HR 760 · Restoring Access to Mountain Homes Act
Referred to the Subcommittee on Economic Development, Public Buildings, and Emergency Management.
- Introduced
- Jan 28, 2025
- Latest action
- Jan 29, 2025
- Sponsor
- Rep. Chuck Edwards [R-NC-11]
- Policy area
- Emergency Management
- Cosponsors
- 3
Summary
Restoring Access to Mountain Homes Act This bill authorizes the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to provide Public Assistance (PA) grant funding, under certain conditions, to reimburse government entities covered under the major disaster declaration for North Carolina relating to Tropical Storm Helene for the costs of repairing, replacing, or restoring private roads and bridges damaged by Helene. Under current law, the PA program provides grants for repairing disaster damage to infrastructure owned or legally maintained by government entities (or certain nonprofits). The bill authorizes PA funding for permanent repair work on privately owned and maintained roads and bridges significantly damaged by Helene in North Carolina, as costs incurred by state, tribal, or local governments for such work are eligible for reimbursement. Also, under current law, the costs of repairing damage that existed before the disaster are generally ineligible for PA. The bill makes the repair, replacement, or restoration costs eligible for reimbursement under PA regardless of pre-existing condition. Additionally, the bill contains criteria and conditions for reimbursement, including that to be eligible a road or bridge must be used as the sole means of accessing primary residences or essential community services. Reimbursement is under PA’s alternative procedures, and the bill requires FEMA to determine eligible costs based on estimates prepared by engineers. Recipients of funds from FEMA’s Individuals and Households Program (IHP) before the bill’s enactment may use IHP funds for repairs eligible under the bill without those costs counting against their maximum amount of IHP assistance.
Recent actions
- Jan 29, 2025 Referred to the Subcommittee on Economic Development, Public Buildings, and Emergency Management.
- Jan 28, 2025 Referred to the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure.
- Jan 28, 2025 Introduced in House
- Jan 28, 2025 Introduced in House
Votes
No recorded votes are available for this bill.