FEMA Individual Assistance Programs: In Brief (CRS Report for Congress)
| Release Date |
Revised Jan. 31, 2018 |
| Report Number |
R45085 |
| Report Type |
Report |
| Authors |
Reese, Shawn |
| Source Agency |
Congressional Research Service |
| Older Revisions |
-
Premium Jan. 1, 2018 (8 pages, $24.95)
add
|
Summary:
When
the
President declares a major disaster
pursuant to the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief
and Emergency Assistance Act (
P.L. 93
-
288
)
, the Federal Emergency Management
Agency
(FEMA)
advises the President
about
ty
pes of federal
assistance
administered by FEMA
available
to disaster victims, states, localities, and tribes. The primary types of assistance
provided under a
major disaster declaration
include
funding through the
Public Assistance
program
, Mitigation
Assi
stance
programs
, and
the
Individual Assistance
program
.
The
Public Assistance
program
provides
federal financial
assistance to
repair and rebuild
damaged facilities and infrastructure. Mitigation Assistance
programs
provide funding for
jurisdictions, stat
es, and tribes to
e
nsure
damaged facilities and infrastructure are
rebuilt and
reinforced to better withstand future disaster damage. Finally,
the
Individual Assistance
program
provides
funding for
basic needs for individuals and households following a dis
aster.
Eligible activities under the
Individual Assistance
program
include
funding for
such things as
mass care, crisis counseling, and temporary housing.
FEMA
advises the President on
the t
ype of
individual assistance
to be granted following each disaster
, and works with state and local
authorities in determining what assistance programs would best suit the needs within the disaster
area.
FEMA
makes this determination based on
a list of criteria
designed to align federal disaster
assistan
ce with unmet
needs in disaster
-
impacted areas.
This report provides a short summary of
the
types of individual assistance programs
administered
by FEMA
following a disaster. This report also provides a summary of the criteria
FEMA
uses in
determining which individual a
ssistance programs
may be made available to impacted areas
following a major disaster declaration
, and
discusses
a proposed rule to change th
ese
criteria
