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The Public Assistance (PA) program provides federal disaster assistance to states, local units of government and certain private non-profit organizations for debris removal, emergency protective measures and the permanent restoration to public facilities affected as the result of an emergency or major disaster declaration made by the President. The program assistance is supplemental to other programs and insurance.

The Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (P.L. 93-288, as amended); Title 42 USC; 5121-5206

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To assist state, tribal, territorial, and local 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 federally declared disasters or emergencies.

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To assist state, tribal, territorial, and local 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 federally declared disasters or emergencies.

Government Organizations;

State and local governments, other political subdivisions, federally recognized Indian tribal governments, Alaska Native villages or organizations, but not Alaska Native Corporations, and certain Private Non-Profit organizations in designated emergency or major disaster areas.

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Direct Payments for Specific Use

Public Safety

Cost will be determined in accordance with FEMA Disaster Assistance Regulations, 44 CFR Part 206 and Part 13, and the FEMA Schedule of Equipment Rates. Grant awards will be determined in accordance with 2 CFR Part 200, and for declarations that precede issuance of 2 CFR Part 200, with OMB Circulars No. A-102 and No. A-87 for States, local governments and Indian Tribes. Awards made to Institutions of Higher Education, Hospitals and other Non-Profit Organizations will be required to follow the requirements of OMB Circulars No. A-110 and No. A-21.

The State Governor makes a request for a Presidential declaration of an emergency or a major disaster through the FEMA Regional Director. Requests for assistance must be made by the Governor in accordance with FEMA Disaster Assistance Regulations, 44 CFR 206.36, except as provided in Part 206.35(d) for emergency declarations involving primarily Federal responsibility.

A Presidential Disaster or Emergency Declaration must be issued, following which an applicant may submit a Request for Public Assistance through the Governor's Authorized Representative to the FEMA Regional Administrator.

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Funds are allocated from the Disaster Relief Fund for use in a designated emergency or major disaster area. FEMA approves grants from this allocation on the basis of project applications for eligible applicants, eligible facilities, eligible work, and eligible costs. State and Tribal recipients are responsible for distributing funds to subrecipients. As a condition of receiving assistance under the Stafford Act, the applicable State, Territorial, or Tribal 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. Applicants must also maintain a FEMA-approved State Mitigation Plan and an Administrative Plan.

Applicants must submit Request for Public Assistance (RPA) within 30 days their respective area was declared. FEMA may extend the deadline if Recipient submits a request in writing with justification based on extenuating circumstances beyond the Applicant's or Recipient's control.

From 1 day to 6 weeks . A Request for Public Assistance must be submitted by the applicant at the Applicants' Briefing or within 30 days of the respective area being designated in the emergency declaration or major disaster declaration for the Public Assistance Program.

Any determination made under the Public Assistance Program may be appealed. All appeals must be made through the State and the appropriate FEMA Regional Office listed in Appendix IV of the Catalog. The appeal deadlines are: 60 days from receipt of notification of the action being appealed.

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Statutory Formula: Title Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act Chapter 42 Part 5121-5206 Subpart Public Law 93-288; Matching Requirements : Percent: 25 The Federal share of the grant is not less than 75 percent with the State and local governments, or eligible PNPs

Funding is only available once an emergency or major disaster declaration is made by the President.

A Program Performance Report is used to collect performance information from recipients of Public Assistance funds awarded. Program Performance Reports must be submitted quarterly for Public Assistance. Recipients need to plan for the due dates and pass-through entities need to make sure that subrecipients submit reports with enough time for the pass-through entity to complete reports and get them into FEMA on time.PA Recipients must submit Large Project Quarterly Progress Reports (QPR) on all open Large Projects quarterly. This is a tool that allows FEMA and the Recipient to track the progress of all Large Projects. The Recipient, once it receives the report, must submit the QPR to FEMA no later than 30 days after the end of each quarter. Recipients must also submit Federal Financial Reports (FFRs) (SF-425s) quarterly to the respective FEMA Regional Office. The FFR provides the status of funds for the prime award, the Recipient's expenditure drawdowns, and whether the Recipient is meeting its cost-share requirements.

Recipient and Subrecipients are subject to Federal and non-Federal audits. Records are subject to audit by State or Territorial government auditors, FEMA, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security Office of Inspector General (OIG), and the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO). FEMA may adjust project funding based on audit findings. A single audit or program-specific audit is performed when a Recipient or Subrecipient expends $750,000 or more in Federal funds during its fiscal year. The Department of Homeland Security's OIG conducts independent audits and investigations on FEMA programs, operations, activities, and functions; how Recipients and Subrecipients expend Federal funds; and oversight of non-Federal audits such as single audits. The OIG evaluates activities to identify, deter, and address fraud, waste, and abuse. The OIG has the authority to audit any project, including Alternative Procedures Projects. The GAO is the investigatory arm of Congress and is under the direction of the Comptroller General of the United States. GAO is an independent, nonpartisan agency that investigates how the Federal Government spends taxpayer dollars. Its mission is to help improve the performance and accountability of the Federal Government. Although the GAO usually audits FEMA programs, it has the authority to audit any project.

Subrecipients must maintain all source documentation for each Project for 3 years after the date of transmission of the final expenditure report for the project completion as certified by the Recipient. The Recipient must keep all financial and program documentation for 3 years after the date it submits the final SF-425. There are several exceptions to this timeframe that may require longer retention periods, including: Records for real property and equipment acquired with federal funds must be retained for three years after final disposition of the property. See 2 C.F.R. 200.334(c). If any litigation, claim, or audit is started before the expiration of the three-year period, the records must be retained until all litigation, claims, or audit findings involving the records have been resolved and final action taken. See 2 C.F.R. 200.334(a). The record retention period will be extended if the recipient is notified in writing of the extension by FEMA, the cognizant or oversight agency for audit, or the cognizant agency for indirect costs. See 2 C.F.R. 200.334(b). Where FEMA requires recipients to report program income after the period of performance ends, the program income record retention period begins at the end of the recipient's fiscal year in which program income is earned. See 2 C.F.R. 200.334(e). When records are transferred to or maintained by the Federal awarding agency or pass-through entity, the 3-year rendition requirement is not applicable to the non-Federal entity. See 2 C.F.R 200.334(d).

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Nationally, in FY19, FEMA obligated over $7B on 7,864 projects across 416 disaster operations in 56 states. Project obligations ranged from a few thousand dollars to hundreds of millions of dollars, covering emergency debris removal and other emergency protective measures and permanent restoration work to roads and bridges, water control facilities, buildings, utilities, and parks and recreational facilities.

The minimum project threshold for a PA grant as of FY 2022 (after October 1, 2021) is $3,500, and FEMA provides funding based on eligible costs without a set limit.

In Illinois, FY20 and FY21, in response to historic flooding, Disaster Declaration FEMA-4461-DR-IL, FEMA obligated $34,137,068.33. In FY21, COVID-19 FEMA-4489-DR-IL, FEMA obligated $439,787,919.48.

Federal Disaster Assistance Regulations, 44 CFR Part 205 for disasters and emergencies declared prior to November 23, 1988; Federal Disaster Assistance Regulations, 44 CFR Part 206 for disasters declared on or after November 23, 1988; "Public Assistance Guide," FEMA 322 (formerly FEMA 286); "Public Assistance Policy Digest," FEMA 321; "Public Assistance Applicant Handbook," FEMA 323. See Public Assistance web page at http://www.fema.gov/government/grant/pa/index.shtm.

FEMA Region V, 536 South Clark St., 6th Floor, Chicago, IL 60605

FEMA Headquarters, 500 C St.SW, Washington, DC 20024

https://www.fema.gov/assistance/public

10.054 Emergency Conservation Program; 97.034 Disaster Unemployment Assistance

Category A - Debris Removal, Category B - Emergency Protective Measures, Cat.C-Roads & Bridges, Cat.D-Water Control Facilities, Cat.E-Buildings and Equipment, Cat.F-Utilities, Cat.G - Parks, Recreational, Other

10/1/2021

FY 2019 : $7,085,162
FY 2020 : $34,137,068
FY 2021 : $439,787,919