Formatting necessary for an accurate reading of this text may be shown by tags (e.g., <DELETED> or <BOLD>) or may be missing from this TXT display. For complete and accurate display of this text, see the PDF.
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E257-E258]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
FEMA DISASTER PREPAREDNESS IMPROVEMENT ACT
______
HON. JOHN GARAMENDI
of california
in the house of representatives
Wednesday, March 4, 2020
Mr. GARAMENDI. Madam Speaker, today I introduce the ``FEMA Disaster
Preparedness Improvement Act,'' with support from the California
Governor's Office of Emergency Services (Cal OES) and the California
State Association of Counties. I want to thank my colleague Congressman
Mike Thompson (D-CA) for his support as the original cosponsor.
This legislation would increase FEMA support for disaster
preparedness and emergency response to reflect the needs of communities
across the country. As states like California face increasingly severe
and frequent natural disasters due to man-made climate change and
global public health emergencies, Congress and the federal government
must step up.
[[Page E258]]
The people most impacted by disasters and emergencies are often the
most vulnerable members of our society: the elderly, the economically
disadvantaged, and those with disabilities. All Americans deserve
nothing less than the full-throated support of their federal government
as they prepare for natural disasters and deal with public health
emergencies, and that is exactly what my legislation would ensure.
As a member of California's Congressional delegation, I have seen
firsthand the devastation that disasters can have on communities. In
2017 and 2018, our state experienced the most destructive fires
recorded in California history. The federal government must be a real
partner for states as they prepare for these disasters and seek to make
our communities more resilient. My district is also one of the most
flood-prone in the entire nation, and Travis Air Force Base housed the
first American evacuees from the coronavirus outbreak in East Asia.
That is why the ``FEMA Disaster Preparedness Improvement Act'' would
increase the federal cost share under the Hazard Mitigation and
Emergency Management Performance Grant Programs to 85 percent, from 75
percent and 50 percent respectively. FEMA's Emergency Performance Grant
Program helps state and local officials manage public emergencies
including health crises, such as the recent coronavirus outbreak.
My bill would also exempt environmental reviews under federal or
state law from the 36-month deadline to complete hazard mitigation
projects and make designated ``special flood hazard areas'' under the
National Flood Insurance Program automatically eligible for FEMA Hazard
Mitigation Grants. Lastly, the bill would direct the Government
Accountability Office to report to Congress on the challenges faced by
states in utilizing FEMA's Public Assistance Program Alternative
Procedures.
Damaged caused by natural disasters in the United States has risen in
recent years, with an average of 15 disasters with a cost of over a
billion dollars between 2016 and 2018, more than double the average of
the previous three decades. Congress must respond to this troubling
trend and better support vulnerable communities across the country as
they prepare and increase resilience to natural disasters and other
public emergencies.
Madam Speaker, I urge all Members to cosponsor the ``FEMA Disaster
Preparedness Improvement Act.'' As a senior member of the House
Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, I plan to make this
critical legislation a major priority.
____________________