Committee Approves Resident Commissioner's Project to Improve Federal Disaster Response

Statement

The Transportation and Infrastructure Committee of the Federal Chamber unanimously approved yesterday HR224 by the author of the resident commissioner, Jenniffer González Colón, who would amend the Emergency Law on Disaster Assistance and Disaster Assistance Robert T. Stafford , to include certain services in the definition of critical services and for other purposes.

"The magnitude and impact of Hurricane Maria highlighted parts of the Stafford Act that must be modified to expedite the recovery of Puerto Rico. Previously, lifeguards, public housing, solid waste management, port and surface transportation systems, including roads to hospitals that impeded access to assistance and affected our citizens, were excluded. HR 2242 will maximize FEMA assistance in the recovery process to access more resilient solutions after a natural disaster or emergency, "said Congresswoman Jenniffer González Colón (R-PR)

HR 2242, as presented by Representative González Colón, modifies the Robert T. Stafford Law on Disaster Assistance and Emergency Assistance to expand the definition of the "critical services" law.

Section 406 (a) (3) of the Stafford Act defined "critical services" as "energy, water (including water supplied by an irrigation organization or facility), sewerage, wastewater treatment, communications, education and care emergency doctor ".

With HR 2242, the commissioner seeks to include in that definition of a "critical" service, vital elements such as first aid personnel (police, firefighters), solid waste management, port and surface transport systems, including access roads to hospitals, preventing essential parts of recovery from being treated.

This amendment would help in recovery efforts in Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands, would allow the President to make contributions for the repair of infrastructure related to solid waste management, stormwater management, emergency supply transportation, Medical care, lifeguards and safety.

During the hearing, the commissioner received praise from the Republican spokesman on the Committee, Sam Graves, North Carolina congressman Mark Meadows and the Virgin Islands delegate Stacey Plaskett for her leadership in Congress on issues of response to emergencies and especially for the recovery of Puerto Rico from hurricanes Irma and María.

González Colón, member of the Committee voted with his colleagues other measures of regional and national impact such as:
HR3632, Law of Fair and Open
Skies HR1620, Law of Reauthorization of the Chesapeake Bay Program
HR1132, Law of Restoration of the Bay of San Francisco
HR 2247, Promoting the efforts of the United States government to save our sound law
HR4031, Great Lakes Restoration Initiative Act of 2019
HR4044, Estuary Protection and Restoration Act of America
HR4275, to amend the Federal Water Pollution Control Act to reauthorize the Watershed Restoration Program Lake Pontchartrain, and for other purposes
HR 3779, Revolving Resilience Loan Fund Act of 2019
HR 4347 PREPARATION Act of 2019

"I am proud that my Fair and Open Skies Act was approved on the committee," said the chairman of the DeFazio (D-OR) Committee. "This legislation is critical to maintain the highest aviation standards, around the world. In addition, our committee passed important legislation to improve disaster relief, protect water bodies, and more.
I thank the Republican spokesman, Sam Graves, and our colleagues in both parties for working diligently to pass these laws through the committee in a bipartite manner. "

"It is important to have effective disaster preparedness across the nation," said Republican Spokesman Sam Graves (R-MO). "This year, floods have devastated northern Missouri. The dikes, across the Mississippi, Missouri and the rivers in between were devastated. We have to make sure that our communities near the rivers have the ability to recover, as well as prevent future flooding. I am grateful that we were able to make important changes to the Resilience Revolving Loan Fund Act, particularly in the inclusion of non-federal levees, thus providing important tools to help our communities, farmers, and merchants to better prepare for future disasters.

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