As Climate Change Increases Frequency and Strength of Natural Disasters, Norton Introduces Bill to Create FEMA-Led Team to Help States and Localities Utilize Full Range of Federal Disaster Recovery Resources

WASHINGTON, D.C.— In the wake of the historic Paris climate accord reached this past weekend, Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) said that, since climate change is already underway, fueling unprecedented weather patterns and rising waters, the federal government must do more to help states and localities prepare for and cope with natural disasters. Therefore, Norton today introduced the FEMA Help and Education for Local Partners Act (FEMA HELP Act) to create a federal multi-agency team, led by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), to provide coordinated disaster assistance to state, local, tribal, and territorial governments. She wrote her bill as a result of her experience on the House Subcommittee on Economic Development, Public Buildings and Emergency Management and FEMA's experience with the states following Hurricanes Katrina and Sandy. Today, the federal government offers states and localities a wide range of federal funding across many agencies and programs that can be used during and in the aftermath of a natural or man-made disaster. However, Norton said that, currently, there is no comprehensive information available to states and local governments about the various federal disaster assistance programs. Norton's bill requires FEMA to convene and manage multi-agency federal teams to work with state, local, tribal, and territorial governments to implement more immediate and comprehensive approaches to recovery, make information rapidly available about the full range of federal funding resources across agencies and programs, and require FEMA's coordinating officers be trained in the range of applicable funding programs. Norton said her bill is increasingly necessary as the number and costs of federal disasters have dramatically increased over the past three decades. For example, total damages from 1972's Hurricane Agnes were $2.1 billion, 1999's Hurricane Floyd caused $6 billion in damage, while 2012's Hurricane Sandy resulted in more than $65 billion in total damage and 2005's Hurricane Katrina caused more than $108 billion in total damage.

"We cannot continue to ignore the escalating frequency and costs of natural disasters to human life and to the budget," Norton said. "The consolidated federal disaster assistance information afforded by my bill is dictated by actual experience. In the midst of disasters, states and localities should not have to do a search of government websites to find critical information. My bill would centralize information about federal disaster assistance programs and direct FEMA to preemptively coordinate with states and local governments before disasters occur."

Norton's full introductory statement is below.

Statement of the Honorable Eleanor Holmes Norton on
Introduction of the FEMA Help and Education for Local Partners Act​

December 17, 2015

Ms. Norton. Mr. Speaker,

I rise to introduce the FEMA Help and Education for Local Partners Act (FEMA HELP Act). The bill addresses concerns raised by states and local governments about the lack of comprehensive information about the various federal assistance programs available during and in the aftermath of a natural or man-made disaster. The bill creates a federal multi-agency team, led by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), to provide coordinated assistance to state, local, tribal, and territorial leaders in implementing a comprehensive approach to recovery and utilizing the full range of federal resources across agencies and programs.

The number and costs of federally declared disasters has been on the rise over the last 30 years. For example, total damages from 1972's Hurricane Agnes were $2.1 billion, 1999's Hurricane Floyd caused $6 billion in damage, while Hurricane Sandy resulted in $65 billion in total damage. With the multiple disaster assistance programs offered by federal agencies in the aftermath of a disaster, the federal government needs to work together with state, local, tribal, and territorial leaders to provide the right types of aid on time to meet critical needs. At a recent Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Subcommittee on Economic Development, Public Buildings, and Emergency Management roundtable, a state representative suggested that the federal government provide a "menu or resources" so that state, local, tribal, and territorial leaders and their residents can look for government resources in one place.

To address the current lack of coordination, the FEMA HELP Act is designed to require federal agencies to work together in a collaborative manner with state, local, tribal, and territorial leaders and provide them with guidance on federal assistance programs. To accomplish this aim, the bill directs FEMA to convene and manage multi-agency federal teams to work with and provide coordinated assistance to state, local, tribal, and territorial leaders in implementing a comprehensive approach to recovery and utilizing the full range of federal funding resources across agencies and programs. The bill also requires FEMA's coordinating officers be trained in the range of applicable funding programs. The multi-agency federal team would include FEMA, the Federal Transit Administration, the Federal Highway Administration, the Department of Housing and Urban Development, the Small Business Administration, the Department of Defense, and the Army Corps of Engineers. The bill also directs FEMA to create a clear and consistent set of guidelines and criteria for making and communicating decisions on funding eligibility and requirements. To retain institutional knowledge, the bill requires federal teams to minimize staff transitions and ensure there is adequate information transfer when staff transitions occur.

I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting this bill.