,,ii  #aahth ,,congress  #b;d ,session  
,s4 #eacd  ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of     
,,the ,,united ,,states  ,september #bc1
 #bjbd,ms4 ,warren 7for herself and ,mr4
 ,cruz7 introduced the following bill2  
which was read twice and referred to the
 ,committee on ,homeland ,security and  
,governmental ,affairs  ,a ,,bill  ,to  
amend the ,robert ,t4 ,stafford         
,disaster ,relief and ,emergency        
,assistance ,act to expand eligibility  
for individual and public assistance to 
certain areas and to include cumulative 
damage from multiple natural            
catastrophes in the definition of major 
disaster1 and for other purposes4  #a4  
,short title ,this ,act may be cited as 
the ,regional ,impact of ,disasters and 
,emergencies ,relief ,act or the ,,rider
 ,act4  #b4 ,contiguous area ,section   
#dja of the ,robert ,t4 ,stafford       
,disaster ,relief and ,emergency        
,assistance ,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #eagj7  
is amended-- 7#a7 by redesignating      
subsections 7b7 and 7c7 as subsections  

7c7 and 7d71 respectively2 and  7#b7 by 
inserting after subsection 7a7 the      
following3  7b7 ,contiguous area  7#a7  
,in general ,any area under the         
jurisdiction of a ,state1 local         
government1 or ,indian tribal           
government1 including an area located in
 a ,state for which the ,president did  
not declare a major disaster1 that is   
contiguous to an area that the          
,president designates as eligible for   
any form of covered assistance as a     
result of a major disaster 7in this     
paragraph referred to as the eligible   
area7 may be designated by the          
,administrator of the ,federal          
,emergency ,management ,agency as being 
eligible for any form of covered        
assistance for which the eligible area  
is eligible with respect to such        
disaster4  7#b7 ,definition ,in this    
subsection1 the term covered assistance 
means-- 7,a7 hazard mitigation          
assistance provided under section #djd2 
7,b7 any assistance provided to an      

individual or household under sections  
#djh1 #daj1 #dae1 #daf1 or #dbf2 and    
7,c7 any public assistance provided     
under sections #djc1 #djf1 or #djg4  4  
#c4 ,cumulative damage  7a7 ,definitions
 ,section #ajb7b7 of the ,robert ,t4    
,stafford ,disaster ,relief and         
,emergency ,assistance ,act 7#db        
,u4,s4,c4 #eabb7b77 is amended-- 7#a7 by
 striking ,major disaster means and     
inserting the following3  7,a7 ,in      
general ,the term major disaster means  
2 and  7#b7 by adding at the end the    
following3  7,b7 ,inclusion ,the term   
major disaster includes a series of #b  
or more natural catastrophes1 fires1    
floods1 or explosions described in      
subparagraph 7,a7-- 7i7 with respect to 
each of which the ,governor of the      
affected ,state requested that the      
,president declare that a major disaster
 exists under section #dja7;a72  7ii7   
that occurred during a #ab-month period2
 and  7iii7 that individually do not    
cause damage of sufficient severity and 

magnitude to warrant major disaster     
assistance under this ,act1 but that1 in
 the determination of the ,president1   
cumulatively causes damage of sufficient
 severity and magnitude to warrant such 
assistance4  4  #d4 ,interim guidance   
,not later than #fj days after the date 
of enactment of this ,act1 the          
,administrator of the ,federal          
,emergency ,management ,agency shall    
issue interim guidance to implement the 
amendments made by sections #b and #c4  
#e4 ,rulemaking ,not later than #ah     
months after the date of enactment of   
this ,act1 the ,president1 acting       
through the ,administrator of the       
,federal ,emergency ,management ,agency1
 shall issue such rules and regulations 
as are necessary to-- 7#a7 ensure       
compliance with section #abcb of the    
,,faa ,reauthorization ,act of #bjah    
7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #eagj note72 and  7#b7   
implement the amendments made by        
sections #b and #c4