The Public Assistance Grant Program Disaster Recovery Funding Process
Release Date: March 31, 2005
Release Number: 1539-420BG
- DISASTER EVENT - A natural or man-made event that requires a response beyond the capabilities of local governments.
- PRELIMINARY DAMAGE ASSESSMENT - Preliminary Damage Assessments are used to evaluate the scope and impact of the event on public facilities and public entities. (In some rare cases where there is obvious widespread damage, a disaster declaration will precede this step.)
- DISASTER DECLARATION - The President authorizes aid through a major disaster or emergency declaration if impact exceeds state resources and meets certain criteria.
- APPLICANTS BRIEFING - A meeting conducted by the state to inform potential applicants about the process of applying for assistance.
- SUBMISSION OF REQUEST - Formal application by an applicant (state or local authorities and certain nonprofit organizations) for public assistance.
- Applicants submit a request for public assistance (RPA), which initiates the public assistance process and is submitted to the state via web site, fax, mail or hand. The Florida Web site to submit RPAs is www.floridapa.org.
State forwards RPAs to FEMA.
- KICKOFF MEETING - Each applicant meets with FEMA and state representatives to discuss grant criteria and define specific projects.
Federal and state personnel prepare Project Worksheets (PWs) - applicants work with the FEMA Public Assistance Coordinators (PACs) and State Public Assistance Coordinators. The PW is used to develop and define the Scope of Work and document cost.
- COMPLETION OF PROJECT WORKSHEETS - Federal and state inspection teams evaluate project eligibility and develop an estimated scope of work or an estimated project cost.
Completed applications for federal funds are submitted to FEMA and the state along with all required supporting documentation (labor, equipment, materials, contracts and/or estimates).
- PROCESSING PROJECT WORKSHEETS - Following review, the worksheets are entered into FEMA's database. Data from the state and local applicants required for processing may include special considerations, such as impacts to the environment and historic properties.
- FEMA FUNDING - FEMA pays federal share (a minimum of 75 percent of eligible recovery costs; and in situations of severe economic impact, as in some states affected by the 2004 hurricanes, President George Bush authorized FEMA to reimburse 90 percent of eligible costs).
- FEMA is required to notify Congress of all awards over a million dollars. The notification is handled by FEMA headquarters and sent to the Department of Homeland Security, Office of Management and Budget and then to Congress. Once approval is obtained, the funds are obligated.
FEMA is responsible for determining project eligibility and obligating approved funds to the state. (Obligation is the process by which the federal share of the approved amount (grant) is made is available to the state.) Once the project worksheet is obligated, the grant money goes to Florida's Smartlink account until a Florida Department of Community Affairs payment request is processed, at which time the funds are withdrawn for payment and the state disperses federal and state shares to the applicant.
- STATE DISBURSEMENT - State determines apportionment of non-federal share they will reimburse. The state disburses federal and state share of funds to the applicants. Public assistance grants are similar to other federal grant programs in the sense that the state, as the grantee, is obligated to ensure that the applicants (sub-grantees) are in compliance with federal statutes and regulations. (For more details on the state's process, see "The Reimbursement Process" below.)
- APPLICANT REIMBURSEMENT - Each applicant is reimbursed the federal and state share as applicable.
The Florida Reimbursement Process- The state uploads information from FEMA's National Emergency Management Information System into the state database.
- The State advises the applicant by letter describing what projects have been obligated.
- If the Project Worksheet (PW) is less than $54,100, a small project, there is no action required by the applicant. The state will process payments of small projects as they are obligated.
- If the PW is greater than $54,100, a large project, these are the requirements:
- The applicant must submit a Request for Reimbursement (RFR) supported by a Summary of Documentation (SOD) to pull funds for that project.
- If the applicant has not spent any funds on that project, they may submit a Request For Advance (RFA) supported by a Summary of Project Expenditures (SOPE) for up to 90 days worth of expenditures.
- Once the state has received the RFR or RFA, they develop a Request for Payment (RFP) package that is forwarded to the DCA's Finance and Accounting Division for posting and for comptroller approval.
- After approval by the comptroller, finance and accounting will then cut the check or do an electronic funds transfer.
Applicants can go online at www.floridapa.org to check the status of their PWs.
For more information on this process, visit: floridapa.org/applicant/payment.cfm
Last Modified: Thursday, 31-Mar-2005 16:17:10