SECRECY NEWS
from the FAS Project on Government Secrecy
Volume 2017, Issue No. 63
August 31, 2017

Secrecy News Blog: https://fas.org/blogs/secrecy/

HARVEY RESPONSE DEPENDS ON CONGRESSIONAL ACTION

Aside from immediate needs for food, shelter, and medical care incurred by Hurricane Harvey, there are important disaster response and recovery tasks that will require prompt attention from Congress, according to an overview from the Congressional Research Service.

These tasks include appropriation of supplemental funds and extension of needed authorities.

"Special attention will be paid to the remaining balance of the Disaster Relief Fund (DRF) that pays for most of the immediate response activities supported by the federal government," CRS said. "Before Hurricane Harvey made landfall the DRF had roughly $3.5 billion in total unobligated resources available. The total projected end-of-fiscal-year balance, as of July 31 (prior to Hurricane Harvey), was $1.45 billion."

The uneven availability of flood insurance must also be addressed.

"Flood insurance claims made through the NFIP [National Flood Insurance Program] will be an important source of financial assistance to policyholders in the region. However, past data on participation (i.e., penetration) rates suggests that many properties in the special flood hazard area (SFHA) affected by Hurricane Harvey may not have flood insurance."

In any case, "Key provisions of the NFIP are also set to expire on September 30, 2017.... Expiration of these authorities could have a deleterious effect on the NFIP's ability to meet needs following Hurricane Harvey," CRS said.

See Congressional Considerations Related to Hurricane Harvey, CRS Insight, August 29, 2017:

Other new or newly-relevant publications from the Congressional Research Service on disaster response include the following.

Hurricane Harvey and Army Corps: Background for Flood Response and Recovery, CRS Insight, August 29, 2017:

Oil and Chemical Spills: Federal Emergency Response Framework, August 29, 2017:

Introduction to the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP), July 25, 2017:

Federal Disaster Assistance Response and Recovery Programs: Brief Summaries, July 18, 2017:

Private Flood Insurance in the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP), CRS Insight, June 2, 2017:

Federal Disaster Assistance: The National Flood Insurance Program and Other Federal Disaster Assistance Programs Available to Individuals and Households After a Flood, April 6, 2017:

Major Disaster Assistance from the Disaster Relief Fund: State Profiles, March 29, 2017:

Dam Safety: Federal Programs and Authorities, CRS In Focus, February 23, 2017:

FEMA Disaster Housing: The Individuals and Households Program--Implementation and Potential Issues for Congress, September 2, 2016:

Congressional Primer on Responding to Major Disasters and Emergencies, May 19, 2015:

Deployable Federal Assets Supporting Domestic Disaster Response Operations: Summary and Considerations for Congress, May 13, 2015:

FEMA's Disaster Declaration Process: A Primer, November 12, 2014:

FEMA's Disaster Relief Fund: Overview and Selected Issues, May 7, 2014:

FEMA Disaster Cost-Shares: Evolution and Analysis, April 4, 2013:

FY2013 Supplemental Funding for Disaster Relief, February 19, 2013:

Federal Involvement in Flood Response and Flood Infrastructure Repair: Storm Sandy Recovery, October 31, 2012:

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Secrecy News is written by Steven Aftergood and published by the Federation of American Scientists.

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