119-hr437

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 437 Introduced in House

    (IH) ]

<DOC>

119th CONGRESS
 1st Session
 H. R. 437

 To amend the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency 
 Assistance Act to expand assistance related to winter storms, and for 
 other purposes.

_______________________________________________________________________

 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

 January 15, 2025

 Mr. Kennedy of New York introduced the following bill; which was 
 referred to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure

_______________________________________________________________________

 A BILL

 To amend the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency 
 Assistance Act to expand assistance related to winter storms, 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 ``Support Neighborhoods Offset Winter 
Damage Act of 2025'' or the ``SNOW Act of 2025''.

SEC. 2. WINTER STORMS.

    (a) Use of Assistance for Winter Storms.--

Section 404 of the Robert 
T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 
5170c) is amended by adding at the end the following:
 ``

    (h) Use of Assistance for Winter Storms.--Recipients of hazard 
mitigation assistance provided under this section and 

section 203 may 
use the assistance to conduct activities to help reduce the risk of 
future damage, hardship, loss, or suffering in any area affected by a 
winter storm, including acquiring equipment to remove snow.
 ``
            (i) Winter Storm Defined.--In this section, the term `winter 
storm' means a combination of heavy snow, blowing snow, or dangerous 
wind chills, as determined by the Administrator.''.

    (b) Waiver of Snowfall Methodology and Damages Requirement.--The 
Administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency shall, by 
rule, establish a process to waive the methodology related to the 
amount of snowfall required to declare a winter storm eligible for a 
major disaster declaration and to waive the statewide total damages 
required for such eligibility, if at least 2 of the following 
conditions are met for a response zone or region affected by a winter 
storm:

    (1) A State emergency management agency determines in 
 writing that the damages of such winter storm exceed the 
 damages required for such State to issue a disaster declaration 
 for such a response zone or region.

    (2) The National Weather Service determines that, during 
 such winter storm, such a response zone or region has 
 experienced--
        (A) wind speeds that are greater than 58 miles per 
 hour and a wind chill below 0 degrees Fahrenheit; or
        (B) lake-effect snow and conditions for more than 
 24 hours.

    (3) The Bureau of the Census determines that such a 
 response zone or region--
        (A) represents a population for which the real 
 median household income is below the real median 
 household income in the United States; or
        (B) is an area that is not an urban area.
            (c) Regulations Related to Winter Storms.--

    (1) In general.--The Administrator of the Federal Emergency 
 Management Agency shall issue such regulations, as may be 
 necessary or appropriate, as follows:
        (A) To provide assistance for winter storms 
 authorized under sections 402, 403, 406, 407, 418, 419, 
 421
            (d) , 502, and 503 of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster 
 Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5170a, 
 5170b, 5172, 5173, 5185, 5186, 5188
            (d) , 5192, 5193) 
 related to the following:
            (i) Debris removal.
            (ii) Roads and bridges.
            (iii) Water control facilities.
            (iv) Public buildings and contents.
            (v) Public utilities.
            (vi) Parks, recreational, and other 
 facilities.
        (B) To provide assistance for winter storms 
 authorized under sections 408 and 503 of the Robert T. 
 Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act 
 (42 U.S.C. 5174, 5193) when the State emergency 
 management agency determines that the magnitude or 
 estimated threat of an incident in a response zone or 
 region exceeds the capacity of the State or local 
 government (as such term is defined in 

section 102 of 
 such Act (42 U.S.C. 5122)) with jurisdiction over such 
 response zone or region to respond or recover.
            (d) === Definitions. ===
-In this section:

    (1) Response zone or region.--The term ``response zone or 
 region'' means an area that a State emergency management agency 
 has listed as a response zone or region for the purpose of 
 determining any damages required for such State to issue a 
 disaster declaration.

    (2) Winter storm.--The term ``winter storm'' has the 
 meaning given in 

section 404
            (i) of the Robert T. Stafford 
 Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 
 5170c
            (i) ), as added by subsection

    (a) of this section.

SEC. 3. FEDERAL COST SHARE.

 The Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act 
(42 U.S.C. 5170 et seq.) is amended--

    (1) in 

section 403--
        (A) by amending subsection

    (b) to read as follows:
 ``

    (b) Federal Share.--
 ``

    (1) In general.--The Federal share of assistance under 
 this section shall be not less than 75 percent of the eligible 
 cost of such assistance.
 ``

    (2) Rural or disadvantaged areas.--Notwithstanding 
 paragraph

    (1) , the Federal share of assistance under this 
 section shall be not less than 90 percent of the eligible cost 
 of such assistance in a rural or disadvantaged area.''; and
        (B) by adding at the end the following:
 ``

    (e) Rural or Disadvantaged Area Defined.--In this section, the 
term `rural or disadvantaged area' means an area that the Bureau of the 
Census has determined--
 ``

    (1) represents a population for which the real median 
 household income is below the real median household income in 
 the United States; or
 ``

    (2) is not an urban area.'';

    (2) in 

section 404--
        (A) by striking ``

    (a) In General.--The President'' 
 and inserting the following:
 ``

    (a) Federal Share.--
 ``

    (1) In general.--The President''; and
        (B) in subsection

    (a) , by adding at the end the 
 following:
 ``

    (2) Disadvantaged urban communities.--Notwithstanding 
 paragraph

    (1) , the President may contribute up to 90 percent of 
 the cost of hazard mitigation measures which the President has 
 determined are cost effective and which substantially reduce 
 the risk of, or increase resilience to, future damage, 
 hardship, loss, or suffering in a rural or disadvantaged area 
 (as such term is defined in 

section 403) affected by a major 
 disaster, or by a fire for which assistance was provided under 
 

section 420. Such measures shall be identified following the 
 evaluation of natural hazards under 

section 322 and shall be 
 subject to approval by the President. Subject to 

section 322, 
 the total of contributions under this section for a major 
 disaster or event under 

section 420 shall not exceed 15 percent 
 for amounts not more than $2,000,000,000, 10 percent for 
 amounts of more than $2,000,000,000 and not more than 
 $10,000,000,000, and 7.5 percent on amounts of more than 
 $10,000,000,000 and not more than $35,333,000,000 of the 
 estimated aggregate amount of grants to be made (less any 
 associated administrative costs) under this Act with respect to 
 the major disaster or event under 

section 420.'';

    (3) by amending 

section 407
            (d) to read as follows:
 ``
            (d) Federal Share.--
 ``

    (1) In general.--The Federal share of assistance under 
 this section shall be not less than 75 percent of the eligible 
 cost of debris and wreckage removal carried out under this 
 section.
 ``

    (2) Rural or disadvantaged areas.--Notwithstanding 
 paragraph

    (1) , the Federal share of assistance under this 
 section shall be not less than 90 percent of the eligible cost 
 of debris and wreckage removal carried out under this section 
 in a rural or disadvantaged area (as such term is defined in 
 

section 403).''; and

    (4) by amending 

section 503

    (a) to read as follows:
 ``

    (a) Federal Share.--
 ``

    (1) In general.--The Federal share for assistance 
 provided under this title shall be equal to not less than 75 
 percent of the eligible costs.
 ``

    (2) Rural or disadvantaged areas.--Notwithstanding 
 paragraph

    (1) , the Federal share of assistance under this title 
 shall be not less than 90 percent of the eligible costs in a 
 rural or disadvantaged area (as such term is defined in 

section 403).''.
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