Over the past year, as directed by law, FEMA has re-initiated an improved process for identifying cases of improper payments made to individuals after disasters and to take steps to recover those funds. As we have explained before on this blog, several laws require FEMA and other federal agencies to conduct this process, known as “recoupment.” At the direction of our current leadership, we have worked within the legal constraints of these laws to make the process more fair and understandable for both disaster survivors and taxpayers. However, under these existing laws, FEMA was unable to waive debts.

Last week, Congress passed a law providing FEMA discretion to waive certain debts from disasters declared between August 2005 and the end of 2010 if the debt arose from an improper individual assistance payment made as a result of FEMA’s error, there was no fault on the part of the survivor, and the survivor currently has an income of $90,000 or less. The law does not apply to recoupment efforts for disasters declared after Jan. 1, 2011.

FEMA is committed to implementing the law to the fullest extent possible so that it meets its intended purpose: to offer a fair resolution to those survivors who received improper payments through no fault of their own and who may be unable to repay their debt due to their financial circumstances.

So now that the law has been passed, what next?

FEMA is currently reviewing the law and developing a plan to implement it. This includes examining the reasons for recoupment and the potential population of survivors who might be eligible to have their debts waived. We look forward to continuing to work with lawmakers and all interested stakeholders during this effort.

As we begin work on this implementation plan, FEMA is not scheduled to send any new debts to Treasury for collection before Jan. 13, 2012. We know that there are many survivors and other stakeholders who will have questions about the effects of this new law. While we are just beginning to determine how to implement this brand new law, the legislation does make clear that a recoupment case must meet all of the following criteria in order to be eligible for full forgiveness:

• The improper payment was received from disasters declared between Aug. 28, 2005 (Hurricane Katrina) and Dec. 30, 2010;
• The improper payment was a result of an error solely on FEMA’s part – not on the part of a survivor;
• The improper payment cannot have involved fraud, false claim or misrepresentation by the survivor;
• The survivor’s adjusted gross income for the last taxable year was less than $90,000 (a survivor with an income of greater than $90,000 whose case meets the other qualifying criteria could be eligible for a partial waiver) ; and
• The collection of the debt would be against “good conscience and equity.”

Our priority is to ensure that all survivors have clear and complete information about these changes once we have an implementation plan to share, and we are working to make that happen as quickly as possible.

It is important to note that Congress wrote this law to apply only to recoupment efforts for older disasters. As we have also explained before, in recent years we have taken significant steps to put strong protections in place to cut down on the percentage of improper payments disbursed after disasters – and it is now less than one percent, on average. We will continue to do everything we can to reduce the need for any potential recoupments for current and future disasters.

We want to move expeditiously on this implementation effort, but we also want to get it right. We thank all of our stakeholders – especially survivors – for their patience as we move into the next phase or this effort and look forward to working together to make these important changes a reality.

Earlier this year, President Obama released a policy directive aimed at strengthening the security and resilience of the United States: Presidential Policy Directive 8 (PPD-8): National Preparedness.

With your help, FEMA and its partners have created a National Preparedness Goal, which sets the vision for building a more resilient and secure nation, and a National Preparedness System, which identifies the programs, processes and tools for achieving that vision. Now, we are focusing on the next set of activities.

This is where you come in: Today, we’re launching an ongoing dialogue and are asking for input as we develop the next documents to meet the milestones required by the policy directive. We need your suggestions and comments across a variety of topics. This can include your general views on preparedness, such as a successful approach that your community or organization has used to assess preparedness; examples of how you, your business, or community as a whole collaborates with local law enforcement officials and federal authorities to help identify potential threats or prevent incidents; and stories of how local government and private sector stakeholders interact in your community to support emergency response needs during disasters. These are just a few of the many topics we will be discussing.

Visit fema.ideascale.com and click on the link for ‘Presidential Policy Directive 8’ to provide your ideas. You also may view, comment and vote on other people’s ideas.

We appreciate your help as we continue our efforts to make the nation more resilient and secure.

A few weeks ago, I was honored with an opportunity to spend four days serving as an executive mentor to some of FEMA’s newest employees through FEMA’s Mission Readiness course. It was a great opportunity to work with a small group of men and women who’ve accepted the challenge and committed themselves to helping Americans prepare for and recover from disasters.

The goal of the executive mentor is to help set the tone for new hires, and help them acclimate and excel in their new roles and their FEMA careers.

The course, hosted by the National Emergency Training Center in Emmitsburg, Md., was developed as part of the organization’s Employee Readiness Program, which aims to help acclimate new employees into the FEMA workforce. The course describe opportunities and responsibilities to manage personal career paths, and helps students understand what the emergency management mission means to them both personally and professionally. As FEMA continually recognizes that well-trained employees are our number one asset, this course serves as the first of many training opportunities new workers will receive.

Along with a better understanding of the structure and functions of FEMA, I believe the students take with them an understanding that they have the power to determine the quality of their experience within our organization. And I hope they will remember that our jobs rely heavily on relationships like the ones they formed during last week’s training.

In truth, I may have gained the most from having a week with these energized, new members of the FEMA team. Even if you aren’t a FEMA employee, I encourage you can take advantage of training offered by FEMA – visit fema.gov/training to learn how.

We continue to closely monitor the severe winter weather in the Rocky Mountain and Central Plains as winter weather advisories, watches and warnings continue for the next few days. The National Weather Service has issued winter storm and winter weather advisories for parts of Idaho, Montana, Colorado, Wyoming, Utah, South Dakota, and New Mexico. Through our regional offices in Denver, Kansas City and Denton, Texas, we are continuing to stay in close touch with our federal, state and local partners in all the of potentially affected areas. While there have not yet been any requests for federal assistance, we stand ready to support our state and local partners, if needed.

Yesterday, blizzard conditions forced interstate traffic to a standstill in several states, and caused tragic accidents in some places as well. Our thoughts and prayers go out to the families who lost loved ones, and the effects of this severe storm serve as a reminder of the dangers of winter weather.

While we can’t control if winter weather will affect our city or town, we all can take steps to be better prepared if it does. If your area is likely to be affected by snow, ice, or blizzard-like conditions this winter season, remember to:

• Limit travel during a storm – only venture out on the roads if it’s absolutely necessary

• Stay up to date with your latest forecast – visit weather.gov or mobile.weather.gov on your smartphone for the latest conditions in your area. (This blog post has a full run-down of winter watches and warnings and what they mean.)

• Have an emergency kit in your vehicle – if a winter storm develops suddenly, have supplies on hand in case you’re stranded in your vehicle. (Ready.gov/build-a-kit has tips to get you started)

• Take precautions for power outages – winter storms often cause power outages, so be sure your family and home take steps to sustain yourselves for at least 72 hours

For more winter safety tips, visit Ready.gov/winter, or http://m.fema.gov on your mobile device.