agency4 7#e7 ,participating agency ,the term participating agency means a ,state or local government1 nonprofit organization1 or private organization that has executed an agreement with a sponsoring agency to participate in the ,system4 7#f7 ,sponsoring agency ,the term sponsoring agency means a ,state or local government that is the sponsor of a task force designated by the ,administrator to participate in the ,system4 7#g7 ,system ,the term ,system means the ,national ,urban ,search and ,rescue ,response ,system to be administered under this section4 7#h7 ,system member ,the term ,system member means an individual who is not a full-time employee of the ,federal ,government and who serves on a task force or on a ,system management or other technical team4 7#i7 ,task force ,the term task force means an urban search and rescue team designated by the ,administrator to participate in the ,system4 7b7 ,general authority ,subject to the requirements of this section1 the ,administrator shall continue to administer the emergency response system known as the ,national ,urban ,search and ,rescue ,response ,system4 7c7 ,functions ,in administering the ,system1 the ,administrator shall provide for a national network of standardized search and rescue resources to assist ,states and local governments in responding to hazards4 7d7 ,task forces 7#a7 ,designation ,the ,administrator shall designate task forces to participate in the ,system4 ,the ,administration shall determine the criteria for such participation4 7#b7 ,sponsoring agencies ,each task force shall have a sponsoring agency4 ,the ,administrator shall enter into an agreement with the sponsoring agency with respect to the participation of each task force in the ,system4 7#c7 ,composition 7,a7 ,participating agencies ,a task force may include1 at the discretion of the sponsoring agency1 one or more participating agencies4 ,the sponsoring agency shall enter into an agreement with each participating agency with respect to the participation of the participating agency on the task force4 7,b7 ,other individuals ,a task force may also include1 at the discretion of the sponsoring agency1 other individuals not otherwise associated with the sponsoring agency or a participating agency4 ,the sponsoring agency of a task force may enter into a separate agreement with each such individual with respect to the participation of the individual on the task force4 7e7 ,management and technical teams ,the ,administrator shall maintain such management teams and other technical teams as the ,administrator determines are necessary to administer the ,system4 7f7 ,appointment of system members into ,federal service 7#a7 ,in general ,the ,administrator may appoint a ,system member into ,federal service for a period of service to provide for the participation of the ,system member in exercises1 preincident staging1 major disaster and emergency response activities1 and training events sponsored or sanctioned by the ,administrator4 7#b7 ,nonapplicability of certain civil service laws ,the ,administrator may make appointments under paragraph 7#a7 without regard to the provisions of title #e1 ,united ,states ,code1 governing appointments in the competitive service4 7#c7 ,relationship to other authorities ,the authority of the ,administrator to make appointments under this subsection shall not affect any other authority of the ,administrator under this ,act4 7#d7 ,limitation ,a ,system member who is appointed into ,federal service under paragraph 7#a7 shall not be considered an employee of the ,united ,states for purposes other than those specifically set forth in this section4 7g7 ,compensation 7#a7 ,pay of system members ,subject to such terms and conditions as the ,administrator may impose by regulation1 the ,administrator shall make payments to the sponsoring agency of a task force-- 7,a7 to reimburse each employer of a ,system member on the task force for compensation paid by the employer to the ,system member for any period during which the ,system member is appointed into ,federal service under subsection 7f77#a72 and 7,b7 to make payments directly to a nonemployee ,system member on the task force for any period during which the non-employee ,system member is appointed into ,federal service under subsection 7f77#a74 7#b7 ,reimbursement for employees filling positions of system members 7,a7 ,in general ,subject to such terms and conditions as the ,administrator may impose by regulation1 the ,administrator shall make payments to the sponsoring agency of a task force to reimburse each employer of a ,system member on the task force for compensation paid by the employer to an employee filling a position normally filled by the ,system member for any period during which the ,system member is appointed into ,federal service under subsection 7f77#a74 7,b7 ,limitation ,costs incurred by an employer shall be eligible for reimbursement under subparagraph 7,a7 only to the extent that the costs are in excess of the costs that would have been incurred by the employer had the ,system member not been appointed into ,federal service under subsection 7f77#a74 7#c7 ,method of payment ,a ,system member shall not be entitled to pay directly from the ,agency for a period during which the ,system member is appointed into ,federal service under subsection 7f77#a74 7h7 ,personal injury1 illness1 disability1 or death 7#a7 ,in general ,a ,system member who is appointed into ,federal service under subsection 7f77#a7 and who suffers personal injury1 illness1 disability1 or death as a result of a personal injury sustained while acting in the scope of such appointment shall1 for the purposes of subchapter ,i of chapter #ha of title #e1 ,united ,states ,code1 be treated as though the member were an employee 7as defined by section #haja of that title7 who had sustained the injury in the performance of duty4 7#b7 ,election of benefits 7,a7 ,in general ,if a ,system member 7or1 in the case of the death of the ,system member1 the ,system member's dependent7 is entitled-- 7i7 under paragraph 7#a7 to receive benefits under subchapter ,i of chapter #ha of title #e1 ,united ,states ,code1 by reason of personal injury1 illness1 disability1 or death1 and 7ii7 to receive benefits from a ,state or local government by reason of the same personal injury1 illness1 disability1 or death1 the ,system member or dependent shall elect to receive either the benefits referred to in clause 7i7 or 7ii74 7,b7 ,deadline ,a ,system member or dependent shall make an election of benefits under subparagraph 7,a7 not later than #a year after the date of the personal injury1 illness1 disability1 or death that is the reason for the benefits or until such later date as the ,secretary of ,labor may allow for reasonable cause shown4 7,c7 ,effect of election ,an election of benefits made under this paragraph is irrevocable unless otherwise provided by law4 7#c7 ,reimbursement for ,state or local benefits ,subject to such terms and conditions as the ,administrator may impose by regulation1 in the event that a ,system member or dependent elects benefits from a ,state or local government under paragraph 7#b77;,a71 the ,administrator shall reimburse the ,state or local government for the value of those benefits4 7#d7 ,public safety officer claims ,nothing in this subsection shall be construed to bar any claim by1 or with respect to1 any ,system member who is a public safety officer1 as defined in section #abjd of the ,omnibus ,crime ,control and ,safe ,streets ,act of #aifh1 for any benefits authorized pursuant to section #ajja7;a77#d7 of that ,act4 7#e7 ,technical amendment ,section #ajhf7;d7 of the ,national ,defense ,authorization ,act for ,fiscal ,year #bjac is amended as follows 7which amendments shall take effect as if enacted on ,january #b1 #bjac7-- 7,a7 in paragraph 7#a7-- 7i7 by striking paragraph 7#a7 and inserting paragraph 7#b72 and 7ii7 in subparagraph 7,b7 by striking filed or and inserting filed 7consistent with pre-existing effective dates7 or2 and 7,b7 in paragraph 7#b77;,a71 by striking amendments made by this ,act and inserting amendments made to section #abjd of the ,omnibus ,crime ,control and ,safe ,streets ,act of #aifh 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #cgif;b7 by this ,act4 7i7 ,liability ,a ,system member appointed into ,federal service under subsection 7f77#a71 while acting within the scope of the appointment1 is deemed an employee of the ,federal ,government under section #acdf7;b7 of title #bh1 ,united ,states ,code1 and chapter #aga of that title1 relating to tort claims procedure4 7j7 ,employment and reemployment rights ,with respect to a ,system member who is not a regular full-time employee of a sponsoring agency or participating agency1 the following terms and conditions apply3 7#a7 ,service ,service as a ,system member is deemed service in the uniformed services for purposes of chapter #dc of title #ch1 ,united ,states ,code1 relating to employment and reemployment rights of individuals who have performed service in the uniformed services 7regardless of whether the individual receives compensation for such participation74 ,all rights and obligations of such persons and procedures for assistance1 enforcement1 and investigation shall be as provided for in such chapter4 7#b7 ,preclusion ,preclusion of giving notice of service by necessity of appointment under this section is deemed preclusion by military necessity for purposes of section #dcab7;b7 of title #ch1 ,united ,states ,code1 pertaining to giving notice of absence from a position of employment4 ,a determination of such necessity shall be made by the ,administrator and shall not be subject to judicial review4 7k7 ,licenses and permits ,if a ,system member holds a valid license1 certificate1 or other permit issued by any ,state or other governmental jurisdiction evidencing the member's qualifications in any professional1 mechanical1 or other skill or type of assistance required by the ,system1 the ,system member is deemed to be performing a ,federal activity when rendering aid involving such skill or assistance during a period of appointment into ,federal service under subsection 7f77#a74 7l7 ,advisory committee 7#a7 ,in general ,the ,administrator shall establish and maintain an advisory committee to provide expert recommendations to the ,administrator in order to assist the ,administrator in administering the ,system4 7#b7 ,composition ,the advisory committee shall be composed of members from geographically diverse areas1 and shall include-- 7,a7 the chief officer or senior executive from at least three sponsoring agencies2 7,b7 the senior emergency manager from at least two ,states that include sponsoring agencies2 and 7,c7 at least one representative recommended by the leaders of the task forces4 7#c7 ,inapplicability of termination requirement ,section #ad7;a77#b7 of the ,federal ,advisory ,committee ,act 7#e ,u4,s4,c4 ,app47 shall not apply to the advisory committee under this subsection4 7m7 ,preparedness cooperative agreements 7#a7 ,in general ,subject to the availability of appropriations for such purpose1 the ,administrator shall enter into an annual preparedness cooperative agreement with each sponsoring agency4 ,amounts made available to a sponsoring agency under such a preparedness cooperative agreement shall be for the following purposes3 7,a7 ,training and exercises1 including training and exercises with other ,federal1 ,state1 and local government response entities4 7,b7 ,acquisition and maintenance of equipment1 including interoperable communications and personal protective equipment4 7,c7 ,medical monitoring required for responder safety and health in anticipation of and following a major disaster1 emergency1 or other hazard1 as determined by the ,administrator4 7#b7 ,availability of appropriations ,notwithstanding section #aeeb7;b7 of title #ca1 ,united ,states ,code1 amounts made available for cooperative agreements under this subsection that are not expended shall be deposited in an agency account and shall remain available for such agreements without fiscal year limitation4 7n7 ,response cooperative agreements ,the ,administrator shall enter into a response cooperative agreement with each sponsoring agency1 as appropriate1 under which the ,administrator agrees to reimburse the sponsoring agency for costs incurred by the sponsoring agency in responding to a major disaster or emergency4 7o7 ,obligations ,the ,administrator may incur all necessary obligations consistent with this section in order to ensure the effectiveness of the ,system4 7p7 ,authorization of appropriations 7#a7 ,in general ,there is authorized to be appropriated to carry out the ,system and the provisions of this section #ej1jjj1jjj for each of fiscal years #bjaf1 #bjag1 and #bjah4 7#b7 ,administrative expenses ,the ,administrator may use not to exceed #f percent of the funds appropriated for a fiscal year pursuant to paragraph 7#a7 for salaries1 expenses1 and other administrative costs incurred by the ,administrator in carrying out this section4 4 7b7 ,conforming amendments 7#a7 ,applicability of title #e1 ,united ,states ,code ,section #haja7a7 of title #e1 ,united ,states ,code1 is amended-- 7,a7 in subparagraph 7,d7 by striking and at the end2 7,b7 by moving subparagraph 7,f7 to appear after subparagraph 7,e72 7,c7 in subparagraph 7,f7-- 7i7 by striking ,united ,states ,code12 and 7ii7 by adding and at the end2 and 7,d7 by inserting after subparagraph 7,f7 the following3 7,g7 an individual who is a ,system member of the ,national ,urban ,search and ,rescue ,response ,system during a period of appointment into ,federal service pursuant to section #cbg of the ,robert ,t4 ,stafford ,disaster ,relief and ,emergency ,assistance ,act2 4 7#b7 ,inclusion as part of uniformed services for purposes of ,,userra ,section #dcjc of title #ch1 ,united ,states ,code1 is amended-- 7,a7 in paragraph 7#ac7 by inserting 1 a period for which a ,system member of the ,national ,urban ,search and ,rescue ,response ,system is absent from a position of employment due to an appointment into ,federal service under section #cbg of the ,robert ,t4 ,stafford ,disaster ,relief and ,emergency ,assistance ,act before 1 and a period2 and 7,b7 in paragraph 7#af7 by inserting after ,public ,health ,service1 the following3 ,system members of the ,national ,urban ,search and ,rescue ,response ,system during a period of appointment into ,federal service under section #cbg of the ,robert ,t4 ,stafford ,disaster ,relief and ,emergency ,assistance ,act14 #cjb4 ,statute of limitations 7a7 ,in general ,section #gje7;a77#a7 of the ,robert ,t4 ,stafford ,disaster ,relief and ,emergency ,assistance ,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #ebje7 is amended-- 7#a7 by striking ,except and inserting ,notwithstanding section #cgaf7;e7 of title #ca1 ,united ,states ,code1 and except2 and 7#b7 by striking report for the disaster or emergency and inserting report for project completion as certified by the grantee4 7b7 ,applicability 7#a7 ,in general ,with respect to disaster or emergency assistance provided to a ,state or local government on or after ,january #a1 #bjjd-- 7,a7 no administrative action may be taken to recover a payment of such assistance after the date of enactment of this ,act if the action is prohibited under section #gje7;a77#a7 of the ,robert ,t4 ,stafford ,disaster ,relief and ,emergency ,assistance ,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #ebje7;a77#a771 as amended by subsection 7a72 and 7,b7 any administrative action to recover a payment of such assistance that is pending on such date of enactment shall be terminated if the action is prohibited under section #gje7;a77#a7 of that ,act1 as amended by subsection 7a74 7#b7 ,limitation ,this section1 including the amendments made by this section1 may not be construed to invalidate or otherwise affect any administration action completed before the date of enactment of this ,act4 #cjc4 ,action plan to improve field transition 7a7 ,in general ,not later than #ij days after the date of enactment of this ,act1 the ,administrator of the ,federal ,emergency ,management ,agency shall report to the ,committee on ,transportation and ,infrastructure of the ,house of ,representatives and the ,committee on ,homeland ,security and ,governmental ,affairs of the ,senate regarding the plans the agency will undertake to provide the following3 7#a7 ,consistent guidance to applicants on ,,fema disaster funding procedures during the response to an emergency4 7#b7 ,appropriate record maintenance and transfer of documents to new teams during staff transitions4 7#c7 ,accurate assistance to applicants and grantees to ease the administrative burden throughout the process of obtaining and monitoring assistance4 7b7 ,maintaining records ,the report shall also include a plan for implementing operating procedures and document retention requirements to ensure the maintenance of appropriate records throughout the lifecycle of the disaster4 7c7 ,new technologies ,finally1 the report shall identify new technologies that further aid the disaster workforce in partnering with ,state1 local1 and tribal governments and private nonprofits in the wake of a disaster or emergency to educate1 assist1 and inform applicants on the status of their disaster assistance applications and projects4 #cjd4 ,simplified procedures ,section #dbb7;a7 of the ,robert ,t4 ,stafford ,disaster ,relief and ,emergency ,assistance ,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #eahi7 is amended-- 7#a7 by striking #ce1jjj the first place it appears and inserting #a1jjj1jjj2 and 7#b7 by striking the second sentence4 #cje4 ,management costs ,section #cbd of the ,robert ,t4 ,stafford ,disaster ,relief and ,emergency ,assistance ,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #eafe;b7 is amended-- 7#a7 in subsection 7a7 by striking any administrative expense1 and any other expense not directly chargeable to and inserting direct administrative cost1 and any other administrative expense associated with2 and 7#b7 in subsection 7b7-- 7,a7 by striking ,notwithstanding and inserting the following3 7#a7 ,in general ,notwithstanding 2 7,b7 by striking establish and inserting the following3 implement the following32 and 7,c7 by adding at the end the following3 7#b7 ,specific ,management ,costs ,the ,administrator shall provide the following percentage rates1 in addition to the eligible project costs1 to cover direct and indirect costs of administering the following programs3 7,a7 ,hazard mitigation ,a grantee under section #djd may be reimbursed not more than #ae percent of the total amount of the grant award under such section of which not more than #aj percent may be used by the grantee and #e percent by the subgrantee for such costs4 7,b7 ,public ,assistance ,a grantee under sections #djc1 #djf1 #djg1 and #ejb1 may be reimbursed not more than #aj percent of the total award amount under such sections1 of which not more than #f percent may be used by the grantee and #d percent by the subgrantee for such costs4 4 #cjf4 ,debts owed to the ,united ,states related to disaster assistance 7a7 ,definition ,in this section1 the term covered assistance means assistance provided-- 7#a7 under section #djh of the ,robert ,t4 ,stafford ,disaster ,relief and ,emergency ,assistance ,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #eagd72 and 7#b7 in relation to a major disaster or emergency declared by the ,president under section #dja or #eja of the ,robert ,t4 ,stafford ,disaster ,relief and ,emergency ,assistance ,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #eagj2 #db ,u4,s4,c4 #eaia7 on or after ,october #cj1 #bjab4 7b7 ,waiver authority ,notwithstanding section #cgaf7;e7 of title #ca1 ,united ,states ,code1 the ,administrator of the ,federal ,emergency ,management ,agency-- 7#a7 subject to paragraph 7#b71 may waive a debt owed to the ,united ,states related to covered assistance provided to an individual or household if-- 7,a7 the covered assistance was distributed based on an error by the ,federal ,emergency ,management ,agency2 7,b7 there was no fault on behalf of the debtor2 and 7,c7 the collection of the debt would be against equity and good conscience2 and 7#b7 may not waive a debt under paragraph 7#a7 if the debt involves fraud1 the presentation of a false claim1 or misrepresentation by the debtor or any party having an interest in the claim4 7c7 ,monitoring of covered assistance distributed based on error 7#a7 ,in general ,the ,inspector ,general shall monitor the distribution of covered assistance to individuals and households to determine the percentage of such assistance distributed based on an error4 7#b7 ,removal of waiver authority based on excessive error rate ,if the ,inspector ,general determines1 with respect to any #ab-month period1 that the amount of covered assistance distributed based on an error by the ,federal ,emergency ,management ,agency exceeds #d percent of the total amount of covered assistance distributed-- 7,a7 the ,inspector ,general shall notify the ,administrator and publish the determination in the ,federal ,register2 and 7,b7 with respect to any major disaster declared by the ,president under section #dja of the ,robert ,t4 ,stafford ,disaster ,relief and ,emergency ,assistance ,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #eagj7 after the date of the determination1 the authority of the ,administrator to waive debt under subsection 7b7 shall no longer be effective4 #cjg4 ,statute of limitations for debts owed to the ,united ,states related to disaster assistance ,notwithstanding section #cgaf7;g7 of title #ca1 ,united ,states ,code1 and unless there is evidence of civil or criminal fraud1 the ,administrator1 on behalf of the ,president1 shall not initiate new administrative action in any forum to recover-- 7#a7 payments made to an individual or household under section #djh of the ,robert ,t4 ,stafford ,disaster ,relief and ,emergency ,assistance ,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #eagd7 more than #c years after the last date on which such payments were made2 or 7#b7 funds owed by an individual or household for assistance provided under section #djh of the ,robert ,t4 ,stafford ,disaster ,relief and ,emergency ,assistance ,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #eagd7 more than #c years after the last date on which such funds were determined to be owed4 #cjh4 ,technical assistance and recommendations 7a7 ,technical assistance ,the ,administrator of the ,federal ,emergency ,management ,agency shall provide technical assistance to a common interest community that provides essential services of a governmental nature on actions that a common interest community may take in order to be eligible to receive reimbursement from a grantee that receives funds from the ,agency for certain activities performed after an event that results in a disaster declaration4 7b7 ,recommendations ,not later than #a year after the date of enactment of this ,act1 the ,administrator shall provide recommendations to the ,house ,committee on ,transportation and ,infrastructure and the ,senate ,committee on ,homeland ,security and ,governmental ,affairs on how common areas of condominiums and housing cooperatives may be eligible for assistance1 including any progress the ,agency has made in its explorations of this issue and the potential challenges identified since the ,agency issued its report on ,may #bb1 #bjad4 #cji4 ,local impact ,in making recommendations to the ,president regarding a major disaster declaration1 the ,administrator shall give greater weight and consideration to severe localized impact4 ,further1 the ,administrator shall make corresponding adjustments to the ,agency's policies and regulations4 ,not later than #a year after the date of enactment of this section1 the ,administrator shall report to the ,committees on ,transportation and ,infrastructure of the ,house of ,representatives and the ,committee on ,homeland ,security and ,governmental ,affairs of the ,senate on the changes made to regulations and policies and the number of declarations that have been declared based on the new criteria4 #caj4 ,proof of insurance ,a ,state shall be deemed to have proven that an applicant has satisfied the purchase of insurance requirements under the ,robert ,t4 ,stafford ,disaster ,relief and ,emergency ,assistance ,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #eaba et4 seq47 when an encumbrance requiring the purchase and maintenance of insurance has been placed on the title of the property receiving the benefit of the grant or assistance4 ,this section in no way removes or reduces the insurance requirements on an applicant under the ,act and in no way limits the requirement that assistance provided under the ,stafford ,act be reduced or eliminated when the requirements are not met4 #caa4 ,authorities ,the ,federal ,emergency ,management ,agency shall not1 pursuant to consultation with another ,federal agency or otherwise1 expand its statutory authorities as they relate to floodplain management or floodplain mapping unless the requirement to do so is explicitly and specifically stated in statute1 nor shall the ,agency's authorities be construed to impute the privately-funded actions of private parties on private land to such ,agency for the purpose of extending the requirements of any ,federal law applicable to ,federal agencies to such actions4 #cab4 ,responsibilities ,the ,administrator of the ,federal ,emergency ,management ,agency shall be responsible for the ,nation's efforts to reduce the loss of life and property and to protect the ,nation from an earthquake1 tsunami1 or a combined earthquake and tsunami event by developing the ability to prepare and plan for1 mitigate against1 respond to1 recover from1 and more successfully adapt to such an event4 #cac4 ,earthquake and ,tsunami ,interagency ,task ,force 7a7 ,in general ,the ,president shall establish a ,federal ,interagency ,task ,force for the purpose of developing a comprehensive strategy and recommendations on how the ,nation should prepare and plan for1 mitigate against1 respond to1 recover from1 and more successfully adapt to an earthquake1 tsunami1 or a combined earthquake and tsunami event in the ,cascadia ,subduction ,zone1 including identifying potential administrative or legislative changes required to implement the strategy1 the funding required to implement the strategy and recommendations1 and the priority in which the strategy should be implemented4 7b7 ,chairperson ,the ,administrator of the ,federal ,emergency ,management ,agency1 or his designee1 shall serve as the chairperson of the ,task ,force4 7c7 ,membership ,the membership of the ,task ,force shall include a cross section of subject matter experts representing the following3 7#a7 ,relevant ,federal agencies4 7#b7 ,the ,states of ,oregon1 ,washington1 and ,california4 7#c7 ,indian tribes1 local governments1 and private sector representatives that may be impacted by a mega-thrust earthquake1 tsunami1 or a combined earthquake and tsunami event in the ,cascadia ,subduction ,zone4 7#d7 ,universities1 academia1 and research institutions with expertise in topics relevant to the work of the ,task ,force4 7d7 ,detailed employees ,members of the ,task ,force may detail employees to assist the ,administrator1 or his designee1 in fulfilling the responsibilities of the ,task ,force4 7e7 ,cascadia subduction zone ,the term ,cascadia ,subduction ,zone means the approximately #fhd miles long landward-dipping fault that separates the ,juan de ,fuca and ,north ,america plates and that stretches along a portion of the western coast of the ,united ,states beginning off ,cape ,mendocino1 ,california1 along the ,state of ,oregon1 the ,state of ,washington1 to ,northern ,vancouver ,island1 ,british ,columbia4 7f7 ,strategy ,the comprehensive strategy1 which may build upon existing plans1 studies1 or other resources1 shall include the following3 7#a7 ,define how ,federal agencies will coordinate to develop the ability to prepare and plan for1 mitigate against1 respond to1 recover from1 and more successfully adapt to the impacts of a mega-thrust earthquake1 tsunami1 or a combined earthquake and tsunami event in the ,cascadia ,subduction ,zone4 7#b7 ,ensure collaboration between the ,department of ,transportation1 the ,department of ,energy1 the ,united ,states ,coast ,guard1 the ,united ,states ,army ,corps of ,engineers1 and other ,federal agencies as appropriate to complete a needs assessment of ,federal facilities in need of hardening for an event and develop a strategic plan to mitigate and retrofit ,federal1 ,state1 tribal1 and local critical assets for freight1 energy1 and transit purposes to withstand an event and to help save lives during and immediately after an event4 7#c7 ,assist ,state1 tribal1 and local governments in developing and implementing a coordinated and comprehensive plan to prioritize ,federal1 ,state1 tribal1 local1 and private investments and activities to develop the ability to prepare and plan for1 mitigate against1 respond to1 recover from1 and more successfully adapt to the impacts of a mega-thrust earthquake1 tsunami1 or a combined earthquake and tsunami event in the ,cascadia ,subduction ,zone1 and to link to any existing ,state-wide mitigation plan1 including examining the feasibility of the public and private sector and individuals to acquire earthquake insurance4 7#d7 ,identify existing funding opportunities across ,federal agencies and other sources to implement the comprehensive strategy and any recommendations made by the ,task ,force and make recommendations for new funding opportunities4 7#e7 ,identify barriers to obtaining funding and implementing the comprehensive strategy and to develop recommendations on how to remove such barriers4 7#f7 ,collaborate with and assist ,state1 tribal1 and local governments in developing recommendations for cost-effective mitigation alternatives for aging ,state1 tribal1 or locally owned critical infrastructure4 7#g7 ,assist ,state1 tribal1 and local governments with developing a recovery plan prior to an earthquake1 tsunami1 or combined earthquake and tsunami event in the ,cascadia ,subduction ,zone as to how ,state1 tribal1 and local governments may want to rebuild after the event2 7#h7 ,identify steps taken to date to develop an onshore and offshore earthquake early warning system and define the purpose and scope of an onshore and offshore earthquake early warning system4 7#i7 ,evaluate types of offshore earthquake early warning systems and provide recommendations and a cost estimate for an earthquake early warning system appropriate for the ,cascadia ,subduction ,zone4 7#aj7 ,make recommendations about how an earthquake early warning system should operate1 including whether and how a system should interface with the private sector4 7#aa7 ,define appropriate roles and responsibilities for ,federal1 ,state1 local1 and tribal governments1 including who should operate and maintain an earthquake early warning system1 the cost of a system1 and possible funding sources for a system4 7#ab7 ,develop a plan on how to integrate an earthquake early warning system into existing and new public alert warning systems and technologies1 including mobile systems4 7g7 ,collaboration ,the ,task ,force shall work simultaneously and collaboratively with the ,national ,academies4 7h7 ,national academies ,the ,task ,force shall enter into an agreement with the ,national ,academies under which the ,national ,academies shall develop recommendations for a ,federal research strategy to advance scientific understanding of a ,cascadia ,subduction ,zone earthquake and resulting tsunami preparedness1 including the following3 7#a7 ,geologic conditions1 ground motions1 and tsunami hazard4 7#b7 ,implications of an effective automated early warning system4 7#c7 ,effects of mega-earthquake and tsunami events on the built and natural environment4 7#d7 ,social and behavioral factors for effective disaster preparedness and response4 7#e7 ,cost-effective mitigation alternatives for legacy and aging infrastructure4 7#f7 ,strategic planning for freight1 energy1 and transit network robustness4 7#g7 ,tools that help communities invest its resources for the greatest benefit4 7#h7 ,any other topics identified as necessary by the ,task ,force or the ,national ,academies4 7i7 ,report ,not later than #ah months after the date of enactment of this ,act1 the ,administrator of the ,federal ,emergency ,management ,agency shall submit to the ,committee on ,transportation and ,infrastructure of the ,house of ,representatives and the ,committee on ,homeland ,security and ,government ,affairs of the ,senate a report of the ,task ,force that provides the following3 7#a7 ,the comprehensive strategy identified in subsection 7f74 7#b7 ,recommendations on administrative actions that may be taken to further the strategy4 7#c7 ,recommendations for legislative changes that may be necessary to further the strategy4 7#d7 ,recommendations on funding necessary to carry out the strategy4 #cad4 ,mitigation assistance 7a7 ,in general ,section #dbj of the ,robert ,t4 ,stafford ,disaster ,relief and ,emergency ,assistance ,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #eahg7 is amended-- 7#a7 by redesignating subsection 7d7 as subsection 7e72 and 7#b7 by inserting after subsection 7c7 the following3 7d7 ,hazard mitigation assistance ,whether or not a major disaster is declared1 the ,president may provide hazard mitigation assistance in accordance with section #djd in any area affected by a fire for which assistance was provided under this section4 4 7b7 ,conforming amendments ,the ,robert ,t4 ,stafford ,disaster ,relief and ,emergency ,assistance ,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #eaba et seq47 is amended-- 7#a7 in section #djd7;a7 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #eagj;c7a77-- 7,a7 by inserting before the first period 1 or any area affected by a fire for which assistance was provided under section #dbj2 and 7,b7 in the third sentence by inserting or event under section #dbj after major disaster each place it appears2 and 7#b7 in section #cbb7;e77#a7 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #eafe7;e77#a771 by inserting or event under section #dbj after major disaster each place it appears4 #cae4 ,additional activities ,section #djd of the ,robert ,t4 ,stafford ,disaster ,relief and ,emergency ,assistance ,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #eagj;c7 is amended by adding at the end the following3 7f7 ,use of assistance ,recipients of hazard mitigation assistance provided under this section and section #bjc may use the assistance to conduct the following activities to help reduce the risk of future damage1 hardship1 loss1 or suffering in any area affected by-- 7#a7 a wildfire1 including-- 7,a7 reseeding ground cover with quick-growing or native species2 7,b7 mulching with straw or chipped wood2 7,c7 constructing straw1 rock1 or log dams in small tributaries to prevent flooding2 7,d7 placing logs and other erosion barriers to catch sediment on hill slopes2 7,e7 installing debris traps to modify road and trail drainage mechanisms2 7,f7 modifying or removing culverts to allow drainage to flow freely2 7,g7 adding drainage dips and constructing emergency spillways to keep roads and bridges from washing out during floods2 7,h7 planting grass to prevent the spread of noxious weeds2 7,i7 installing warning signs2 7,j7 establishing defensible space measures2 and 7,k7 reducing hazardous fuels2 and 7#b7 earthquake hazards1 including-- 7,a7 improvements to regional seismic networks in support of building a capability for earthquake early warning2 7,b7 improvements to geodetic networks in support of building a capability for earthquake early warning2 or 7,c7 seismometers1 ,,gps receivers1 and associated infrastructure in support of building a capability for earthquake early warning4 4 ,passed the ,house of ,representatives ,february #bi1 #bjaf4;,clerk4