83R12880 BPG-D
By: Cortez H.R. No. 987
R E S O L U T I O N
WHEREAS, The Public Assistance Program of the Federal
Emergency Management Agency provides grants to state and local
governments to assist them with their response to and recovery from
disasters; and
WHEREAS, Under current FEMA policy, the agency sets a
gross-value financial damage threshold that must be met before a
disaster declaration is issued to allow qualification for the
Public Assistance Program; and
WHEREAS, Property values often vary greatly in counties and
cities struck by catastrophic events, and some communities within
an affected area have lower than average property values that place
them at a severe disadvantage in seeking aid; and
WHEREAS, An economically distressed community may suffer the
same degree of destruction as an affluent neighborhood nearby, but
the dollar amount of damage would be less because the original
property value was much lower; as a result, a less prosperous
community might not be able to meet the gross-value financial
damage threshold established by FEMA, even if the impact of the
disaster was just as significant as in the other communities; and
WHEREAS, The need for disaster relief in a community is not
evenly reflected in the dollar amount of damage, and communities
should not be penalized because they were less affluent than their
neighbors before misfortune befell the entire area; now, therefore,
be it
RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 83rd Texas
Legislature hereby respectfully request that the Federal Emergency
Management Agency amend its financial threshold criteria for
providing disaster aid to allow assistance to communities whose
average property value is lower than the applicable local county or
city average; and, be it further
RESOLVED, That the chief clerk forward an official copy of
this resolution to the administrator of the Federal Emergency
Management Agency.