Congressional Research Service Reports - 891 Matching Results
Search Results
- Income Tax Relief in Times of Disaster
- In response to the devastation caused by Hurricane Katrina, disaster areas have been designated in 64 parishes in Louisiana, 52 counties in Mississippi, six counties in Alabama, and three counties in Florida. Special provisions are available for taxpayers to help recover from the impact of a disaster.
- Bankruptcy Relief and Natural Disaster Victims
- In the wake of Hurricane Katrina, many have questioned whether implementing the new procedures of the Bankruptcy Abuse Prevention and Consumer Protection Act (BAPCPA), P.L. 109-8, scheduled to go into effect on October 17, 2005, should be delayed. This report considers whether bankruptcy law in general, and the BAPCPA in particular, may present unique challenges to financial recovery for those whose life, livelihood, and/or home have been damaged or destroyed.
- Major Natural Disasters in the United States: 1959-1969
- This report provides a listing of major natural disasters in the United States between 1959 and 1969. It lists the name of the event, the estimated costs of damage, and fatality numbers for each disaster.
- Typhoon Haiyan (Yolanda): U.S. and International Response to Philippines Disaster
- This report examines the impact of Typhoon Haiyan (Yolanda), which struck the central Philippines on November 8, 2013, and the U.S. and international response.
- Typhoon Haiyan (Yolanda): U.S. and International Response to Philippines Disaster
- This report examines the impact of Typhoon Haiyan (Yolanda), which struck the central Philippines on November 8, 2013, and the U.S. and international response.
- The First Responder Network and Next- Generation Communications for Public Safety: Issues for Congress
- Report that covers a background of provisions in the Middle Class Tax Relief and Job Creation Act of 2012 for planning, building, and managing a new, nationwide, broadband network for public safety communications.
- Federal Emergency Management: A Brief Introduction
- Report that is designed to provide Members of Congress and congressional staff with a general overview of principles and foundations of federal emergency management in the United States as well as the types of activities provided by various federal agencies.
- The Project BioShield Act: Issues for the 113th Congress
- This report provides a brief overview of the Project BioShield authorities and appropriations, identifies the medical countermeasures obtained through Project BioShield, reviews the relationship between Project BioShield and the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA), and discusses policy issues for congressional policy makers and related legislation in the 113th Congress.
- 21st Century Flood Reform Act (H.R. 2874): Reforming the National Flood Insurance Program
- This report outlines the provisions of the 21st Century Flood Reform Act which was passed on Nov. 14, 2017. The act reauthorizes the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) and revises regulations regarding insurance coverage standards.
- Federal Disaster Assistance Response and Recovery Programs: Brief Summaries
- This report is designed to assist Members of Congress and their staff as they address the needs of their states, communities, and constituents after a disaster. It includes a summary of federal programs that provide federal disaster assistance to individual survivors, states, territories, local governments, and nongovernmental entities following a natural or man-made disaster.
- FEMA and SBA Disaster Assistance for Individuals and Households: Application Process, Determinations, and Appeals
- This report provides an overview of the Federal Emergency Management Agency's (FEMA's) Individual Assistance (IA) program and the Small Business Administration's (SBA's) Disaster Loan Program. It includes discussions about how declarations put the programs into effect, the application process for both programs, the criteria used by FEMA and the SBA to determine assistance, and the FEMA and SBA appeal processes. The report concludes with policy observations and considerations for Congress.
- FEMA's Community Disaster Loan Program: History, Analysis, and Issues for Congress
- This report compares and analyzes three different categories of loans issued in different time periods in the program's history: "traditional" loans issued between 1974 and 2005, in 2007, and between 2009 and 2011 (TCDLs); "special" (SCDLs) loans issued in 2005-2006 following Hurricanes Katrina and Rita; and loans issued under unique provisions in 2008 (2008 CDLs).
- The Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act (EPCRA): A Summary
- This report summarizes the Emergency Planning and Community Right-to- Know Act (EPCRA) and the major regulatory programs that mandate reporting by industrial facilities of releases of hazardous chemicals to the environment, as well as local planning to respond in the event of significant, accidental releases.
- Emergency Supplemental Appropriations Legislation for Disaster Assistance: Summary Data
- This report provides summary information on emergency supplemental appropriations enacted after major disasters since 1989. The report discusses the most recent and costly disasters occurred in the summer of 2005 when Hurricanes Katrina, Rita, and Wilma made landfall in Gulf Coast states.
- Commercial Fishery Disaster Assistance
- This report discusses disaster relief for commercial fishery, which be provided by the federal government to assist the fishing industry when it is affected by a commercial fishery failure.
- Side-by-Side Comparison of Flood Insurance Reform Legislation in the 110th Congress
- This report discusses the key policy objectives of the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) that were threefold: (1) reduce the nation's flood risk through floodplain management; (2) improve flood hazard data and risk assessment by mapping the nation's floodplains; and (3) make affordable flood insurance widely available in communities that adopt and enforce measures to make future construction safer from flooding.
- United States Fire Administration: An Overview
- The report discusses the U.S. Fire Administration (USFA), which is an entity within the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).
- Public Health and Emergency Preparedness: CRS Experts
- This table provides access to names and contact information for CRS experts on policy concerns relating to public health and emergency preparedness.
- Disaster Unemployment Assistance (DUA)
- This report describes the Disaster Unemployment Assistance (DUA) benefits, which are available only to those individuals who have become unemployed as a direct result of a declared major disaster and information on how to ascertain if an individual is eligible for DUA benefits.
- The National Earthquake Hazards Reduction Program (NEHRP): Issues in Brief
- This report discusses the National Earthquake Hazards Reduction Program which is made up of four agencies (FEMA, The National Science Foundation, USGS, and National Institute of Standards and Technology) which are responsible for monitoring, reporting, and studying earthquakes and increasing resiliency to earthquakes through means such as stronger infrastructure, early warning systems, and recovery plans.
- Emergency Communications Legislation: Implications for the 110th Congress
- Since September 11, 2001, several bills introduced in the U.S. Congress have included provisions to assist emergency communications. Key provisions from a number of these bills have become law. This report summarizes progress in developing legislation, especially in the 109th Congress, in three areas of emergency communications: communications among first responders and other emergency personnel; emergency warnings and alerts; and 911 call centers and systems.
- Tsunamis: Monitoring, Detection, and Early Warning Systems
- This report discusses proposals for international tsunami early warning systems and examines U.S. policy regarding tsunamis.
- FEMA DRF Major Disaster Assistance: New Jersey
- This report discusses the Disaster Relief Fund (DRF) that is managed by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and is the primary source of funding used to provide assistance following a major disaster declaration.
- Emergency Communications Legislation, 2002-2006: Implications for the 110th Congress
- Since September 11, 2001, several bills introduced in the U.S. Congress have included provisions to assist emergency communications. Key provisions from a number of these bills have become law. This report summarizes progress in developing legislation, especially in the 109th Congress, in three areas of emergency communications: communications among first responders and other emergency personnel; emergency warnings and alerts; and 911 call centers and systems. Each area could be the subject of further consideration in the 110th Congress, through oversight, additional legislation, or funding.
- Tsunamis: Monitoring, Detection, and Early Warning Systems
- This report discusses proposals for international tsunami early warning systems and examines U.S. policy regarding tsunamis.
- The National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP), Reinsurance, and Catastrophe Bonds
- This report discusses the use of reinsurance to transfer some of the risk of an insurance policy from the primary insurer to a secondary insurer, and the National Flood Insurance Program's (NFIP) decision to use reinsurance through the issuance of catastrophe bonds (which pay out when a particular type of disaster set out in the bond agreement occurs) by the secondary private insurers.
- DHS Appropriations FY2016: Protection, Preparedness, Response, and Recovery
- This report is part of a suite of reports that discuss appropriations for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) for FY2016. It specifically discusses appropriations for the components of DHS included in the third title of the homeland security appropriations bill--the National Protection and Programs Directorate (NPPD), the Office of Health Affairs (OHA), and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).
- Federal Disaster Assistance Response and Recovery Programs: Brief Summaries
- This report is designed to assist Members of Congress and their staff as they address the needs of their states, communities, and constituents after a disaster. It includes a summary of federal programs that provide federal disaster assistance to individual survivors, states, territories, local governments, and nongovernmental entities following a natural or man-made disaster.
- Disaster Unemployment Assistance (DUA)
- This report describes the Disaster Unemployment Assistance (DUA) benefits are available only to those individuals who have become unemployed as a direct result of a declared major disaster and information on how to ascertain if an individual is eligible for DUA benefits.
- Emergency Communications Legislation: Implications for the 110th Congress
- This report discusses the legislation addressing communications among first responders focused first on interoperability -- the capability of different systems to connect -- with provisions in the Homeland Security Act (P.L. 107-296).
- DHS Appropriations FY2016: Protection, Preparedness, Response, and Recovery
- This report is part of a suite of reports that discuss appropriations for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) for FY2016. It specifically discusses appropriations for the components of DHS included in the third title of the homeland security appropriations bill--the National Protection and Programs Directorate (NPPD), the Office of Health Affairs (OHA), and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). Collectively, Congress has labeled these components in the appropriations act in recent years as "Protection, Preparedness, Response, and Recovery."
- Closing the Flood Insurance Gap
- This report discusses the flood insurance coverage gaps in the United States, provides statistics on the level of coverage and amount of flooding in coastal areas recently hit by hurricanes, and provides possible solutions to the flood insurance gap.
- National Flood Insurance Program Borrowing Authority
- This report evaluates the National Flood Insurance Program's (NFIP) borrowing authority to receive loans from the U.S. Department of the Treasury, particularly in the context of major floods, and discusses the current financial situation of the NFIP.
- Introduction to the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP)
- This report provides a brief overview of the National Flood Insurance Program(NFIP) and its funding and authorization status.
- Introduction to the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP)
- This report provides introductory information on key components of the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP), ranging from floodplain mapping to the standard flood insurance forms. This report will be updated as significant revisions are made to the NFIP through legislation or administrative action. However, this report does not provide detail on current or future legislative issues for Congress, which are covered in a separate report
- The National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP), Reinsurance, and Catastrophe Bonds
- This report discusses the use of reinsurance to transfer some of the risk of an insurance policy from the primary insurer to a secondary insurer and the National Flood Insurance Program's (NFIP) decision to use reinsurance through the issuance of catastrophe bonds (which pay out when a particular type of disaster set out in the bond agreement occurs) by the secondary private insurers.
- Emergency Communications: The Future of 911
- This report discusses possible paths toward the modernization of the 911 infrastructure. Efforts to splice newer, digital technologies onto the aging infrastructure have created points of failure where a call can be dropped or misdirected, sometimes with tragic consequences.
- Urban Search and Rescue Task Forces: Facts and Issues
- This report provides an overview of the Urban Search and Rescue (USAR) task forces that has been designated by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to provide specialized assistance after buildings or other structures collapse.
- Earthquake Risk, Insurance, and Recovery: Issues for Congress
- This report examines earthquake catastrophe risk and insurance in the United States in light of recent developments, particularly the devastating earthquakes in Haiti and Chile. It examines both traditional and non-traditional approaches for financing recovery from earthquake losses as well as challenges in financing catastrophe losses with insurance.
- Emergency Communications: Broadband and the Future of 911
- This report discusses the current 911 infrastructure and possible options for modernizing the system to Next Generation 911 technology (NG9-1-1). It includes information about relevant legislation and policy, funding and grants, ways to create a base for change, the potential role of the Department of Homeland Security, and Congressional policy.
- Emergency Communications: The Future of 911
- This report discusses possible paths toward the modernization of the 911 infrastructure. Efforts to splice newer, digital technologies onto the aging infrastructure have created points of failure where a call can be dropped or misdirected, sometimes with tragic consequences.
- FEMA Disaster Cost-Shares: Evolution and Analysis
- This report discusses cost-share waivers by program area, historical cost-share thresholds, hurricanes Katrina, Wilma, Dennis, and Rita, as well as hurricanes Gustav, Ike and other disasters.
- Charitable Contributions for Haiti's Earthquake Victims
- This report discusses the Haiti Assistance Income Tax Incentive Act (HAITI Act; H.R. 4462), a bill passed on January 20, 2010 to accelerate the income tax benefits for charitable cash contributions for the relief of earthquake victims.
- The First Responder Network and Next-Generation Communications for Public Safety: Issues for Congress
- This report discusses provisions in the Middle Class Tax Relief and Job Creation Act of 2012 for planning, building, and managing a new, nationwide, broadband network for public safety communications.
- The First Responder Network and Next-Generation Communications for Public Safety: Issues for Congress
- This report covers a background of provisions in the Middle Class Tax Relief and Job Creation Act of 2012 for planning, building, and managing a new, nationwide, broadband network for public safety communications.
- FEMA Disaster Housing and Hurricane Katrina: Overview, Analysis, and Congressional Issues
- This report discusses the issues with the housing policies of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), particularly as they relate to the Post-Katrina Act of 2006 and the Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Plan. It includes an overview of the Stafford Act sections 403 and 408 as well as a breakdown of issues for Congress and possible Congressional approaches to address the policies.
- Emergency Supplemental Appropriations Legislation for Disaster Assistance: Summary Data
- This report provides summary information on emergency supplemental appropriations legislation enacted since 1989 after significant catastrophes. It includes funds appropriated to the Disaster Relief Fund (DRF) administered by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), as well as funds appropriated to other departments and agencies. This report uses a broad concept of what constitutes emergency disaster assistance. The funds cited in this report include appropriations for disaster relief, repair of federal facilities, and hazard mitigation activities directed at reducing the impact of future disasters.
- Analysis of the Sandy Recovery Improvement Act of 2013
- This report analyzes the provisions of the Sandy Recovery Improvement Act of 2013. In general, these provisions amend the Stafford Act with a stated goal of improving the efficiency and quality of disaster assistance provided by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).
- United States Fire Administration: An Overview
- This report discuses the United States Fire Administration (USFA) and their funding for fiscal year 2017 in comparison with recent years. The Administration's FY2017 budget proposed $42.3 million for USFA, a 3.8% decrease from the FY2016 level.
- Wildfire Management Funding: Background, Issues, and Fiscal Year 2018 Appropriations
- This report provides an overview of the accounts that fund wildfire management activities and historical wildfire management appropriations data, as well as information on FY2018 appropriations. The Administration requested a combined $3.72 billion in FY2018, a 12% decrease from FY2017 enacted levels. On September 14, 2017, the Housed passed H.R. 3354, an omnibus measure covering all 12 appropriations bills, including the FY2018 Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies bill. This bill would provide $3.85 billion combined for wildfire purposes, an 8% decrease from FY2017 enacted levels and 3% above the Administration's requested levels.