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Chart 5 provides an overview of the major-disaster assistance program beginning with the occurrence of a disaster, working through (from left to right) the Presidential Declaration Phase, the Project Application Phase, and the Claim Disbursement Phase to termination of assistance. You will note along the left hand edge of this chart, and others to follow, the agencies or individuals primarily concerned with the steps to be taken in providing major-disaster assistance. Along the bottom of the chart is an indication of the time involved in completion of the various phases. Also, the chart is color coded to denote State or local actions, Federal actions, and joint actions by Federal and State agencies. We have additional charts which show more clearly the steps involved in each of these phases. For your reference, this overview chart will be displayed while we examine additional charts which show each phase in more detail. Note that the normal schedule for completing Federal disaster assistance provided by the President's Fund under Public Law 91-606 is slightly more than 18 months. The time may be longer for some major disasters involving large permanent construction projects.

CHART 6

The Presidential Declaration Phase begins with the Governor's request for a major-disaster declaration. Local, State, and Federal agencies will, however, have begun disaster assistance operations with the occurrence of the disaster incident or before, if the situation so warrants. With, or prior to, the Governor's request, a preliminary damage assessment is initiated by government agencies to determine the needs for disaster assistance. For a Hurricane Camille or a Los Angeles earthquake, the immediate assessment was that extensive Federal help was needed. For situations in which detailed justification is needed, these preliminary damage assessments may take several days. They can be expedited when local, State, and Federal agencies work together on joint assessments.

The request is made to the President through the OEP Regional Director and accompanied by a certification, by the Governor, that State and local expenditures and obligations for disaster relief purposes during the 12-month period immediately preceding the request for assistance exceed an amount previously published in the Federal Register by the OEP Director as the minimum for that State. The projected State and local expenses for the current disaster may be included.

The Regional Director promptly acknowledges the Governor's request and alerts OEP headquarters. Assisted by State and Federal agencies, he verifies the facts, evaluates the request, and forwards his recommendation to the OEP Director. The Director reviews the request and, if he considers a declaration warranted, he so recommends to the President.

When the President determines that a major disaster declaration is warranted, he notifies the Governor and the OEP Director. The OEP Director then designates the affected area based on the Governor's request. He appoints a Federal Coordinating Officer for that disaster, and usually makes an initial allocation of funds to cover all or part of the eligible Federal costs of disaster relief. Preparation of a Federal-State Disaster Assistance Agreement is also accomplished at the same time and becomes effective when signed by the OEP Regional Director and the Governor. The assistance program goes forward from the starting date of the disaster as established in the Federal-State Agreement.

CHART 7

Once the major disaster declaration is made, the Project Application Phase begins. A joint Federal-State detailed damage survey is made, during which cost estimates are prepared covering all the eligible items of work to be performed by State or local governments. These surveys provide the information from which project applications are prepared. A project application (PA) is a form which is filled out by an applicant for assistance under PL 91–606. A PA outlines the disaster work which an applicant desires to undertake with PL 91-606 assistance and provides an estimate of the cost of performing such work.

The PA is submitted to the State Coordinating Officer, who, after review and approval, forwards it to the OEP Regional Director for approval. After a thorough review to assure that all work proposed by the applicant is eligible under PL 91-606, and that the cost estimates are reasonable, the Regional Director approves the project application.

If necessary, the applicant can then be given an advance of funds to be used in performance of the approved work. This advance of funds is limited by OEP to 75 percent of the amount approved in the project application; however, some States will not authorize an advance in excess of 50 percent of the approval PA. (We have had some bad experience in the past with overadvances.)

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