,,ii  #aaith ,,congress  #ast ,session  
,s4 #bfg  ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of ,,the
 ,,united ,,states  ,january #bh1       
#bjbe,mr4 ,budd 7for himself and ,mr4   
,tillis7 introduced the following bill2 
which was read twice and referred to the
 ,committee on ,homeland ,security and  
,governmental ,affairs  ,a ,,bill  ,to  
make certain repairs1 replacements1 and 
restorations of private roads and       
bridges eligible for reimbursement under
 the ,robert ,t4 ,stafford ,disaster    
,relief and ,emergency ,assistance ,act1
 and for other purposes4  #a4 ,short    
title ,this ,act may be cited as the    
,restoring ,access to ,mountain ,homes  
,act4  #b4 ,reimbursement for repair1   
replacement1 and restoration work on    
private roads and bridges impacted by   
,tropical ,storm ,helene  7a7           
,eligibility for reimbursement          
,notwithstanding any provision of the   
,robert ,t4 ,stafford ,disaster ,relief 
and ,emergency ,assistance ,act 7#db    
,u4,s4,c4 #eaba et seq47 or the         

regulations governing the public        
assistance program of the ,federal      
,emergency ,management ,agency under    
such ,act1 the ,state1 ,indian ,tribal1 
and local governments in ,north         
,carolina covered under major disaster  
declaration ,,fema-#dhbg-;,,dr-,,nc     
7relating to ,tropical ,storm ,helene7  
shall be eligible for reimbursement for 
the cost of repairs1 replacements1 or   
restoration to private roads and        
bridges1 without regard to pre-existing 
condition1 under section #dbh of such   
,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #eahi;f7 that-- 7#a7
 are used as the sole means of access to
 primary residences or essential        
community services2  7#b7 are           
significantly damaged or destroyed as a 
direct result of ,tropical ,storm       
,helene as identified in                
,,fema-#dhbg-;,,dr-,,nc2 and  7#c7 does 
not duplicate work that has already been
 completed4  7b7 ,conditions of         
reimbursement ,reimbursement under this 
section shall be subject to the         

following conditions3 7#a7 ,private     
roads or bridges shall be inspected by  
appropriate ,state1 ,indian ,tribal1 or 
local government officials or their     
designees to verify the scope1 need1 and
 cost-effectiveness of any mitigation   
measures for the proposed repair1       
replacement1 or restoration4  7#b7 ,the 
,state1 ,indian ,tribal1 or local       
governments requesting assistance shall 
ensure that the private roads or bridges
 being repaired1 replaced1 or restored  
remain open for disaster recovery       
activities for the duration of the      
repair1 replacement1 or restoration     
process4  7#c7 ,the ,state or ,indian   
,tribal governments shall be responsible
 for documenting all costs associated   
with repairs1 replacements1 or          
restorations within their jurisdiction  
in accordance with ,federal ,emergency  
,management ,agency policy4  7#d7 ,the  
,state1 ,indian ,tribal1 or local       
government applying for public          
assistance funding shall obtain         

authority or permission to perform the  
work to permanently repair1 replace1 or 
restore the private roads and bridges4  
7#e7 ,the ,state1 ,indian ,tribal1 or   
local government applying for public    
assistance funding shall ensure the work
 under this section is performed in     
compliance with all applicable ,state   
and ,federal regulations and            
requirements that pertain to work that  
is permanent in nature4  7c7            
,duplication of benefits  7#a7 ,in      
general ,any individual or household    
that has received assistance prior to   
the date of enactment of this ,act      
pursuant to section #djh of the ,robert 
,t4 ,stafford ,disaster ,relief and     
,emergency ,assistance ,act 7#db        
,u4,s4,c4 #eagd7 for the purposes of    
repairing a private road or bridge      
eligible under this section may proceed 
with such repairs or return any such    
assistance to have such repair eligible 
pursuant to this section4  7#b7         
,calculation ,in the event the          

individual or household chooses to      
proceed with such repairs utilizing     
assistance provided pursuant to section 
#djh of the ,robert ,t4 ,stafford       
,disaster ,relief and ,emergency        
,assistance ,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #eagd7  
for a private road or bridge1 such      
assistance shall not be counted against 
the maximum amount of assistance for    
such individual or household under such 
section4  7d7 ,eligible cost  7#a7 ,in  
general ,in determining eligible costs1 
the ,administrator shall base such      
determinations on properly conducted and
 certified cost estimates prepared by   
professionally licensed engineers       
7mutually agreed upon by the            
,administrator and the applicant74  7#b7
 ,use of estimates ,once certified by a 
professionally licensed engineer under  
paragraph 7#a7 and accepted by the      
,administrator1 the estimates on which  
grants made pursuant to this section are
 based shall be presumed to be          
reasonable and eligible costs1 as long  

as there is no evidence of fraud4