,i  #aafth ,,congress  #b;d ,session    
,h4 ,r4 #fjga  ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of  
,,representatives  ,march #d1 #bjbj,mr4 
,garamendi 7for himself and ,mr4        
,thompson of ,california7 introduced the
 following bill2 which was referred to  
the ,committee on ,transportation and   
,infrastructure  ,a ,,bill  ,to amend   
the ,robert ,t4 ,stafford ,disaster     
,relief and ,emergency ,assistance ,act 
to modify the ,federal share requirement
 and establish a period of performance  
requirement for the hazard mitigation   
grant program1 to amend the             
,post-,katrina ,emergency ,management   
,reform ,act of #bjjf to modify the     
,federal share requirement of emergency 
management performance grants1 and for  
other purposes4  #a4 ,short title ,this 
,act may be cited as the ,,fema         
,disaster ,preparedness ,improvement    
,act4  #b4 ,hazard mitigation ,section  
#djd of the ,robert ,t4 ,stafford       
,disaster ,relief and ,emergency        
,assistance ,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #eagj;c7

 is amended-- 7#a7 in subsection 7a7 by 
striking #ge and inserting #he2 and     
7#b7 by adding at the end the following3
  7h7 ,expanded eligibility             
,notwithstanding any other provision of 
this section1 the ,president may provide
 hazard mitigation assistance in        
accordance with this section in any area
 designated by the ,administrator under 
the ,national ,flood ,insurance ,act of 
#aifh 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #djja et seq47 as  
an area having special flood hazards    
that has suffered at least one severe   
repetitive loss 7as such term is defined
 in section #acjg7;h7 of such ,act7 or  
repetitive loss 7as defined in section  
#acgj of such ,act74  7i7 ,period of    
performance  7#a7 ,in general ,a project
 receiving assistance under this section
 shall be completed not later than the  
date that is #cf months after the date  
of the completion of all applicable     
environmental reviews required by       
,federal or ,state law with respect to  
such project or a later feasible date   

determined by the ,administrator4  7#b7 
,extension of period of performance     
,upon the request of a recipient of     
hazard mitigation assistance provided   
under this section1 the ,administrator  
may-- 7,a7 issue an extension of not    
more than #a year of the period of      
performance deadline described in       
paragraph 7#a72 and  7,b7 issue         
additional extensions of not more than  
#a year upon the expiration of an       
extension issued pursuant to            
subparagraph 7,a7 or this subparagraph4 
7#c7 ,rule of statutory construction    
,nothing in this subsection shall be    
construed to authorize the              
,administrator or a ,state delegated    
authority under subsection 7c7 to       
establish a period of performance       
shorter than the period of performance  
described in paragraph 7#a74  4  #c4    
,emergency management performance grants
 program ,section #ffb7;c7 of the       
,post-,katrina ,emergency ,management   
,reform ,act of #bjjf 7#f ,u4,s4,c4     

#gfb7 is amended by striking #ej percent
 and inserting #he percent4  #d4 ,,gao  
report to ,congress on challenges under 
public assistance alternative procedures
  7a7 ,in general ,the ,comptroller     
,general of the ,united ,states shall   
conduct a study on the challenges to    
,states and ,territories of the ,united 
,states in obtaining assistance under   
section #dbh of the ,robert ,t4         
,stafford ,disaster ,relief and         
,emergency ,assistance ,act 7#db        
,u4,s4,c4 #eahi;f74  7b7 ,contents ,in  
conducting the study described in       
subsection 7a71 the ,comptroller        
,general shall study the challenges for 
assistance described in subsection 7a7  
faced by the following3 7#a7 ,rural     
areas1 as such term is defined in       
section #dbc of the ,robert ,t4         
,stafford ,disaster ,relief and         
,emergency ,assistance ,act 7#db        
,u4,s4,c4 #eahi;a74  7#b7 ,small        
impoverished communities1 as such term  
is defined in section #bjc of such ,act4

  7#c7 ,other communities1 areas1 or    
individuals that the ,comptroller       
,general determines pertinent4  7c7     
,report to ,congress ,not later than #a 
year after the date of enactment of this
 ,act1 the ,comptroller ,general shall  
submit to ,congress a report describing 
the results of the study required under 
subsection 7a74