S.Amdt. 2240

SA 2240. Mr. VITTER submitted an amendment intended to be proposed by him to the bill H.R. 1585, to authorize appropriations for fiscal year 2008 for military activities of the Department of Defense, for military construction, and for defense activities of the Department of Energy, to prescribe military personnel strengths for such fiscal year, and for other purposes; which was ordered to lie on the table; as follows:

At the end of title X of division A, add the following:

SEC. 10__. PROHIBITION OF RESTRICTION ON USE OF AMOUNTS.

(a) In General.--Subject to subsection (b), and notwithstanding any other provision of law, the President shall not prohibit the use by the State of Louisiana under the Road Home Program of that State of any amounts described in subsection (d), based upon--

(1) the existence or extent of any requirement or condition under that program that--

(A) limits the amount made available to an eligible homeowner who does not agree to remain an owner and occupant of a home in Louisiana; or

(B) waives the applicability of any limitation described in subparagraph (A) for eligible homeowners who are elderly or senior citizens; or

(2) any requirement under section 404(a) of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5170c(a)) to determine cost effectiveness.

(b) Waiver.--

(1) In general.--Except as provided in paragraph (2), in using amounts described in subsection (d), the President shall waive the requirements of section 206.434(c) of title 44, Code of Federal Regulations (or any corresponding similar regulation or ruling), or specify alternative requirements, upon a request by the State of Louisiana that such waiver is required to facilitate the timely use of funds or a guarantee provided under section 404 of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5170c).

(2) Exception.--The President may not waive any requirement relating to fair housing, nondiscrimination, labor standards, or the environment under paragraph (1).

(c) Savings Provision.--Except as provided in subsections (a) and (b), section 404 of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5170c) shall apply to amounts described in subsection (d) that are used by the State of Louisiana under the Road Home Program of that State.

(d) Covered Amounts.--The amounts described in this subsection are any amounts provided to the State of Louisiana because of Hurricane Katrina of 2005 or Hurricane Rita of 2005 under the hazard mitigation grant program of the Federal Emergency Management Agency under section 404 of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5170c).