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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 Sandy and the 2012 Election: Fact Sheet
Report examining what actions the federal government might take to respond to Hurricane Sandy's impact on the November 6, 2012, election.
Analysis of S. 2198: Emergency Drought Relief Act of 2014
This report discusses the Emergency Drought Relief Act of 2014, which would address drought impacts in California and other states, and assist with drought response.
U.S. Tsunami Programs: A Brief Overview
This report discusses U.S. warning systems and related disaster management programs in place to prepare for and react to tsunamis. This issue is discussed in relation to the March 2011 earthquake and tsunami that devastated Japan.
U.S. Tsunami Programs: A Brief Overview
This report discusses U.S. warning systems and related disaster management programs in place to prepare for and react to tsunamis. This issue is discussed in relation to the March 2011 earthquake and tsunami that devastated Japan.
Hurricane Florence: Brief Overview of FEMA Programs and Resources
This report provides a brief overview of emergency and major disaster declarations relevant to Hurricane Florence, and selected federal resources and links to CRS products related to emergency and disaster declarations, disaster response, and recovery.
Elections in States Affected by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita
The aftermath of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita created staggering problems and challenging conditions for the people of Alabama, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Texas, as well as for the state and local governments there. Many problems were immediately apparent, whereas others that involved ongoing government functions, such as elections, were less obvious at first. This report discusses the challenge of running elections in the many affected communities.
The National Earthquake Hazards Reduction Program (NEHRP): Issues in Brief
This report discusses the National Earthquake Hazard Reduction Program (NEHRP) and its funding and legislation related to it in the 115th Congress.
The National Commission on Children and Disasters: Overview and Issues
This report discusses The National Commission on Children and Disasters whose purpose is to assess the needs of children in the preparation for, response to, and recovery from natural disasters, acts of terrorism, and other man-made disasters.
2014 Quadrennial Homeland Security Review: Evolution of Strategic Review
The quadrennial homeland security review is a process in which DHS examines the nation's homeland security strategy; the report provides an explanation of this process. Neither the review process nor the report to Congress is a strategy, instead the 2014 QHSR (both the process and report) are part of the constant reevaluation of the nation's homeland security and part of the process by which the combined National and Homeland Security Staff develops the next iteration of the national security strategy.
Analysis of S. 2198: Emergency Drought Relief Act of 2014
This report discusses S. 2198, which would address drought impacts in California and other states, and assist with drought response.
The U.S. Tsunami Program: A Brief Overview
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's (NOAA's) National Weather Service (NWS) manages two tsunami warning centers that monitor, detect, and issue warnings for tsunamis. This report discusses these centers, which monitor and evaluate data from seismic networks and determine if a tsunami is likely based on the location, magnitude, and depth of an earthquake.
The National Hurricane Center and Forecasting Hurricanes: 2017 Overview and 2018 Outlook
This report first provides a synopsis of the role of the National Hurricane Center (NHC), part of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's (NOAA's) National Weather Service (NWS), in forecasting hurricanes, and it discusses some of the advances and remaining challenges in hurricane forecasting. The report then provides an overview of the 2017 hurricane season, with a focus on the three destructive hurricanes named above, and includes a brief summary of the hurricane outlook for 2018.
Considerations for a Catastrophic Declaration: Issues and Analysis
This report examines concerns expressed by policymakers and experts that current Stafford Act declarations are inadequate to respond to, and recover from, highly destructive events, and presents the arguments for and against amending the act to add a catastrophic declaration amendment.
Agricultural Provisions in the FY1998 Emergency Supplemental Appropriations Act (P.L. 105-174)
This report considers the agricultural funding allocated in the FY1998 supplemental appropriations bill.
Flooding Events: CRS Experts
This table provides access to names and contact information for Congressional Research Service (CRS) experts on policy concerns relating to flooding events in the United States. Policy areas identified include impacts, response and recovery, mitigation, and federal financing.
Disaster Mitigation Assistance Bills in the 106th Congress: Comparison of Provisions
The Administration initiative to shift federal emergency management policy away from a "response and recovery" emphasis has generated little congressional controversy, although some have raised concerns about the cost effectiveness of implementing a mitigation strategy. Greater attention, it is generally argued, should be given to mitigation (loss reduction) efforts before disasters occur in order to reduce future losses. Legislation (H.R. 707, S. 1691) pending before the 106th Congress would amend the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (the Stafford Act) which authorizes federal assistance when the President declares that a catastrophe has overwhelmed state and local resources.
FEMA's Mission: Policy Directives for the Federal Emergency Management Agency
This report discusses policy directives for the federal emergency management agency related to FEMA's mission.
Urban Search and Rescue Task Forces: Facts and Issues
No Description Available.
Hawaii Emergency Management and Homeland Security Authorities Summarized
This report profiles Hawaii emergency management and Homeland Security authorities.
Emergency Supplemental Appropriations for Hurricane Katrina Relief
In response to the widespread destruction caused by Hurricane Katrina, the 109th Congress enacted two FY2005 emergency supplemental appropriations bills, which together provided $62.3 billion for emergency response and recovery needs. 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.
Legislative Initiatives to Temporarily Relocate Federal Courts Interrupted by Natural or Man-Made Disasters, 109th Congress
No Description Available.
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.
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.
Katrina's Wake: Restoring Financial Services
In the wake of Hurricane Katrina, damage to the financial infrastructure appears to be largely confined to small depository institutions. Directives stemming from the 9/11 attacks require most banking and securities firms to maintain off-site redundancy for significant personnel and daily data backups. The damaged area is sufficiently wide, however, and the possibility of long-term loan delinquency sufficiently high, that greater harm may yet surface. To date, most depository institutions are functioning to some degree and, despite concerns over large
The Pandemic and All-Hazards Preparation Act (S. 3678): Provisions and Comparison with Current Law and Related Proposals
No Description Available.
Urban Search and Rescue Task Forces: Facts and Issues
No Description Available.
The Hurricane Sandy Rebuilding Strategy: In Brief
This report briefly analyzes the Hurricane Sandy Rebuilding Strategy (HSRS), which is the key strategic document released by the Hurricane Sandy Rebuilding Task Force established by executive order. It also discusses overarching issues for Congress that may arise in oversight of the Hurricane Sandy recovery process and how lessons learned from Hurricane Sandy can be applied to future disasters.
Implementing the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) for Disaster Response, Recovery, and Mitigation Projects
Report that discusses the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 as it applies to projects for which federal funding to recover from or prepare for a disaster has been requested by local, tribal, or state grant applicants.
Stafford Act Declarations 1953-2011: Trends and Analyses, and Implications for Congress
Report that describes the declaration process of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act and the types of declarations that can be made under the Stafford Act.
Federal Involvement in Flood Response and Flood Infrastructure Repair: Storm Sandy Recovery
Report regarding congressional efforts to structure federal actions and programs so they provide incentives to reduce flood risk without unduly infringing on private property rights or usurping local decision making.
Tax Provisions to Assist with Disaster Recovery
Report that provides a basic overview of existing, permanent provisions that benefit victims of disasters, as well as past, targeted legislative responses to particular disasters. The relief is discussed without examining either the qualifications for or the limitation on claiming the provisions' benefits.
Army Corps Supplemental Appropriations: Recent History, Trends, and Policy Issues
This report provides analysis of Corps supplemental funding. Its focus is recent decades of supplemental funding provided directly to the Corps, and it does not include extensive analysis of regular Corps appropriations.
What Happens if the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) Lapses
This report provides a short overview of what would happen if the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) were not to be reauthorized by December 8, 2017, and was allowed to lapse.
National Flood Insurance Borrowing Authority
This report evaluates the National Flood Insurance Program's (NFIP's) 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 as it pays claims from Hurricanes Harvey, Irma, and Maria.
Supplemental Appropriations and the 2017 Hurricane Season
This report provides tables listing all the bills, departments, and programs which received supplemental funding related to disaster relief after the 2017 hurricane season and wildfires in California.
Private Flood Insurance and the National Flood Insurance Program
This report describes the current role of private insurers in U.S. flood insurance, and discusses barriers to expanding private sector involvement. The report considers potential effects of increased private sector involvement in the U.S. flood market -- both for the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) and for consumers -- and outlines the provisions relevant to private flood insurance in the House and Senate NFIP reauthorization bills.
Private Flood Insurance and the National Flood Insurance Program
This report describes the current role of private insurers in U.S. flood insurance, and discusses barriers to expanding private sector involvement. The report considers potential effects of increased private sector involvement in the U.S. flood market, both for the NFIP and for consumers. Finally, the report outlines the provisions relevant to private flood insurance in the House and Senate NFIP reauthorization bills.
What Happens If the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) Lapses?
This report provides a short overview of what would happen if the NFIP were not to be reauthorized by November 30, 2018, and allowed to lapse.
Earthquakes: Risk, Monitoring, Notification, and Research
This report describes estimates of earthquake hazards and risk in the United States; the current federal programs that support earthquake monitoring and that provide notification after a seismic event; and the programs that support mitigation and research aimed at reducing U.S. vulnerability to earthquakes.
National Flood Insurance Program Borrowing Authority
This report evaluates the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) borrowing authority to receive loans from the U.S. Department of the Treasury, particularly in the context of major floods, and also discusses the current financial situation of the NFIP.
Tax Policy and Disaster Recovery
This report discusses, in broad terms, disaster-related tax policy. Challenges associated with using the tax code to deliver federal financial assistance following natural disasters are also discussed.
Congressional Primer on Responding to Major Disasters and Emergencies
This report provides information to aid policymakers related to the laws and administrative policies governing the disaster response and recovery process. It also reviews the legislative framework for providing federal financial assistance following disasters, as well as the policies the executive branch employs to provide supplemental help to state (or territory), tribal, and local governments during time of disasters.
Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts: History, Operations, and Current Issues
This report summarizes the history, functionality, and current events of the Administrative Office of the United States Courts (AO). The report's overview includes information on why the administration was founded by examining its origins and the role of it in contemporary court proceedings. Moreover, the report highlights how the AO has taken on roles in emergency management.
Federal Emergency Management and Homeland Security Organization: Historical Developments and Legislative Options
This report provides background information on the establishment and evolution of federal emergency management organizational arrangements since the end of World War II and briefly summarizes the legislative proposals.
Emergency Management Preparedness Standards: Overview and Options for Congress
This report provides Emergency an Overview and Options for Congress on Emergency Management Preparedness Standards which includes major recommendations like adoption and use of emergency response standards, mutual aid provisions, private sector preparedness.
Emergency Management Preparedness Standards: Overview and Options for Congress
This report provides Emergency an Overview and Options for Congress on Emergency Management Preparedness Standards which includes major recommendations like adoption and use of emergency response standards, mutual aid provisions, private sector preparedness.
Private Flood Insurance in the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP)
This report briefly discusses federal law regarding flood insurance. By law or regulation, federal agencies, federally-regulated lending institutions, and government-sponsored enterprises must require certain property owners to purchase flood insurance as a condition of any mortgage that these entities make, guarantee, or purchase.
Stafford Act Assistance and Acts of Terrorism
This report provides a brief overview of Stafford Act declarations under the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act and the types of assistance they could authorize in response to terrorist incidents. This report also provides examples of Stafford Act declarations that have been issued for previous terrorist attacks.
Pandemic Flu and Medical Biodefense Countermeasure Liability Limitation
This report analyzes Division C of the Department of Defense Emergency Supplemental Appropriations, P.L. 109-148, which was signed into law on December 30, 2005, and which limits liability with respect to pandemic flu and other public health countermeasures.
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