House Of Representatives Approves Major Changes To Disaster Recovery Law To Better Respond To Natural Disasters

The U.S. House of Representatives on Friday approved components  of the Disaster Recovery Reform Act (DRRA) to improve the federal government’s response to disasters and rebuilding communities. The bill, HR 4, will head to the Senate where lawmakers will be prompted for the second time to consider DRRA provisions. If enacted, the changes would amend the 1988 Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act, which regulates how disaster recovery dollars are spent throughout the United States and its territories. According to a Government House release, soon after Hurricanes Irma and Maria devastated much of the U.S. Virgin Islands, Governor Kenneth E. Mapp began lobbying Congressional members and the Trump Administration to revise the Stafford Act in order to eliminate red tape, help control wasteful spending and, most importantly, speed up federal aid to homeowners and businesses. Under the current law, local authorities can only use federal funds to rebuild to pre-disaster standa...