Congressional Research Service Reports - 891 Matching Results
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- 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.
- Hurricane Katrina: The Response by the Internal Revenue Service
- After Hurricane Katrina, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) announced several tax relief measures to aid affected individuals and businesses. They cover a range of subjects, from postponing deadlines for paying taxes and filing returns for individuals, employee benefit plans and tax-exempt bond issuers, to waiving penalties for certain fuel excise taxes. This report summarizes these measures and discusses the statutory authority for the IRS’s actions.
- The Americans with Disabilities Act and Emergency Preparedness and Response
- This report briefly discusses the nondiscrimination provisions of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), which are applicable to emergency preparedness and responses to disasters. The ADA does not include provisions specifically for disasters, such as Hurricane Katrina, for example.
- Federal Food Assistance: Hurricane Katrina
- This report discusses the federal food assistance programs for those affected by Hurricane Katrina, making them automatically eligible for maximum benefits. It also is providing substantial amounts of direct food aid drawn from its commodity stocks.
- Hurricane Katrina: Shipping Disruptions
- This report discusses hurricane Katrina, the extent of the damage, how soon normal port operations can resume, and which shippers in particular will have the hardest time adapting should the disruption continue for an extended period.
- The Macroeconomic Effects of Hurricane Katrina
- No Description Available.
- Regulatory Waivers and Extensions Pursuant to Hurricane Katrina
- This report identifies some of Katrina-related waivers and extensions. Federal agencies have waived a number of regulatory requirements and extended the deadlines for certain reports and applications to assist victims of Hurricane Katrina and to ease the economic effects of the storm.
- The Role of HUD Housing Programs in Response to Disasters
- No Description Available.
- Emergency Supplemental Appropriations for Hurricane Katrina Relief
- This CRS report summarizes federal disaster assistance funding legislation in the 109th Congress and presents some information on federal expenditures and obligations for disaster recovery activities.
- Federal Disaster and Emergency Assistance for Water Infrastructure Facilities and Supplies
- Natural and other disasters, such as Hurricane Katrina, can impair, contaminate, or destroy public water systems, including treatment facilities and distribution systems. Costs of addressing such damage can be substantial, while the potential public health and safety consequences of lost or impaired water supplies necessitate rapid responses. Natural and other disasters also can have calamitous impacts on other water infrastructure facilities, such as wastewater treatment plants and flood control systems
- Hurricane Katrina: Activities of the Social Security Administration
- This report outlines legislative procedures and also discuss Social Security Administration (SSA) procedures after September 11, 2001, to facilitate new disability, Supplemental Security Income (SSI) SSI, survivors, and death benefit applications.
- 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.
- Legislative Initiatives to Temporarily Relocate Federal Courts Interrupted by Natural or Man-Made Disasters, 109th Congress
- No Description Available.
- New Orleans Levees and Floodwalls: Hurricane Damage Protection
- Hurricane Katrina’s storm surge breached floodwalls and levees surrounding New Orleans, causing widespread inundation and significant damage and hampering rescue and recovery efforts. Flooding from precipitation and storm surges flowing over levees and floodwalls was anticipated because the hurricane’s intensity
- Emergency Supplemental Appropriations for Hurricane Katrina Relief
- This CRS report summarizes federal disaster assistance funding legislation in the 109th Congress and presents some information on federal expenditures and obligations for disaster recovery activities.
- Hurricane Katrina: Fishing and Aquaculture Industries - Damage and Recovery
- This report summarizes damage assessments and recovery efforts, with initial reports primarily anecdotal until more accurate assessments become available.
- Organization and Mission of the Emergency Preparedness and Response Directorate: Issues and Options for the 109th Congress
- No Description Available.
- New Orleans Levees and Floodwalls: Hurricane Damage Protection
- No Description Available.
- Federal Stafford Act Disaster Assistance: Presidential Declarations, Eligible Activities, and Funding
- This report provides information about the Presidential Declarations, Eligible Activities, and Funding on Federal Stafford Act Disaster Assistance. Congress appropriates money to DRF for disaster assistance authorized by the Stafford Act, which is administered by FEMA.
- Alabama Emergency Management and Homeland Security Statutory Authorities Summarized
- This report is one of a series that profiles the emergency management and homeland security statutory authorities of the 50 states, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, and three territories (American Samoa, Guam, and the U.S. Virgin Islands). Each profile identifies the more significant elements of state statutes, generally as codified. This report focuses on the state of Alabama.
- Disaster Evacuation and Displacement Policy: Issues for Congress
- The devastation caused by Hurricane Katrina reaches beyond the borders of the states directly affected by the wind, rain, and floods. Before the storm reached the coast, thousands of residents of Louisiana and Mississippi evacuated to other states, including Texas and Oklahoma. Many people, for a variety of reasons, chose to disregard the mandatory evacuation orders issued by state and local officials. In general, evacuation policy is set and enforced by state and local officials. Federal policy provides for various aspects of civilian evacuation. As Members of Congress explore the challenges and losses in the states affected directly or indirectly by Hurricane Katrina, they may be called upon to consider federal policy options to more fully integrate federal and state authorities.
- Emergency Communications: The Emergency Alert System (EAS) and All-Hazard Warnings
- The Emergency Alert System (EAS) is one of several federally managed warning systems. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) jointly administers EAS with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), in cooperation with the National Weather Service (NWS), an organization within the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). The NOAA/NWS weather radio system has been upgraded to an all-hazard warning capability. This report summarizes the technology and administration of EAS and the NOAA/NWS all-hazard network, and some of the key proposals for change
- Tax Deductions for Catastrophic Risk Insurance Reserves: Explanation and Economic Analysis
- No Description Available.
- An Emergency Communications Safety Net: Integrating 911 and Other Services
- The 9/11 Commission Report recommended that 911 call centers — also called Public Safety Answering Points, or PSAPs — be included in planning for emergency responses.1 Congress, which has since 1999 passed two bills to further the deployment of 911, is reviewing ways to expand 911 capabilities and make it more accessible and effective. Congress is also evaluating ways to improve emergency alerts2 and interoperable communications for public safety.3 Operational convergence of emergency communications seems to many to be inevitable, a question of “when,” not “if.” This report deals primarily with 911 and its recent history. It also summarizes some of the proposals that would improve 911 through new approaches and integration with other services.
- Supplemental Appropriations for the 2004 Hurricanes and Other Disasters
- After a series of devastating hurricanes struck Florida and other states in the summer of 2004, the 108th Congress passed two emergency supplemental appropriations statutes that provided an estimated $16.475 billion to areas stricken by the hurricanes and other natural disasters. The House and Senate quickly approved legislation (H.R. 5005) the day after President Bush submitted a request on September 6, 2004, for $2 billion in FY2004 funding, largely in response to the devastation caused by Hurricanes Charley and Frances in Florida. The President signed the bill into law (P.L. 108-303) on September 7. All of the $2 billion was for assistance provided by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)
- Agricultural Disaster Assistance
- The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) offers several permanently authorized programs to help farmers recover financially from a natural disaster, including federal crop insurance, the non-insured assistance program and emergency disaster loans. In recent years, Congress frequently has made supplemental financial assistance available to farmers and ranchers on an ad-hoc basis, most notably in the form of direct crop disaster payments and emergency livestock assistance. Congress provided an estimated $3.1 billion of such assistance in the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2003 (P.L. 108-7) for 2001 and 2002 crop and livestock losses. Some farm groups would like to see similar assistance provided for 2003 losses, particularly in regions of the Midwest and West that have experienced prolonged drought conditions. To date, no ad-hoc assistance has been made available for 2003 losses.
- Continuity of Congress: Enacted and Proposed Federal Statutes for Expedited Election to the House in Extraordinary Circumstances
- This report is one of several CRS products related to congressional continuity and contingency planning.
- FY2006 Appropriations for State and Local Homeland Security
- This report provides information about the FY2006 Appropriations for State and Local Homeland Security. This report is a preliminary overview of the administration FY2006 budget request and congress proposed appropriations for selected programs of homeland security.
- Federal Flood Insurance: The Repetitive Loss Problem
- This report traces the evolution of the NFIP and provides background information on the program and also discusses the problem of repetitively flooded properties and the mitigation program administered by FEMA.
- FY2006 Appropriations for State and Local Homeland Security
- This report provides information about the FY2006 Appropriations for State and Local Homeland Security. This report is a preliminary overview of the administration FY2006 budget request and congress proposed appropriations for selected programs of homeland security.
- State and Homeland Security: Unresolved Issues for the 109th Congress
- Arguably, the three most important homeland security public laws enacted following the terrorist attacks on September 2001 are P.L. 107-56, “Uniting and Strengthening America by Providing Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism Act (USA PATRIOT Act)”; P.L. 107-296, “Homeland Security Act of 2002"; and P.L. 108-458, “Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act of 2004.” The PATRIOT Act focused on enhancing domestic security through anti-terrorism measures, specifically, law enforcement and legal responses to terrorism. The Homeland Security Act established the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), and the Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act restructured the U.S. intelligence community to better assist in terrorism preparedness and response
- State and Local Homeland Security: Unresolved Issues for the 109th Congress
- This report discusses important state and local homeland security policy issues that the 109th Congress might address.
- Public Safety Communications: Policy, Proposals, Legislation and Progress
- Since September 11, 2001, the effectiveness of America’s communications capabilities in support of the information needs of first responders and other public safety workers have been a matter of concern to Congress. The Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act of 2004 (P.L. 108-458) included sections that responded to recommendations made by the 9/ll Commission, in its report of July 2004, and by others in recent years, regarding public safety communications. Nonetheless, there is much still to be done to bring the United States to the threshold of adequate communications capabilities in emergencies. Congress can expect that the many advocates for public safety, in all its forms, will continue to push for improvements in public safety communications and interoperability.
- Tsunamis: Monitoring, Detection, and Early Warning Systems
- This report discusses proposals for international tsunami early warning systems and examines U.S. policy regarding tsunamis.
- Amber Alert Program Technology
- This report discusses provisions in the National Intelligence Reform Act of 2004 to test Amber Alert network technology for use in expanding the Emergency Alert System (EAS). The Amber Alert network utilizes a combination of technologies, such as highway messages boards, the Internet, and text messaging, to ensure the swift recovery of abducted children.
- Federal Counter-Terrorism Training: Issues for Congressional Oversight
- No Description Available.
- Tsunamis: Monitoring, Detection, and Early Warning Systems
- This report discusses proposals for international tsunami early warning systems and examines U.S. policy regarding tsunamis.
- FY2005 Supplemental Appropriations for Iraq and Afghanistan, Tsunami Relief, and Other Activities
- No Description Available.
- FY2005 Supplemental Appropriations for Iraq and Afghanistan, Tsunami Relief, and Other Activities
- This report presents Supplemental Appropriations for Iraq and Afghanistan, Tsunami Relief, and other activities for FY2005.
- Tsunamis: Monitoring, Detection, and Early Warning Systems
- This report discusses proposals for international tsunami early warning systems and examines U.S. policy regarding tsunamis.
- Public Safety, Interoperability and the Transistion to Digital Television
- No Description Available.
- Indian Ocean Earthquake and Tsunami: Food Aid Needs and the U.S. Response
- This report discusses the implementation of United States global food aid in response to tsunamis in the Indian Ocean region, including the FY2005 Emergency Supplemental Appropriations Act. Funding and resources are compared based on affected country and previous congressional actions. This report was updated on April 8, 2005.
- Tsunamis and Earthquakes: Is Federal Disaster Insurance in Our Future?
- On December 26, 2004, an earthquake measuring 9.0 on the Richter Scale struck six miles below the surface of the Indian Ocean on the northern tip of the Indonesian island of Sumatra. The 2004 earthquake spawned a massive tsunami (and extensive flooding) that smashed the coastlines of 12 countries in South Asia and East Africa, resulting in over 175,000 fatalities, an additional 106,000 missing, and significant economic and non-economic damages. Insured losses are relatively low compared to the economic and non-economic costs. Few structures or facilities in the region were insured.
- Hurricanes and Disaster Risk Financing Through Insurance: Challenges and Policy Options
- The U.S. Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico coastal states, Hawaii, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Island are exposed to relatively high levels of risk from hurricanes and tropical storms. The rapid expansion of the U.S. population into areas that are susceptible to hurricanes has placed millions of people and new areas of economic activity in harm’s way. To address the financial and economic effects of such risks, households and businesses have relied on private insurance, state-sponsored insurance pools, and/or federal emergency disaster assistance to manage their natural hazard risk.
- Indian Ocean Earthquake and Tsunami: Humanitarian Assistance and Relief Operations
- This report summarizes the extent of the disaster and relief effort and includes descriptions of the U.S. and international assistance efforts. It also examines protection mechanisms for children and separated orphans. A section is devoted to the situation in each of the affected countries followed by an analysis of selected issues for Congress.
- An Overview of the U.S. Public Health System in the Context of Emergency Preparedness
- No Description Available.
- Tsunamis: Monitoring, Detection, and Early Warning Systems
- This report discusses proposals for international tsunami early warning systems and examines U.S. policy regarding tsunamis.
- FY2006 Appropriations for State and Local Homeland Security
- This report provides information about the FY2006 Appropriations for the Department of Transportation which is funded through the annual appropriation act. The committee recomo\monded ore funding than the house approved for highway programs and Amtrak.
- Fiscal Year 2005 Homeland Security Grant Program: State Allocations and Issues for Congressional Oversight
- This report summarizes key provisions of the FY2005 program guidance, with special attention to differences from the FY2003 and FY2004 editions. This report also discusses issues regarding methods used to allocate federal homeland security assistance and authorized expenditures of homeland security assistance programs, and it analyzes options Congress may wish to consider for resolving those issues.
- Forest Fire/Wildfire Protection
- Congress continues to face questions about forestry practices, funding levels, and the federal role in wildland fire protection. The 2000 and 2002 fire seasons were, by most standards, among the worst in the past half-century. National attention began to focus on wildfires when a prescribed burn in May 2000 escaped control and burned 239 homes in Los Alamos, NM. President Clinton responded by requesting a doubling of wildfire management funds, and Congress enacted much of this proposal in the FY2001 Interior Appropriations Act (P.L. 106-291).