,,ii  #aafth ,,congress  #b;d ,session  
,s4 #dfbg  ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of     
,,the ,,united ,,states  ,september #ag1
 #bjbj,mr4 ,merkley 7for himself and    
,mr4 ,wyden7 introduced the following   
bill2 which was read twice and referred 
to the ,committee on ,homeland ,security
 and ,governmental ,affairs  ,a ,,bill  
,to modify the ,federal cost share of   
certain emergency assistance provided   
under the ,robert ,t4 ,stafford         
,disaster ,relief and ,emergency        
,assistance ,act1 to modify the         
activities eligible for assistance under
 the emergency declaration issued by the
 ,president on ,march #ac1 #bjbj1       
relating to ,,covid-#ai1 and for other  
purposes4  #a4 ,short title ,this ,act  
may be cited as the ,,fema ,assistance  
,relief ,act of #bjbj4  #b4 ,cost share 
7a7 ,temporary ,federal share           
,notwithstanding sections #djc7;b71     
#djc7;c77#d71 #djd7;a71 #djf7;b71       
#djh7;d71 #djh7;g77#b71                 
#dbh7;e77#b77;,b71 and #ejc7;a7 of the  

,robert ,t4 ,stafford ,disaster ,relief 
and ,emergency ,assistance ,act 7#db    
,u4,s4,c4 #eagj;b7b71 #eagj7;c77#d71    
#eagj;c7a71 #eagb7;b71 #eagd7;d71       
#eagd7;g77#b71 #eahi;f7e77#b77;,b71     
#eaic7;a771 for any emergency or major  
disaster declared by the ,president     
under such ,act during the period       
beginning on ,january #a1 #bjbj1 and    
ending on ,december #ca1 #bjbj1 the     
,federal share of assistance provided   
under such sections shall be not less   
than #ij percent of the eligible cost of
 such assistance4  7b7 ,cost share under
 ,,covid emergency declaration          
,notwithstanding subsection 7a71        
assistance provided under the emergency 
declaration issued by the ,president on 
,march #ac1 #bjbj1 pursuant to section  
#eja7;b7 of the ,robert ,t4 ,stafford   
,disaster ,relief and ,emergency        
,assistance ,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4         
#eaia7;b771 and under any subsequent    
major disaster declaration under section
 #dja of such ,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #eagj7

 that supersedes such emergency         
declaration1 shall be at a #ajj percent 
,federal cost share4  #c4 ,clarification
 of assistance  7a7 ,in general ,for the
 emergency declared on ,march #ac1      
#bjbj1 by the ,president under section  
#eja of the ,robert ,t4 ,stafford       
,disaster ,relief and ,emergency        
,assistance ,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #eaia71 
the ,president may provide assistance   
for activities1 costs1 and purchases of 
,states or local governments or the     
owners or operators of eligible private 
nonprofits1 including-- 7#a7 activities 
eligible for assistance under sections  
#cja1 #dae1 #daf1 and #dbf of the       
,robert ,t4 ,stafford ,disaster ,relief 
and ,emergency ,assistance ,act 7#db    
,u4,s4,c4 #eada1 #eahb1 #eahc1 #eahi;d72
  7#b7 backfill costs for first         
responders and other essential employees
 who are ill or quarantined2  7#c7      
increased operating costs for essential 
government services due to such         
emergency1 including costs for          

implementing continuity plans1 and      
sheltering or housing for first         
responders1 emergency managers1 health  
providers and other essential employees2
  7#d7 costs of providing guidance and  
information to the public and for call  
centers to disseminate such guidance and
 information2  7#e7 costs associated    
with establishing and operating virtual 
services2  7#f7 costs for establishing  
and operating remote test sites2  7#g7  
training provided specifically in       
anticipation of or in response to the   
event on which such emergency           
declaration is predicated2  7#h7        
personal protective equipment and other 
critical supplies and services for first
 responders and other essential         
employees1 including individuals working
 in public schools1 courthouses1 and    
public transit systems2  7#i7 medical   
equipment1 regardless of whether such   
equipment is used for emergency or      
inpatient care2  7#aj7 public health    
costs1 including provision and          

distribution of medicine and medical    
supplies2  7#aa7 costs associated with  
maintaining alternate care facilities or
 related facilities currently inactive  
but related to future needs tied to the 
ongoing pandemic event2 and  7#ab7 costs
 of procuring and distributing food to  
individuals affected by the pandemic    
through networks established by ,state1 
local1 or ,tribal governments1 or other 
organizations1 including restaurants and
 farms1 and for the purchase of food    
directly from food producers and        
farmers4  7b7 ,major disaster ,the      
activities described in subsection 7a7  
may also be eligible for assistance     
under 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 that supersedes the    
emergency declaration described in such 
subsection4  7c7 ,rule of construction  
,nothing in this section shall be       
construed to make ineligible any        

assistance that would otherwise be      
eligible under section #djc or #ejb of  
the ,robert ,t4 ,stafford ,disaster     
,relief and ,emergency ,assistance ,act 
7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #eagj;b1 #eaib74  7d7    
,state defined ,in this section1 the    
term ,state has the meaning given the   
term in section #ajb of the ,robert ,t4 
,stafford ,disaster ,relief and         
,emergency ,assistance ,act 7#db        
,u4,s4,c4 #eabb74