Bill Summary
This legislation, called the "Local Community Emergency Relief Act of 2020," aims to provide financial assistance to communities affected by certain emergencies and disasters. It specifically waives the requirement for these communities to pay a cost share, meaning that the government will cover 100% of eligible costs. This includes a wide range of expenses, such as cleaning and sanitizing public spaces, providing child care for essential workers, and purchasing medical equipment. The legislation also allows for the use of funds for critical needs and services in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, such as mental health services and public health communications campaigns. This waiver of cost share applies to assistance provided before, on, or after the date of enactment, with the goal of providing timely and comprehensive support to communities in need.
Possible Impacts
1. This legislation could affect people by providing financial assistance to those who have been affected by major disasters or emergencies, such as the COVID-19 pandemic. This could help ease the financial burden on individuals and families during difficult times.
2. The waiver of cost share requirements could also benefit local communities by allowing them to access federal funds without having to contribute a portion of the cost. This could help communities recover and rebuild more quickly after a disaster or emergency.
3. The inclusion of various types of assistance, such as mental health services and personal protective equipment, could directly impact individuals by providing them with necessary resources and support during a crisis. This could help individuals cope with and recover from the effects of a disaster or emergency.
[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 3806 Introduced in Senate (IS)]
<DOC>
116th CONGRESS
2d Session
S. 3806
To waive cost share requirements for certain Federal assistance
provided under the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency
Assistance Act.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
May 21, 2020
Mrs. Hyde-Smith (for herself, Mr. Menendez, Mr. Cassidy, and Mr.
Peters) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and
referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To waive cost share requirements for certain Federal assistance
provided under the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency
Assistance Act.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Local Community Emergency Relief Act
of 2020''.
SEC. 2. WAIVER FOR CERTAIN COST SHARE REQUIREMENTS.
(a) Covered Declaration Defined.--In this section, the term
``covered declaration'' means--
(1) a major disaster declared by the President under
section 401 of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and
Emergency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5170) during calendar year
2020; and
(2) an emergency declared by the President under section
501(b) of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency
Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5191(b)), or any subsequent major
disaster declaration under section 401 of such Act (42 U.S.C.
5170) that supersedes the emergency declaration, during
calendar year 2020.
(b) Waiver of Cost Share Requirements.--Notwithstanding any other
provision of law, including any agreement, the Federal share of any
assistance awarded under a covered declaration shall be not less than
100 percent of the eligible costs, and, for purposes of subsection
(a)(2), shall include assistance provided for the following:
(1) Miscellaneous costs, such as the costs of cleaning and
sanitizing public areas and buildings where individuals who
have contracted COVID-19 have been present to prevent the
spread of the virus.
(2) Other needs assistance for uninsured, disaster-related
necessary expenses and serious needs, including--
(A) child care assistance for families, healthcare
workers, first responders, and others whose children
cannot attend school due to mandatory school closures
and daycare center closures;
(B) funeral and burial assistance for fatalities
resulting from the COVID-19 disease;
(C) increased operating costs for essential
government services due to such emergency, including
costs for implementing continuity plans, and sheltering
or housing for first responders, emergency managers,
health providers and other essential employees; and
(D) public health costs including, medical
services, testing (including serological testing),
preventative care, transportation, medical waste
disposal, and prescriptions for individuals who have
contracted COVID-19.
(3) Mental health services.
(4) Critical needs assistance for households with immediate
or critical needs for vital resources due to the disruption of
community services and higher demand and limited availability
of commodities.
(5) Medical equipment, regardless of whether such equipment
is used for emergency or inpatient care, including all Federal
agency assets, temporary and permanent, and the non-Federal
purchase of such equipment.
(6) The purchase and distribution of food, water, ice,
medicine, and other consumable supplies, including personal
protective equipment and inclusive of impacts to food stocks at
private, non-profit food banks and the costs of delivery.
(7) Personal protective equipment decontamination costs.
(8) Hospital and morgue capacity expansion projects to meet
actual or projected COVID-19 surge demands.
(9) The total costs of maintaining hospital capacity
expansion projects as ``warm sites'' during COVID-19 non-peak
periods.
(10) Public health communications campaigns related to
providing emergency COVID-19 information, increasing public
awareness of the threats, and to mitigate against future spread
of the virus.
(11) Technical assistance to eligible entities.
(12) Security and law enforcement costs, including
overtime, directly related to COVID-19.
(c) Applicability.--The Federal share described in subsection (b)
shall apply to assistance provided before, on, or after the date of
enactment of this Act.
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