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1 1 (January 25, 2021)

handle is hein.crs/goveblx0001 and id is 1 raw text is: SCongressional * Research Service .nforming he gisative debate ince 114 __ FEMA Funeral Assistance for COVID-19 January 25, 2021 The Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021 mandated that the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) provide Funeral Assistance for deaths associated with the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID- 19) pandemic and appropriated funding to the Disaster Relief Fund (DRF) for such purposes. This Insight discusses these provisions, and provides an overview of FEMA Funeral Assistance, including eligible expenses, considerations for determining award amounts, and applicant eligibility criteria per FEMA's guidance. FEMA IA for the COVID-19 Pandemic Funeral Assistance is a form of Other Needs Assistance (ONA) that is available when the Individuals and Households Program (IHP)-a type of Individual Assistance (IA)-is authorized. FEMA provides various forms of assistance when authorized by the President pursuant to a presidential declaration of emergency or major disaster under the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (Stafford Act; 42 U.S.C. §5121 et seq.). In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, former President Donald J. Trump issued a nationwide emergency declaration under Stafford Act Section 501(b), and subsequently, between the end of March and early May 2020, approved major disaster declaration requests for 50 states, 5 territories, the District of Columbia, and the Seminole Tribe of Florida under Stafford Act Section 401. The only forms of IA authorized pursuant to these major disaster declarations were Crisis Counseling Assistance (CCP) and Lost Wages Assistance (LWA) (a form of ONA). All jurisdictions that received major disaster declarations were authorized to provide CCP with the exceptions of American Samoa, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, and the Seminole Tribe of Florida. These CCP requests were still under review as of December 7, 2020. Only South Dakota and American Samoa did not participate in the LWA program. Although many governors requested IHP assistance for the COVID-19 pandemic and some Members of Congress called upon FEMA to provide it, IHP assistance has not been authorized for any of the COVID- 19 pandemic declarations. Requests for additional forms of IA were still under review as of January 25, 2021. Congress, through the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021, authorized the provision of Funeral Assistance for the COVID-19 declarations. Authorizing additional forms of assistance in this way is Congressional Research Service https://crsreports.congress.gov IN11582 CRS INSIGHT Prepared for Members and Committees of Congress

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