Emergency Supplemental Appropriations Legislation for Disaster Assistance: Summary Data FY1989 to FY2005

Publication Date: January 2006

Publisher: Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service

Author(s):

Research Area: Environment

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Abstract:

This report provides summary information on emergency supplemental appropriations enacted after major disasters since 1989. More recently, Hurricane Katrina made landfall on the Gulf Coast of the United States on August 29, 2005, as a Category 3 hurricane after passing over South Florida as a Category 1 hurricane on August 25, 2005. In response, on September 2, 2005, President Bush signed into law a $10.5 billion supplemental appropriations measure, P.L. 109-61, which provided disaster assistance funds for the affected areas. On September 9, 2005, the President signed into law a second supplemental measure totaling $51.8 billion in appropriations, P.L. 109-62. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) administers most of these funds.

Hurricane Rita passed the vicinity of the Florida Keys on September 20, 2005, as a Category 2 hurricane and made landfall along the Gulf Coast of Texas and Louisiana as a Category 3 on September 25. This report will be updated as events warrant.