Hazard Eligibility and Local Projects Act
Floor Speech
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Mr. PAPPAS. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 1917) to modify eligibility requirements for certain hazard mitigation assistance programs, and for other purposes.
The Clerk read the title of the bill.
The text of the bill is as follows: H.R. 1917
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 ``Hazard Eligibility and Local Projects Act''. SEC. 2. AUTHORITY TO BEGIN IMPLEMENTATION OF ACQUISITION OR RELOCATION PROJECTS.
(a) Eligibility for Assistance for Initiated Projects.--
(1) In general.--Notwithstanding any other provision of law, an entity seeking assistance under a hazard mitigation assistance program shall be eligible to receive such assistance for a covered project if the entity--
(A) complies with all other eligibility requirements of the hazard mitigation assistance program for acquisition or relocation projects, including extinguishing all incompatible encumbrances; and
(B) complies with all Federal requirements for the project.
(2) Costs incurred.--An entity seeking assistance under a hazard mitigation assistance program shall be responsible for any project costs incurred by the entity for a covered project if the covered project is not awarded, or is determined to be ineligible for, assistance.
(b) Definitions.--In this section, the following definitions apply:
(1) Covered project.--The term ``covered project'' means--
(A) an acquisition or relocation project for which an entity began implementation prior to grant award under a hazard mitigation assistance program; and
(B) a project for which an entity initiated planning or construction before or after requesting assistance for the project under a hazard mitigation assistance program qualifying for a categorical exemption under the National Environmental Policy Act.
(2) Hazard mitigation assistance program.--The term ``hazard mitigation assistance program'' means--
(A) the predisaster hazard mitigation grant program authorized under section 203 of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5133);
(B) the hazard mitigation grant program authorized under section 404 of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5170c); and
(C) the flood mitigation assistance program authorized under section 1366 of the National Flood Insurance Act of 1968 (42 U.S.C. 4104c).
(c) Applicability.--This section shall apply to funds appropriated on or after the date of enactment of this Act.
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Mr. PAPPAS. 1917.
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Mr. PAPPAS. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Madam Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 1917, introduced and championed by Representative Fletcher. The Hazard Eligibility and Local Projects, or HELP Act, is designed to cut through red tape to unlock Federal assistance to State and local governments to complete some of the most basic mitigation projects more efficiently, such as buyouts of flood-prone properties. It represents a change to the current law's one-size-fits-all approach to reviewing projects that frequently delays mitigation work which will be welcome news to communities across my State in New Hampshire, and across our country as we deal with more frequent severe weather events that may require a Federal response.
The National Institute of Building Sciences has conducted significant analysis on the return on investment to taxpayers for investments in mitigation. Congress, under both Democratic and Republican majorities, has seen fit to bolster investments in mitigation to drive down future disaster response and recovery costs.
Just last week, the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee marked up the Resilient AMERICA Act which would align the calculation used to fund the Federal Emergency Management Agency's pre-disaster mitigation program with the agency's post-disaster mitigation program.
FEMA's longest-running mitigation program, the Hazard Mitigation Grant Program, or HMGP, began in 1989 and provides assistance after a disaster has struck. While there have been more than $5.2 billion obligated to HMGP projects, more than $1 billion in HMGP dollars have gone unobligated and will return to FEMA.
This bill will help disaster-impacted communities complete the land acquisition and simple construction projects that would otherwise be categorically exempt from a NEPA review, streamlining the process with FEMA. I want to commend Congresswoman Fletcher for her efforts to help disaster-vulnerable communities quicken the pace of recoveries and mitigate against future events.
I support this bill and urge my colleagues to do the same. I reserve the balance of my time. Committtee on Transportation and Infrastructure, House of Representatives, Washington, DC, November 1, 2021. Hon. Maxine Waters, Chairwoman, Committee on Financial Services, House of Representatives, Washington, DC.
Dear Chairwoman Waters: Thank you for your letter regarding H.R. 1917, the Hazard Eligibility and Local Projects Act. I appreciate your willingness to work cooperatively on this legislation.
I acknowledge that by foregoing formal consideration on H.R. 1917, the Committee on Financial Services does not waive any future jurisdictional claims to provisions in this or similar legislation, and that your Committee will be consulted and involved on any matters in your Committee's jurisdiction should this legislation move forward. In addition, should a conference on the bill be necessary, I would support your effort to seek appointment of an appropriate number of conferees to any House-Senate conference involving provisions within this legislation on which the Committee on Financial Services has a valid jurisdictional claim.
I appreciate your cooperation regarding this legislation, and I will ensure that our exchange of letters is included in the Congressional Record during floor consideration of H.R. 1917. Sincerely, Peter A. DeFazio, Chair. ____ House of Representatives, Committee on Financial Services, Washington, DC, November 1, 2021. Hon. Peter DeFazio, Chairman, Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, House of Representatives, Washington, DC.
Dear Mr. Chairman: I am writing concerning H.R. 1917, the ``Hazard Eligibility and Local Projects Act.'' In order to permit H.R. 1917 to proceed expeditiously to the House Floor, I agree to forgo formal consideration of the bill.
The Committee on Financial Services takes this action to forego formal consideration of H.R. 1917 in light of our mutual understanding that, by foregoing formal consideration of H.R. 1917 at this time, we do not waive any jurisdiction over the subject matter contained in this or similar legislation, and that our Committee will be appropriately consulted and involved as this or similar legislation moves forward with regard to any matters in the Committee's jurisdiction. The Committee also reserves the right to seek appointment of an appropriate number of conferees to any House-Senate conference involving this or similar legislation that involves the Committee's jurisdiction and request your support for any such request.
Finally, I would appreciate your response to this letter confirming this understanding, and I would ask that a copy of our exchange of letters on this matter be included in the Congressional Record during Floor consideration of H.R. 1917. Sincerely, Maxine Waters, Chairwoman.
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Mr. PAPPAS. Madam Speaker, I yield such time as she may consume to the gentlewoman from Texas (Mrs. Fletcher).
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Mr. PAPPAS. Madam Speaker, I want to thank Congresswoman Fletcher again for her leadership on this issue. I urge my colleagues to pass this commonsense piece of legislation, and I yield back the balance of my time.
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