[Congressional Bills 118th Congress] [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office] [H.R. 9541 Referred in Senate (RFS)] <DOC> 118th CONGRESS 2d Session H. R. 9541 _______________________________________________________________________ IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES December 10, 2024 Received; read twice and referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs _______________________________________________________________________ AN ACT To amend the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act to authorize Federal agencies to provide certain essential assistance for hazard mitigation for electric utilities, and for other purposes. 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 ``Promoting Opportunities to Widen Electrical Resilience Act of 2024'' or the ``POWER Act of 2024''. SEC. 2. ESSENTIAL ASSISTANCE. (a) Section 403 of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5170b) is amended by adding at the end the following: ``(e) Electric Utilities.-- ``(1) Hazard mitigation activities.--An electric utility may carry out cost-effective hazard mitigation activities jointly or otherwise in combination with activities for the restoration of power carried out with assistance provided under this section. ``(2) Eligibility for additional assistance.-- In any case in which an electric utility facility receives assistance under this section for the emergency restoration of power, the receipt of such assistance shall not render such facility ineligible for any hazard mitigation assistance under section 406 for which such facility is otherwise eligible.''. (b) Applicability.--The amendment made by subsection (a) shall only apply to amounts appropriated on or after the date of enactment of this Act. Passed the House of Representatives December 9, 2024. Attest: KEVIN F. MCCUMBER, Clerk.