,i #aahth ,,congress #ast ,session ,h4 ,r4 #fefg ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of ,,representatives ,december #a1 #bjbc,ms4 ,velzquez 7for herself1 ,ms4 ,barragn1 ,mr4 ,torres of ,new ,york1 ,mr4 ,sablan1 ,mr4 ,vargas1 ,mr4 ,grijalva1 ,ms4 ,meng1 ,mr4 ,espaillat1 ,mr4 ,green of ,texas1 ,mr4 ,goldman of ,new ,york1 ,ms4 ,clarke of ,new ,york1 ,ms4 ,ocasio-,cortez1 ,ms4 ,tlaib1 ,ms4 ,titus1 ,mrs4 ,gonzlez-,coln1 and ,ms4 ,plaskett7 introduced the following bill2 which was referred to the ,committee on ,transportation and ,infrastructure ,a ,,bill ,to require the ,federal ,emergency ,management ,agency to establish a ,territorial ,disaster ,recovery ,program to continuously identify1 monitor1 and address factors and capability gaps that hinder the execution and completion of recovery activities relating to major disasters by eligible entities located in the territories of the ,united ,states4 #a4 ,short title ,this ,act may be cited as the ,strengthening ,capacity for ,disaster ,resilient ,territories ,act4 #b4 ,findings and purpose 7a7 ,findings ,congress makes the following findings3 7#a7 ,the ,united ,states territories are particularly vulnerable to extreme weather events1 which have become more frequent and stronger in recent years4 7#b7 ,category-#e ,hurricane ,mara1 which made its landfall in ,puerto ,rico on ,september #bjth1 #bjag1 is considered to be the second deadliest storm recorded in ,united ,states history4 7#c7 ,category-#e ,hurricane ,irma1 which struck the ,u4,s4 ,virgin ,islands and ,puerto ,rico on ,september #fth1 #bjag1 is considered to be the second-most intense tropical cyclone worldwide in #bjag4 7#d7 ,typhoon ,mawar1 which struck ,guam on ,may #aith1 #bjbc1 and the south of ,rota1 ,northern ,mariana ,islands on ,may #bdth1 #bjbc1 is considered to be the strongest to hit ,guam since #bjjb4 7#e7 ,super ,typhoon ,yutu1 which struck the ,northern ,mariana ,islands on ,october #bdth1 #bjah1 is considered to be the strongest typhoon recorded to impact the ,mariana ,islands4 7#f7 ,hurricane ,fiona made its landfall as a ,category-#a ,hurricane in ,puerto ,rico on ,september #ahth1 #bjbb1 causing severe flooding and compounding the damage left by ,hurricanes ,irma and ,mara4 7#g7 ,a major disaster declaration was issued for the territory of ,american ,samoa on ,september #afth1 #bjbb1 due to high surf1 high winds1 and flooding4 7#h7 ,rising sea levels1 caused by ocean warming1 contribute to the increased frequency and intensity of hurricanes1 and the fragile condition of coastal environments in the ,united ,states territories4 ,this translates to disrupted economic activity1 such as tourism1 agriculture and fishing1 damaged dwellings1 and limited drinking water supplies4 7#i7 ,the ,federal ,emergency ,management ,agency 7hereinafter referred to as ,,fema7 has obligated significant amounts of funding to address multiple natural disasters in the ,united ,states territories4 7#aj7 ,as of ,october #bjbc1 ,,fema had obligated an estimated #dj1ihj1jjj1jjj in ,public ,assistance1 ,hazard ,mitigation1 ,power ,reconstruction and ,permanent ,work to address damages caused by ,hurricane ,mara in ,puerto ,rico4 ,in addition1 as of ,september #bjbc1 ,,fema had obligated an estimated #cbh1jjj1jjj in ,public ,assistance to address damages caused by ,hurricane ,fiona in ,puerto ,rico4 7#aa7 ,as of ,april #bjbc1 ,,fema had obligated an estimated #b1ijj1jjj1jjj in ,public ,assistance and ,hazard ,mitigation to address damages caused by ,hurricane ,mara in the ,virgin ,islands4 ,in addition1 as of ,december #bjbb1 ,,fema had obligated an estimated #hi1jjj1jjj in ,public ,assistance and ,hazard ,mitigation to address damages caused by ,hurricane ,irma in the ,virgin ,islands4 7#ab7 ,after the passage of ,typhoon ,mangkhut and ,super ,typhoon ,yutu in ,guam and the ,northen ,mariana ,islands1 ,,fema obligated a total of #fgg1bjj1jjj between #bjah and #bjbj to aid response and recovery efforts related to both disasters4 7#ac7 ,the ,united ,states territories have similar vulnerabilities that result in long and difficult recovery processes4 7#ad7 ,the economies of the ,united ,states territories depend heavily on tourism to create revenue4 ,such dependency undermines disaster resiliency1 given the industry's susceptibility to external shocks1 such as atmospheric conditions1 financial crises1 and global pandemics4 ,any of this phenomenon can reduce the number of visitors and trigger the closure of businesses and lay-offs4 7#ae7 ,the ,united ,states territories struggle with high levels of public debt1 which impact their ability to provide cash advances to initiate disaster recovery projects4 ,notably-- 7,a7 ,puerto ,rico is in the midst of debt restructuring proceedings that1 as of #bjbc1 have reduced ,puerto ,rico's public debt from over #gj billion to #cg billion and pension liabilities from #ee billion to #g billion2 7,b7 as of #bjai1 ,virgin ,islands' public debt stood at #b1fjj1jjj1jjj1 representing #fe percent of its ,gross ,domestic ,product2 and 7,c7 as of #bjba1 ,guam's public debt stood at #b1fjj1jjj1jjj1 representing #dc percent of its ,gross ,domestic ,product4 7#af7 ,the physical infrastructure of the ,united ,states territories1 including electricity grids and water plants1 is outdated1 and has lacked appropriate maintenance and hardening4 7#ag7 ,the ,united ,states territories face housing affordability and availability challenges that impact their ability to absorb the influx of the recovery workforce after a disaster occurs4 7#ah7 ,the ,united ,states territories are situated in remote locations1 which results in higher import costs1 significant delays in the shipping and transportation of construction materials necessary to carry out recovery projects1 and barriers for staff seeking to travel to the continental ,united ,states to receive recovery training4 7#ai7 ,the ,united ,states territories have limited specialized staff to adequately navigate and manage recovery programs1 including developing projects for obligation1 using ,public ,assistance to cover administrative and managerial costs1 and procuring goods and services according to ,federal standards4 7#bj7 ,the ,united ,states territories hurdle to find and procure specialized personnel to advance recovery efforts1 such as engineers and construction contractors1 given the high demand for these professionals by public agencies and large corporations in the aftermath of disasters4 7#ba7 ,the ,united ,states territories struggle with dangerous demographic patterns that exacerbate social1 financial1 and economic fragilities4 ,from #bjaj to #bjbj1 the populations of the territories shrunk1 and at a faster pace than any other continental state4 ,in such period1 ,puerto ,rico's population was reduced by #aa4h percent1 ,u4,s4 ,virgin ,islands' population by #ah4a percent1 ,northen ,mariana ,islands' population by #ab4b percent1 ,american ,samoa's population by #aj4e percent1 and ,guam's population by #c4e percent4 ,additionally1 the islands are experiencing lower birthrates and higher death rates4 7#bb7 ,the postal addresses used in the ,united ,states territories have not been recognized and registered by the ,united ,states ,postal ,service1 which can result in additional obstacles for recovery1 primarily for individuals and households seeking to obtain ,,fema assistance4 7#bc7 ,the ,united ,states territories have endured consecutive major disasters1 which has made it more difficult for ,,fema to correctly assess recent and older damages1 and therefore obligate funding for ,public ,assistance projects4 7#bd7 ,the ,united ,states territories encompass a variety of languages1 political sensitivities1 and cultural differences that ,federal authorities like ,,fema have not traditionally considered1 thereby impacting the territories' full and equal participation in ,federal disaster recovery programs4 7b7 ,statement of purpose ,it is the purpose of this ,act to establish a program within ,,fema to continuously identify1 monitor1 and address factors and capability gaps that hinder the execution and completion of recovery activities by eligible entities located in the territories of the ,united ,states under sections #djc1 #djd1 #djf1 #djg1 and #ejb of the ,robert ,t4 ,stafford ,disaster ,relief and ,emergency ,assistance ,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #eaba et seq474 #c4 ,definitions ,in this ,act3 7#a7 ,administrator ,the term ,administrator means the ,administrator of the ,federal ,emergency ,management ,agency4 7#b7 ,community ,the term community means a network of individuals and families1 businesses1 governmental and nongovernmental organizations1 and other civic organizations that reside or operate within a shared geographical boundary and may be represented by a common political leadership at a regional1 county1 municipal1 or neighborhood level4 7#c7 ,eligible entity ,the term eligible entity means an entity eligible for a grant under section #djc1 #djd1 #djf1 #djg1 or #ejb of the ,robert ,t4 ,stafford ,disaster ,relief and ,emergency ,assistance ,act 7#eaba ,u4,s4,c4 et seq474 7#d7 ,recovery ,the term recovery means the capabilities and actions necessary to recover effectively from a major disaster declared under the ,robert ,t4 ,stafford ,disaster ,relief and ,emergency ,assistance ,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #eaba et seq471 including-- 7,a7 rebuilding infrastructure systems2 7,b7 providing adequate interim and long-term housing for individuals impacted by such incident2 7,c7 restoring health1 social1 and community services2 7,d7 promoting economic development2 and 7,e7 restoring natural and cultural resources4 7#e7 ,territory of the ,united ,states ,the term territory of the ,united ,states means ,american ,samoa1 the ,commonwealth of the ,northen ,mariana ,islands1 the ,commonwealth of ,puerto ,rico1 ,guam1 the ,united ,states ,virgin ,islands1 and any other territory or possession of the ,united ,states4 #d4 ,territorial ,disaster ,recovery ,program 7a7 ,in general ,not later than #a year after the date of enactment of this ,act1 the ,administrator shall establish a ,territorial ,disaster ,recovery ,program 7in this section referred to as the ,program7 to continuously identify1 monitor1 and address factors and capability gaps of local emergency managers1 or other applicable emergency response coordinators1 and eligible entities located in the territories of the ,united ,states in carrying out recovery activities relating to major disasters declared under the ,robert ,t4 ,stafford ,disaster ,relief and ,emergency ,assistance ,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #eaba et seq474 7b7 ,duties ,in carrying out the ,program1 the ,administrator shall-- 7#a7 not later than #a year after the date of enactment of this ,act1 and every #b years thereafter1 identify and analyze gaps in identifying1 applying and receiving assistance1 and carrying out recovery activities described in subsection 7a7 that are specific to eligible entities located in the territories of the ,united ,states2 7#b7 provide technical assistance to the entities described in paragraph 7#a7 in applying for grants under sections #djc1 #djd1 #djf1 #djg1 and #ejb of such ,act that-- 7,a7 is tailored to meet the needs of applicants at each stage of the administration of projects for which grants are made under such sections2 and 7,b7 takes into account the challenges of-- 7i7 applicants who are located in remote or difficult-to-access areas2 7ii7 applicants who are part of a minority cultural group2 7iii7 applicants with limited ,english language proficiency2 and 7iv7 applicants with slow internet speeds or limited broadband access2 7#c7 design online and in-person training courses that are specific to the entities described in paragraph 7#a7 and that address the capability gaps identified under this section2 7#d7 develop best practices regarding the administration of projects in the territories of the ,united ,states for which grants are made under sections #djc1 #djd1 #djf1 #djg1 and #ejb of such ,act2 7#e7 develop feedback mechanisms for entities receiving technical assistance or training under this section2 and 7#f7 foster meaningful collaboration with local experts1 community leaders1 and other members of the community1 that leads to the performance of activities under this section that are locally informed and relevant to local needs4 7c7 ,report to ,congress 7#a7 ,in general ,not later than #b years after the date of enactment of this ,act1 and every #b years thereafter for the duration of the ,program1 the ,administrator shall submit to the ,committee on ,transportation and ,infrastructure and the ,committee on ,homeland ,security of the ,house of ,representatives and the ,committee on ,homeland ,security and ,governmental ,affairs of the ,senate a report on-- 7,a7 any capability gaps identified under subsection 7b77#a72 7,b7 the nature of any technical assistance provided under the ,program2 7,c7 any online or in-person training courses developed1 or planned to be developed under the ,program2 7,d7 any best practices identified under subsection 7b77#d72 and 7,e7 an analysis of1 responses to1 and any activities carried out as a result of feedback received by applicants for assistance under the ,program and entities receiving such assistance4 7#b7 ,final report ,in the report required to be submitted in the final year for which the ,program is authorized1 the ,administrator shall include recommendations on-- 7,a7 whether to continue the ,program2 7,b7 if a continuation of the program is recommended1 the suggested duration of such continuation2 and 7,c7 the necessary funding to carry out the ,program4 7d7 ,authorization of appropriations ,there is authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section #ej1jjj1jjj for each of fiscal years #bjbd through #bjbh4