Disaster Grants – Public Assistance (Presidentially Declared Disasters)

To assist state, local, territorial , and tribal (SLTT) governments and eligible private non-profits in responding to and recovering from the devastating effects of disasters by providing assistance for debris removal, emergency protective measures, and the repair, restoration, reconstruction or replacement of public and eligible private non-profit facilities or infrastructure damaged or destroyed as the result of Presidentially-declared major disasters or emergencies.Performance Measures:
Debris Grants:
• Number awarded for debris removal
• Number of debris subawards obligated
• 80% of debris subawards developed without rework, as a result of effective training and processes
• 75% of debris subawards obligation within PA PDG guidelines
• 90% of debris projects completed within the POP
Emergency Protective Measure Grants
• Dollar amount awarded for Emergency Protective Measures
• Number of EPM subawards obligated
• 80% of EPM subawards developed without rework, as a result of
• effective training and processes
• 75% of EPM subawards obligated within PDG guidelines
• 90% of EPM projects completed within the POP
Resilience Infrastructure Grants
• Dollar amount awarded for infrastructure projects
• Number of infrastructure subawards obligated
• 25% of total infrastructure dollars are obligated for mitigation to improve resiliency of FEMA funded projects
• Percent of infrastructure projects that include mitigation to improve resiliency of FEMA funded projects
• 80% of infrastructure subawards developed without rework, as a result of effective training and processes
• 75% of infrastructure subawards obligated within PA PDG guidelines
• 90% of infrastructure projects completed within the POP
Grant Management Funds
• Dollar amount awarded for management cost
• Number of management cost subawards obligated
• 90% of management cost projects completed within the POP
• 90% of closeouts submitted by recipients within PA PDG timelines
• Percent of Applicants with SVI scores above .7 assigned appropriate PDMGs
Training, Development, and Guidance
• 75% of Applicant Coordination & Evaluation activities completed within 30 days of incident
• Applicants reporting satisfaction with FEMA policies, processes, and engagement:
o PA overall – 90%; Understanding PA – 80%; Grants Portal – 90%
• 20% of declared events are recipient led
• 80% of FEMA PA staff assigned roles aligned w/ training and quals

State and Territorial Governments
State and territorial governments, including the District of Columbia, American Samoa, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, Guam, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands, are eligible applicants. This includes any agency or instrumentality thereof, exclusive of local governments.
Tribal Governments
Federally recognized Indian Tribal governments, including Alaska Native villages and organizations, are eligible Applicants. A searchable list of federally recognized tribal nations is available through the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA). Alaska Native Corporations are ineligible as they are privately owned.State recognized tribes and heritage groups are eligible applicants. Although they cannot request a Presidential declaration, they can receive funding through the PA Program through the state.
Local Governments
The following types of local governments are eligible applicants:
• Counties and parishes
• Municipalities, cities, towns, boroughs, and townships
• Local public authorities
• School districts
• Intrastate districts
• Councils of governments (regardless of whether incorporated as nonprofit corporationsunder state law)
• Regional and interstate government entities
• Agencies or instrumentalities of local governments
• State recognized tribes
• Special districts established under State law
o Community Development Districts are special districts that finance, plan, establish, acquire, construct or reconstruct, operate, and maintain systems, facilities, and basic infrastructure within their respective jurisdictions. To be eligible, a Community Development District must own and be legally responsible for maintenance, and operation of an eligible facility that is open to and serves the general public.Private Nonprofit
To be eligible, the organization must have been an established private nonprofit, and have owned or operated an eligible facility at the time of the incident. For private nonprofits, an eligible facility is one that provides and eligible service. All three criteria must be met to be an eligible applicant. More information is available in the Public Assistance Program and Policy Guide (PAPPG) available on FEMA.gov.

Civil Defense/Disaster Prevention and Relief/Emergency Preparedness
Restricted to Presidentially-declared major disasters or emergencies, such as an earthquake, hurricane, tornado, or wildfire. Program activates only after issuance of a Presidential declaration. PA is awarded in the form of cost-shared grants to states, local governments, other political subdivisions such as special districts, federally recognized Indian tribal governments and Alaska Native villages or organizations, and certain eligible private non-profit organizations. A state is defined as any State of the United States, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, Guam, American Samoa, and the Commonwealth of Northern Mariana Islands. Following a presidential declaration, grants may be made for removal of wreckage and debris from private and public lands; performance of emergency protective measures; emergency transportation assistance; emergency communications; and permanent restoration of eligible facilities.

2 CFR 200, Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards applies to this program.
A presidential major disaster or emergency declaration must be issued, following which an applicant may submit a Request for Public Assistance (RPA) through the Governor's Authorized Representative or for Tribal declarations, the Tribal Chief Executive or Tribal Authorized Representative to the FEMA Regional Administrator within 30 days after the respective area is designated.
The recipient (state, tribe, or territory) reviews each RPA to determine if the entity meets the criteria of an eligible applicant, provides an assessment of the applicant’s risk of noncompliance as required by 2 C.F.R. § 200.332(b), and recommends whether FEMA should approve the RPA. Once an RPA is approved, the state, tribe, or territory, or local government entity or private nonprofit becomes an applicant and is eligible to submit projects to request funding. Recipients must also submit an RPA to be eligible to request funding through the PA Program.

Funds are allocated from the Disaster Relief Fund for use in a designated emergency or major disaster area. State, territory and tribal recipients are responsible for distributing funds to subrecipients (applicants). As a condition of receiving assistance under the Stafford Act, the applicable STT government must enter into an agreement with FEMA regarding the understanding, commitments, and conditions under which FEMA provides assistance known as a FEMA-State/Territory/Tribe Agreement. Recipients must also maintain a FEMA-approved State Mitigation Plan and Administrative Plans for all FEMA programs.

If the state, tribe, or territory, or local government entity or private nonprofit organization wishes to seek PA funding, it must first submit a Request for Public Assistance (RPA) to FEMA, through the Recipient. FEMA’s expectation is that the Recipient collects RPAs as soon as possible after the respective area is designated in the declaration. FEMA only accepts RPAs up to 30 days from the date the respective area was designated, unless extended.