copied from web site of Sean
Hannity of hannity.com
September 27, 2005
Department
of Defense
$743 million for Defense Operation and Maintenance expenses
incurred during relief efforts.
$547 million for the Department of Defense to procure needed
equipment.
Two year increase in the Family Separation Allowance to from $250
to $350, effective 29 August 2005.
Ensures that all deployments in support of Hurricane Katrina
relief efforts shall be credited towards the mobilization
requirement in the six year deployment cycle policy of the Army National
Guard, Air National Guard, and Army Reserve.
$748 Million for Defense reconstruction of military facilities
and family housing in Louisiana.
$160,000,000 of the Military Construction fund will be directed
to the City of New Orleans to implement the proposed Federal City
initiative.
Veterans Affairs
Provides $1 billion for reconstruction and repair of damaged VA
facilities and cemeteries, needed medical services, and general
operating expenses.
$500 million to reconstruct and improve the New Orleans Regional
VA Hospital. .
Suspend all co-pays for care and medications and to furnish
necessary hospital care and medical services to each veteran affected by
Hurricane Katrina.
Provides waiver for veterans affected by Hurricane Katrina,
allowing them to receive medical care from an area hospital, if a VA
facility is not within 30 miles.
Commerce
$150 million in fisheries disaster assistance for distribution in
direct grants to Louisiana harvesters and vessel owners as replacement
of dockside values for all fishery resources.
$90 million in disaster assistance for the complete
rehabilitation of hurricane-impacted public and private oyster reefs in
the State of Louisiana.
$150 million for the establishment of strategically located
emergency fisheries infrastructure facilities to service the affected
fleets, fishermen and processors, to ensure that their product can reach
market.
$35 million to the Louisiana Seafood Promotion and Marketing
Board for the rebuilding of lost markets that have been challenged by
Hurricane Katrina and its aftermath.
$4 million in emergency funding to the South Regional Climate
Center for hurricane forecasting and data delivery in times of
emergency. Additionally, $5 million to the Louisiana State University
Hurricane Center to implement an emergency response decision support
system and expert guidance that can be rapidly deployed to support
emergency response and recovery activities.
Human Services
Dedicates $400 million for substance abuse and mental health and
substance abuse services for persons affected by Hurricane Katrina.
Energy
National Energy Infrastructure ZonesDirects the Secretary of
Energy to take all necessary actions to protect, improve, revitalize,
rebuild and strengthen the countrys energy infrastructure system.
$36 million dedicated to Louisiana to provide low income home
energy assistance
Electric Utility Relief-Modeled after the assistance provided to
airlines after September 11th, would compensate electric utility
companies and gas distribution companies for two types of costs: direct
losses related to rebuilding, repair and restoration of facilities and
services and for the loss of a significant part of a customer base for a
sustained period of time.
Shares 50% of OCS revenues annually with coastal producing states
and coastal political subdivisions
Education
$750 million in teacher incentive funds will ensure that the
school systems affected by Hurricane Katrina will be able to retain
their qualified teaching professionals to staff their schools when
students return to class.
Allow for systems that serve as hosts to displaced students to
receive $4,000 per student to facilitate these students transition
into new systems and improve the instruction for these students.
$600,000,000 to rebuild early childhood programs such as Head
Start and Early Head Start for costs associated with services for
children, including nutrition, materials, hiring addition personnel, and
rental space.
$2 billion dollars to assist areas impacted by Hurricane Katrina
to repair, renovate, alter, or construct educational facilities.
$1 billion to the Louisiana Department of Education to meet the
costs of affected school districts. These funds will allow schools in
the affected areas to keep their funding regardless of enrollment for
one year and will aid in maintaining operation and re-starting schools.
$5 billion will be given to a Postsecondary Education
Stabilization Board to establish an Education Relief Fund to compensate
postsecondary education institutions for direct and associated losses
due to the impact of Hurricane Katrina.
Requires the Secretary of Education to grant a waiver to all
affected Institutions of Higher Education for unused Federal Work Study
Programs funds.
Requires the Secretary of Education to grant a six month
deferment to all students affected by Hurricane Katrina participating in
the Title IV loan program.
Funding will be calculated under the Individuals with
Disabilities Act for the 2005-2006 school year and the 2006-2007 school
year for the Secretary of Education to use the data from the 2004-2005
school year to determine the number of children in each State that are
in need of such allocation.
Justice
Provides $650 million for salaries, expenses, and lost equipment
for police, firefighters, EMTs, district attorneys, Public Defenders
offices, courts, and others in the disaster area.
Increases COPS program funding by $200 million to hire police
officers in areas that have experienced large influxes of displaced
people as a result of the hurricane.
Provides $10 million for a program to unite missing children with
their family members in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.
Encourages federal courts and the GSA to make accommodations
available to state and local courts whose operations have been disrupted
by the hurricane.
Interior
$150 million for a special historic preservation grant program to
provide direct funding to owners of historic structures and artifacts
affected by Hurricane Katrina. In addition, this program will be
administered in collaboration with the State Historic Preservation
Office and the National Center for Preservation Technology and Training
in Natchitoches, Louisiana. The match will be established at 75% federal
and 25% non-federal, as opposed to the usual 50/50. The non-federal
match can be cash, donated services, or use of equipment and labor.
$10 million for wildlife habitat and species restoration in the
areas affected by Hurricane Katrina.
Emergency Preparedness and Response
Ensures that religious organizations will not be denied federal
assistance in repairing, restoring, reconstructing, or replacing their
facilities following damage or destruction of those facilities as a
result of Hurricane Katrina.
Authorizes $91.2 million to provide immediate command centers and
communications following a disaster or other emergency.
Authorizes $50 million for speedy submission of a regional plan
and its implementation, including a center at the Federal City complex
that will be constructed at the Naval Support Activity in Algiers, LA.
Provides $600 million to the Louisiana Commission on Law
Enforcement to implement the Louisiana Totally Interoperable Environment
(LATIE).
Provides emergency funding for the rebuilding of the public
telecommunications infrastructure and facilities that were damaged or
destroyed by Hurricane Katrina in the amount of $250 million.
Provides that the individual now serving as Special Inspector
General for Iraq Reconstruction will, in addition to continuing to serve
in that role, also take on the role of Special Inspector General for
Hurricane Katrina recovery activities for at least the next two years.
Makes it his duty to conduct and coordinate audits and investigations of
the treatment, handling, and expenditure of federal funds for Hurricane
Katrina recovery, as well as programs, operations, and contracts carried
out using such funds.
Requires GAO to track spending of money appropriated in each
Hurricane Katrina emergency supplemental appropriations bill and report
to Congress with its findings.
Establishes the AmeriCorps Disaster Relief Corps to carry out
national service projects that address the needs arising from the
consequences of Hurricane Katrina, and other major disasters and
emergencies.
Provides $250,000,000 for emergency assistance to firefighters.
Provides $10,000,000 for USCG fisheries program
Housing
$5 billion for 6-month mortgage relief for those in affected
areas to allow people to work to rebuild their homes without the threat
of foreclosure.
$50 billion in Community Development Block Grants will be
available to provide disaster relief and promote long-term recovery in
the communities hardest hit by Hurricane Katrina. Also waives all income
requirements and raises the maximum project amount from $1.5 to $10
million.
$3.5 billion for vouchers to pay temporary housing costs for
displaced families, regardless of income and other typical eligibility
requirements for relocation nationwide. Eases regulatory requirements to
improve the flow of federal housing funds to affected disaster areas.
Waives income and rent requirements under the HOME Investment
Partnership Program to provide incentives to build mixed-income housing
in the Hurricane Katrina Disaster Zone.
Allows citizens affected by Hurricane Katrina to classify as
First-Time Homebuyers to qualify for federal mortgage assistance
programs available to First-Time Homebuyers.
Health Care
Provides targeted Disaster Relief Medicaid (DRM) coverage for all
these Katrina survivors up to 100% of the federal poverty level or up to
200% for pregnant women, children and the disabled. Louisiana parishes
under a disaster declaration and other states caring for these Katrina
evacuees are reimbursed at 100% FMAP for care provided through DRM.
Grants volunteers who provide assistance to victims of Hurricane
Katrina immunity from liability for injuries resulting from aid provided
to such victims, except for injuries caused by willful, wanton, reckless
or criminal conduct or conduct that constitutes a violation of a federal
or state civil rights law.
Establishes an emergency fund to ensure that individuals or
businesses that have private insurance do not lose their coverage
because of Hurricane Katrina. This fund will pay for the premiums and
co-pays of displaced individuals who had preexisting private health
insurance and small businesses who provided health benefits through
private insurance to their employees. In doing so, this will reduce the
number of displaced individuals who will rely on the Emergency Medicare
and Medicaid program for immediate health insurance.
Amends the National Health Service Corps such that individuals
who agree to work in areas affected by Hurricane Katrina are given
priority during the grant application process. It further offers a
reduced loan program for individuals who accept grants to work in the
affected areas.
Amends the Community Health Center Grants such that applicants
who apply for community health center grants in areas in which the
President has declared that a major disaster exists receive priority in
the grant application process. It further waives any requirement or
eligibility criteria that the Secretary deems appropriate in awarding
these grants.
Allows the Secretary to grant immediate certification of
federally qualified health center upon any community hospital that has
requested that designation prior to Hurricane Katrina.
Allows Louisiana hospitals, physicians, community health centers
and clinics to receive help in cover expenditures related to caring for
Hurricane Katrina victims without insurance.
$300 million for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
for toxicity screening, assessment, and tracking.
$100 million is provided for Mosquito abatement activities.
Provides $1.0 billion available to the Secretary of Health and
Human Services to cover healthcare costs and expenses incurred by the
public health emergency created by Hurricane Katrina. $800 million of
this amount shall be dedicated to rebuilding healthcare infrastructure.
$50 billion in Community Development Block Grants will be
available to provide disaster relief and promote long-term recovery in
the communities hardest hit by Hurricane Katrina.
Mortgage relief for those in affected areas in the amount of $5
billion will allow people to work to rebuild their homes without the
threat of foreclosure.
Provides $1 billion to the Department of Health and Hospitals for
emergency services
Bankruptcy Relief
Excludes payments from FEMA, other disaster relief agencies, and
charitable organizations directly associated with a natural disaster
from the definition of current monthly income
Allows actual expenses incurred as a direct result of a natural
disaster to be treated as expenses for purposes of the bankruptcy
codes chapter13 means test
Permits victims of a natural disaster to file for bankruptcy
without first completing credit counseling if a natural disaster
prevents them from doing so;
Small Business
Authorizes and appropriates $150 million to the Louisiana
Department of Economic Development (LED) to provide emergency bridge
loans or grants to small businesses in the disaster areas that have been
adversely impacted by Hurricane Katrina and need immediate access to
capital until they can get other loans or financial assistance. Also
includes provisions that gives LED more discretion in forgiving loans,
allows loans to turn into a grant if business stays in community of
origin for 5 years, and defers first payment on loans under this program
for one year.
A one-year period after receiving an SBA Disaster Loan before
businesses would need to begin making interest and principal payments
Authorizes increased funding for the SBAs counseling and
training resources to help small businesses directly and indirectly
affected by Hurricane Katrina to recover. The total amount proposed is
$33.75 million: $21 million for the Small Business Development Centers;
$5 million for Microloan technical assistance; $4.5 million for the
Womens Business Centers; $2 million for SCORE; and $1.25 million for
the Veterans Business Outreach Centers.
Refinancing of existing Disaster Loans and business debt
Increases the cap on small business disaster loan cap from $1.5
million to $10 million
Increases the program level for SBA Disaster Loans (Physical and
Economic Injury) by approximately $600 million, requiring an
appropriation of approximately $86 million.
Makes the declared disaster areas an Historically Underutilized
Business Zone (HUBZone) which gives a preference to small businesses in
the disaster zone when they bid on federal contracts.
Sets small business prime contracting goal of 30 percent, and a
subcontracting goal of 40 percent so that at least 30 percent of prime
contract dollars and 40 percent of subcontracting dollars allocated
through emergency funds to rebuild the affected areas will be directed
to small businesses in the affected regions.
Agriculture
Provides $ million crop disaster assistance to for all
commercially grown crops in Louisiana (other than sugarcane) that
have suffered qualifying losses to their 2005 crop due to Hurricane
Katrina
Establishes a sugarcane disaster assistance program modeled on
the FY 2003 program to compensate growers for estimated losses of $165
million plus anticipated lower production in 2006 due to damage caused
by Hurricane Katrina.
Provides $500 million to re-build critical agriculture
infrastructure losses
$10 million in assistance for dairy cattle losses, production
losses and animal health costs not including infrastructure losses.
$11 million to implement the Livestock Indemnity Program and
Livestock Compensation Program for the 11,000 head of cattle lost due to
Hurricane Katrina
As a result of saltwater intrusion that makes most citrus acres
in the state not suitable for replanting and lost revenue for
horiticulture growers (flowers, fruits and vegetables), establishes a
separate disaster assistance program for citrus, horticulture (flowers,
fruits and vegetables), nursery crops and Christmas tree producers based
on the program established for Florida producers due to Hurricanes
Charley, Frances and Jeanne during August and September 2004.
Provides $190 million for the Emergency Watershed Protection
Program for the repair of damages to waterways and watersheds in
parishes impacted by Hurricane Katrina. In addition, provides $40
million for the Emergency Conservation Program to rehabilitate farmland
damaged by Hurricane Katrina.
To address losses of timber that could exceed $700 million,
provide authority under the Tree Assistance Program to cover timber and
Christmas trees, provides $28 million for restoration and rehabilitation
of forest lands in parishes destroyed or damaged by Hurricane Katrina
and $34 million to support research and education activities to study
the damage inflicted on the States forestry caused by Hurricane
Katrina.
$120 million for the clean up, renovation, repair and replacement
of laboratory facilities and equipment at the Southern Regional Research
Center at New Orleans, LA which suffered extensive damage as a result of
Hurricane Katrina
$25,490,073 shall be available until expended for completion of
the of the ARS Sugarcane Research Laboratory at Houma, Louisiana to do
research and development.
Provides $210 million in water and waste grants and loans to
Louisianans in areas affected by Hurricane Katrina.
Provides $200 million in community facilities direct grants and
loans to Louisianans in areas affected by Hurricane Katrina.
Army Corps of Engineers:
Protecting Essential Louisiana Infrastructure, Citizens, and
Nature
(PELICAN) Program
Establishes a PELICAN Commission to more timely and cost
effectively implement needed hurricane protection, flood control,
coastal restoration, and navigation projects in an integrated and
comprehensive fashion without having to come back to Congress for any
other approval.
Appropriates $40 billion to the Commission to quickly approve and
fund the design and implementation of these corps projects.
The PELICAN Commission is composed of 9 members as follows:
o a chairperson appointed by the President
o the Chief of Engineers of U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
o the NOAA Administrator
o the Louisiana member of the Mississippi River Commission
o the Governor of Louisiana
o a Louisianian, appointed by the President, with expertise in
commerce
o a Louisianian, appointed by the President, with expertise in
environment
o a Louisianian, appointed by the President, with expertise in flood
control, and
o a Louisianian, appointed by the President, with expertise in
maritime matters
Directs the Commission to engage the Corps to develop, within 6
months and annually thereafter, a Work Plan for designing and
implementing these projects to simultaneously protect the Louisiana
coastal area from future flooding and devastation caused by hurricanes,
restore and reconstruct coastal wetlands, and provide for navigational
interest.
Upon the Commissions approval of the Corps Work Plan, the
Commission shall fund the Corps to immediately begin implementation of
the projects without having to come back to Congress for any other
approval.
Economic Development
Provides $10 billion in Community Development Block Grant Funding
to create a Louisiana Business Redevelopment Fund for economic recovery
and development activities. The State of Louisiana and local authorities
in the affected disaster parishes shall distribute these funds through a
development corporation, modeled upon the Lower Manhattan Development
Corporation that is overseeing reconstruction efforts in the World Trade
Center area.
Establishes a Gulf of Mexico State Disaster Economic and
Education Transition/Recovery/Relocation Fund and provide $1 billion for
recovery assistance for the impacted Federal and State agencies,
businesses, institutions of higher education, and public-private
partnerships in the disaster areas of the Gulf of Mexico states
resulting from Hurricane Katrina.
Provides $70 million for the Hollings Manufacturing Extension
Partnership of the National Institute of Standards and Technology to
restore the manufacturing and supply base in Louisiana, Mississippi, and
Alabama that was adversely affected by Hurricane Katrina.
Gives the Secretary of Commerce the authority to direct the
United States Customs Service to issue an automatic liquidation to
provide much needed relief to the domestic crawfish processors in
Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama who have been adversely affected by
Hurricane Katrina and the continued dumping of crawfish tail meat from
China.
Directs the Secretary of Commerce to provide $35 million per year
for the next five years for the creation and maintenance of an Export
Assistance Program in Louisiana. This program would support export
related training and development assistance to companies in these states
and provides them with assistance in seeking access to international
markets for their products, including travel and marketing assistance.
Provides $200 million over a five year period from the Economic
Development Administration of the U.S. Department of Commerce for an
entrepreneurship redevelopment program to rebuild and diversify the
recovering economies in Louisiana. Funding provides for an entrepreneur
facility, a seed capital fund, a business accelerator program, and
operation costs for the program.
Transportation Infrastructure Restoration
$13 billion is provided to the Louisiana Department of
Transportation and Development, subdivided for the following purposes:
$7 billion for Evacuation and Energy Routes, $5 billion to increase
transportation capacity in cities affected by an influx of evacuees, and
$1 billion to ports in Louisiana for restoration, protection and
improvement.
$1 billion is specifically provided to the Port of New Orleans
for Restoration, Protection and Improvement
Revenue replacement provisions have been included to support
several transportation agencies. The revenue replacement provisions are
spread across the applicable sections of the subtitle, they are as
follows:
$ 190 million to replace the revenue loss of the Regional Transit
Authority
$ 71.8 million to replace the revenue loss of the New Orleans Airport
$ 36 million to replace the revenue loss of the Public Belt Railroad
$2.9 billion is provided for the Highway Emergency Relief program
and will be funded through the
Treasury rather than the Highway Trust Fund
FHWA is directed to reimburse La DOTD the cost of replacing the
twin-span bridge as a 6-lane bridge at current width standards
$20 million is provided to the 5 development districts of South
Louisiana to develop comprehensive plans for development after Hurricane
Katrina.
In an effort to stimulate shipbuilding, $150 million is provided
under Title XI of the Merchant Marine Act of 1936, as amended at a risk
rate of 5 percent.
Tax Relief
Provides the state with $30 billion in tax exempt bond financing
authority for rebuilding in the disaster area.
Allows displaced persons to make tax-deferred, penalty-free
withdrawals from retirement plans to rebuild their homes and businesses.
Gives hurricane victims, businesses, and non-profits a tax
deduction for expenses incurred during the evacuation, provided that
they return to affected areas.
Up to half of worker wages in the Katrina Disaster Zone will not
be subject to federal income taxation.
Tax credit for investments in property placed in service in the
Katrina Disaster Zone.
Provides a $1,000 tax credit for each employee a small business
puts back to work in the disaster area.
Environment
Establishes the Louisiana Restoration Stamp Fund. The funds from
the sales of the stamp will be deposited into the Louisiana Restoration
Stamp fund. Monies from the fund will be used for restoration activities
in the State of Louisiana affected by Hurricane Katrina.
$1 billion over ten years for the Environmental Protection Agency
to use to provide for the restoration of Lake Pontchartrain, individual
properties and public spaces.
$7 billion to EPA for water infrastructure repairs; drinking
water emergency assistance grants; technical assistance grants; local
reimbursement program; and activities related to reoccupation of
buildings
Allows President to waive or modify applicability of certain
requirements under any law so that there is legal authority to continue
to work without stopping work until it is cleared up or until Congress
Acts to waive the requirement.
$10 million to the Secretary of Agriculture to be transferred in
the form of a direct lump sum payment to the Louisiana Department of
Wildlife and Fisheries, of which $8 million is for financial assistance
to affected alligator farms and $2 million is for assessment, research
and mitigation activities.
$150 million to the National Park Service for the Historic
Preservation Grant Program for grants for preservation and conservation
work on nationally significant historic structures and sites in the
areas affected by Hurricane Katrina.
Law Enforcement
Prohibits knowingly making a false statement or nondisclosure
that results in an individual receiving federal aid under this Act.
Subjects violators to enhanced penalties under the federal criminal
code.
Grants volunteers who provide assistance to victims of Hurricane
Katrina immunity from liability for injuries resulting from aid provided
to such victims, except for injuries caused by willful, wanton, reckless
or criminal conduct or conduct that constitutes a violation of a federal
or state civil rights law.
Provides the statutory authority to permit judicial branch
employees to participate in emergency leave transfer programs that are
currently available to all executive branch employees.
