UPDATED-COVID-19 Public Assistance Guidance
Mar 27th, 2020
Posted in: COVID-19
Dear EM Partners,
On Friday, March 13, 2020 President Trump declared a National Emergency to aid in the fight against the Coronavirus. This declaration will open certain authorities and allow the federal government to allocate funding to those fighting the spread of this virus. Eligible applicants (state agencies, cities, towns, county commissions, federally-recognized Indian tribes and certain essential private non-profit organizations) will be eligible to apply for some of that funding through FEMA’s Public Assistance grant program. On pages 12-14 of the PA Guidance (link below), tables 1, 2 and 3 provide a listing of eligible and ineligible private non-profit organizations.
We are currently working closely with FEMA Region IV and are awaiting additional guidance from FEMA regarding details about this unprecedented event; however, I urge you to review FEMA’s Public Assistance Program and Policy Guide, which can be found here: https://www.fema.gov/media-library/assets/documents/111781.
FEMA has graciously extended the Request for Public Assistance submittal period; therefore, there is currently no deadline in place. FEMA is also working around the clock to develop a “simplified” Public Assistance project application. We ask for your patience as we navigate through these uncharted waters together. Rest assured, as soon as we get the information from FEMA, we will forward it to our EMA Partners.
Note that ONLY Category B (Emergency Protective Measures) expenses are eligible for reimbursement. I have attached a summarized fact sheet that lists some of the expense that may be considered eligible. Additional details can be found in the link above.
We recommend keeping track of all expenses related to the response efforts for COVID-19, whether they will be reimbursable through the PA program or not. There are many other funding sources available through HHS and CDC and it is imperative that there is no duplication of benefits.
For those partners who have not been through the Public Assistance process before, please know that AEMA is here to guide and assist to make this as easy as possible. If you have questions, please email pa@ema.alabama.gov.