,,ii  #aafth ,,congress  #ast ,session  
,s4 #afje  ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of     
,,the ,,united ,,states  ,may #bb1      
#bjai,ms4 ,warren 7for herself1 ,mr4    
,blumenthal1 ,mr4 ,markey1 ,ms4 ,harris1
 ,mr4 ,durbin1 ,ms4 ,klobuchar1 ,mr4    
,sanders1 ,mrs4 ,gillibrand1 ,mr4       
,menendez1 ,mr4 ,kaine1 ,mr4 ,casey1    
,mr4 ,bennet1 and ,mr4 ,merkley7        
introduced the following bill2 which was
 read twice and referred to the         
,committee on ,homeland ,security and   
,governmental ,affairs  ,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 ,survivors of     
,major ,disasters ,act of #bjai4  #b4   
,definitions ,in this ,act1 the terms   
,agency and ,administrator mean the     
,federal ,emergency ,management ,agency 
and the ,administrator thereof1         
respectively4  #c4 ,eligibility for and 
use of disaster assistance  7a7         

,eligibility ,notwithstanding any other 
provision of law1 individuals and       
households described in subsection 7c7  
shall be eligible for 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 by the          
,president under section #dja of such   
,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #eagj71 including   
,hurricane ,maria of #bjag4  7b7 ,use   
,in the case of any assistance described
 in subsection 7a7 that is made         
available in connection with a 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 #eagj71 including ,hurricane  
,maria of #bjag1 such assistance may be 
used on behalf of an individual or      
household described in subsection 7c7   
for costs relating to obtaining title   
for that individual or household to a   

property described in such subsection1  
including the cost of land surveys and  
any other taxes or fees associated with 
transfer of the property4  7c7          
,eligibility  7#a7 ,in general ,with    
respect to a 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 #eagj71 an individual or      
household described in this subsection  
is an individual or household who-- 7,a7
 is occupying an otherwise unused or    
uninhabited property located in the area
 for which the major disaster was       
declared but does not have documented   
ownership rights to and is not renting  
the property2 or  7,b7 is or was        
residing in an area for which the major 
disaster was declared1 but does not have
 documentation to that effect1          
including-- 7i7 an individual or        
household who is renting without a      
written or formal lease2  7ii7          
unsheltered individuals or households   

experiencing homelessness2 and  7iii7 an
 individual or household residing in any
 portion of any housing accommodation or
 property upon which a housing          
accommodation is located1 including any 
living quarters1 boardinghouse1         
bunkhouse1 maintenance-of-way car1      
mobile home1 manufactured home1 or      
travel trailer4  7#b7 ,consideration ,in
 making a determination of eligibility  
for purposes of this ,act1 the          
,administrator shall consider a wide    
range of evidence4  7d7 ,alternative    
forms of evidence ,in determining if an 
individual or household is eligible for 
assistance under this ,act1 the         
,administrator shall accept a           
declarative statement described in      
section #d or the presentation of       
alternative evidence1 including the     
following3 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         
property4  7#f7 ,a mortgage payment     
booklet or other mortgage documents4    
7#g7 ,property title or mobile home     
certificate of title4  7#h7 ,real estate
 property tax receipts4  7#i7 ,a school 
registration containing the address of  
self1 child1 or children4  7#aj7 ,a will
 and testament with the name and address
 of the individual4  7#aa7 ,medical     
records that list the name and address  
of the individual4  7#ab7 ,charitable   
donation receipts that list the name and
 address of the individual4  7#ac7 ,any 
other documentation1 certification1     
identification1 or proof of occupancy or
 ownership not included on this list    
that can reasonably link the individual 
requesting assistance to the damaged    

property4  #d4 ,declarative statement   
7a7 ,development of declarative         
statement  7#a7 ,in general ,not later  
than #cj days after the date of         
enactment of this ,act1 the             
,administrator shall create and         
distribute where necessary a form       
declarative statement that an applicant 
for assistance under this ,act may use  
to self-certify their eligibility for   
assistance under this ,act4  7#b7       
,prohibition of notarization ,the       
,administrator may not require a        
declarative statement submitted under   
this ,act to be notarized4  7#c7        
,evidence supporting declarative        
statements ,a declarative statement     
submitted under this ,act shall not     
require evidence beyond the scope of    
section #c7;d74  7b7 ,exemptions ,a     
declarative statement submitted under   
this ,act is exempted from publication  
notice1 public comment periods1 and     
agency information collection review and
 approval by the ,office of ,management 

and ,budget required by chapter #ce of  
title #dd1 ,united ,states ,code        
7commonly known as the ,paperwork       
,reduction ,act74  7c7 ,guidance ,not   
later than #cj days after the date of   
enactment of this ,act1 the             
,administrator shall provide written    
notification and guidance to employees  
of the ,agency regarding the            
requirements of this ,act4  7d7         
,publication ,not later than #cj days   
after the date of enactment of this     
,act1 the ,administrator shall-- 7#a7   
make the form declarative statement     
created under paragraph 7#a7 available  
in ,spanish and ,english at all active  
,disaster ,recovery ,centers2 and  7#b7 
publish in ,english1 ,spanish1 and any  
other locally predominant languages on  
the website and social media of the     
,agency the form declarative statement  
created under paragraph 7#a7 and        
instructions on how applicants can      
reopen or seek further appeal of        
relevant determinations4  7e7 ,past     

disasters ,for applicants of assistance 
provided under this ,act 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 occurring in #bjag or  
#bjah1 the ,administrator shall provide 
an applicant not less than #ahj days to 
submit a declarative statement under    
this ,act to reopen or appeal a case    
after the applicant has received notice 
of the right to do so4  #e4 ,,fema      
,,dhap agreements  7a7 #bjag and #bjah  
disasters ,not later than #fj days after
 the date of enactment of this ,act1 the
 ,administrator 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 under    
section #djh of the ,robert ,t4         
,stafford ,disaster ,relief and         
,emergency ,assistance ,act 7#db        

,u4,s4,c4 #eagd7 to provide temporary   
rental assistance to individuals and    
households displaced from their         
residences by any major disaster        
declared by the ,president under section
 #dja of such ,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #eagj7
 during #bjag and #bjah 7including      
,hurricane ,maria of #bjag71 including  
individuals and households eligible for 
such assistance under section #c7;a7 of 
this ,act4  7b7 ,future disasters ,in   
the case of 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 on or after the   
date of enactment of this ,act1 not     
later than #fj days after a declaration 
of the major disaster1 the              
,administrator and the ,secretary of    
,housing and ,urban ,development shall  
engage in consultations regarding the   
implementation of a ,disaster ,housing  
,assistance ,program under section #djh 
of the ,robert ,t4 ,stafford ,disaster  

,relief and ,emergency ,assistance ,act 
7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #eagd7 to provide        
temporary rental assistance to          
individuals and households displaced    
from their residences by the major      
disaster1 including individuals and     
households eligible for such assistance 
under section #c7;a7 of this ,act4