,i  #aaeth ,,congress  #b;d ,session    
,h4 ,r4 #edgd  ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of  
,,representatives  ,april #aa1 #bjah,mr4
 ,espaillat 7for himself1 ,mr4          
,gutirrez1 ,mr4 ,serrano1 ,miss         
,gonzlez-,coln of ,puerto ,rico1 ,mr4   
,soto1 ,ms4 ,velzquez1 ,mrs4 ,murphy of 
,florida1 ,mr4 ,vargas1 ,ms4 ,norton1   
,mr4 ,lawson of ,florida1 ,ms4 ,wilson  
of ,florida1 ,mr4 ,grijalva1 ,mr4       
,hastings1 ,ms4 ,shea-,porter1 ,ms4     
,wasserman ,schultz1 ,mr4 ,sean ,patrick
 ,maloney of ,new ,york1 ,mr4 ,raskin1  
and ,mr4 ,huffman7 introduced the       
following bill2 which was referred to   
the ,committee on ,transportation and   
,infrastructure1 and in addition to the 
,committee on ,financial ,services1 for 
a period to be subsequently determined  
by the ,speaker1 in each case for       
consideration of such provisions as fall
 within the jurisdiction of the         
committee concerned  ,a ,,bill  ,to make
 available necessary disaster assistance
 for families affected by major         

disasters1 and for other purposes4  #a4 
,short title ,this ,act may be cited as 
the ,housing ,victims of ,major         
,disasters ,act of #bjah4  #b4          
,eligibility for and use of disaster    
housing assistance  7a7 ,eligibility    
,notwithstanding any other provision of 
law1 a family described in subsections  
7c7 and 7d7 shall be eligible for       
housing assistance made available under 
section #djh of the ,robert ,t4         
,stafford ,disaster ,relief and         
,emergency ,assistance ,act 7#db        
,u4,s4,c4 #eagd7 in connection with a   
major disaster declared pursuant to such
 ,act1 including ,hurricane ,maria of   
#bjag4  7b7 ,use ,in the case of any    
housing assistance described in         
subsection 7a7 that is made available in
 connection with a major disaster       
declared pursuant to such ,act1         
including ,hurricane ,maria of #bjag1   
such assistance may be used on behalf of
 families described in subsection 7c7   
for costs relating to obtaining title   

for such families to properties         
described in subsection 7c77#a71 which  
shall include costs of land surveys and 
any other taxes or fees associated with 
transfer of the property4  7c7          
,eligibility ,with respect to a major   
disaster1 a family described in this    
subsection is a family who-- 7#a7 is    
occupying an otherwise unused or        
uninhabited property located in the area
 for which the major disaster was       
declared but who does not have          
documented ownership rights to1 and is  
not renting the property2 or  7#b7 is   
renting a property located in the area  
for which the major disaster was        
declared but does not have a written    
lease for such rental4  ,in making a    
determination of whether occupancy or a 
rental tenancy exists for purposes of   
paragraphs 7#a7 or 7#b71 the            
,administrator of the ,federal          
,emergency ,management ,agency 7referred
 to in this ,act as ,,fema7 shall       
consider a wide range of evidence that  

demonstrates the existence of such      
occupancy or tenancy set forth in       
subsection 7d74  7d7 ,alternative forms 
of proof  7#a7 ,in general ,in          
determining if an individual or family  
is eligible for housing assistance under
 subsection 7c71 the ,administrator     
shall consider a sworn and notarized    
affidavit written by a licensed attorney
 that affirms such occupancy or tenancy 
by the individual who owns1 possesses1  
and maintains the house or land and the 
presentation of one of the following    
documents to affirm proof of ownership  
of the individual named in the          
affidavit3  7,a7 ,a utility 7gas1       
electric1 or water7 bill with the name  
and address of the individual4  7,b7 ,a 
merchant's statement 7credit card1      
delivery notice1 or first class mail7   
with the name and address of the        
individual4  7,c7 ,a pay stub from an   
employer with the name and address of   
the individual4  7,d7 ,a current        
driver's license or ,state-issued       

identification card of the individual4  
7,e7 ,the deed or title for the home or 
land4  7,f7 ,mortgage payment booklet or
 other mortgage documents4  7,g7        
,property title of mobile home          
certificate of title4  7,h7 ,real estate
 property tax receipts4  7,i7 ,school   
registration for self1 child1 or        
children4  7,j7 ,will and testament with
 the name and address4  7,k7 ,medical   
records that list the name and address  
of the individual4  7,l7 ,charitable    
donation receipts that list the name and
 address of the individual4  7,m7       
,government assistance documents4  7,n7 
,any other documentation1 certification1
 identification1 or proof of occupancy  
or ownership not included on this list1 
that can reasonably link the person     
requesting assistance to the damaged    
property4  7,o7 ,if records are         
unavailable due to damage from the      
disaster or any other circumstance that 
impedes an individual from providing    
proof of ownership1 the ,administrator  

shall request verification from the     
,state or ,federal agency with the      
written permission of the individual or 
legally authorized representative of    
such individual4  7#b7 ,additional      
review ,the ,administrator shall review 
again1 any previous ,,fema application  
submitted for housing assistance that   
was denied in #bjag or #bjah4  7#c7     
,notification of employees ,not later   
than #g days after the date of enactment
 of this ,act1 the ,administrator shall 
provide written notification and        
guidance to ,,fema employees regarding  
the requirements set forth in this ,act4
  #c4 ,,fema ,,dhap agreements  7a7     
#bjag disasters ,not later than #ae days
 after the date of the enactment of this
 ,act1 the ,administrator of the        
,federal ,emergency ,management ,agency 
shall enter into an interagency         
agreement or agreements with the        
,secretary of ,housing and ,urban       
,development as may be necessary to     
ensure the implementation of a ,disaster

 ,housing ,assistance ,program to       
provide temporary rental assistance to  
families displaced from their residences
 by any major disaster declared during  
#bjag pursuant to the ,robert ,t4       
,stafford ,disaster ,relief and         
,emergency ,assistance ,act1 including  
,hurricane ,maria of #bjag1 including   
families eligible for such assistance   
under section #b7;a7 of this ,act4  7b7 
,future disasters ,in the case of any   
major disaster declared pursuant to the 
,robert ,t4 ,stafford ,disaster ,relief 
and ,emergency ,assistance ,act 7#db    
,u4,s4,c4 #eaba et seq47 after the date 
of the enactment of this ,act1 not later
 than #fj days after such declaration   
the ,administrator of the ,federal      
,emergency ,management ,agency and the  
,secretary of ,housing and ,urban       
,development shall engage in            
consultations regarding the             
implementation of a ,disaster ,housing  
,assistance ,program to provide         
temporary rental assistance to families 

displaced from their residences by the  
disaster1 including families eligible   
for such assistance under section #b7;a7
 of this ,act4