Received in my ‘FEMA Daily Digest’ email this morning was FEMA’s announcement of a new Public Assistance Program and Policy Guide. After a quick review, it appears to be an excellent, comprehensive resource.

From their email…

“FEMA published the “Public Assistance Program and Policy Guide” that combines all existing policies into a self-contained, simple, adaptable, and searchable publication. The new “Public Assistance Program and Policy Guide” will replace all existing Public Assistance (PA) publications as well as the 9500 series policies. The consolidation of PA policies and guidance documents into a single publication will eliminate duplication and perceived inconsistency among the different documents and policies.

The “Public Assistance Program and Policy Guide” will be effective for disasters declared on or after January 1, 2016. Disasters that were declared prior to January 1, 2016 will still follow the 9500 series policies, which were in effect at the time of the disaster being declared. There are no substantive policy changes in the new guide.

The Public Assistance program anticipates that the Guide will be updated annually.

In the last ten years, the FEMA Public Assistance program averaged $4.7 billion in disaster assistance annually, making it the agency’s largest grant program. The Public Assistance program provides financial assistance to state, local, tribal, and territorial governments and certain private non-profits to aid their recovery following a disaster or emergency.

-TR