Public Assistance (PA) Grant Program

The Public Assistance (PA) Grant Program provides supplemental Federal assistance to States and local communities to return an area impacted by disaster to its pre-disaster conditions and function. PA supports initiatives that protect against immediate threats to life, public safety and improved property; the removal of debris as a result of a disaster and the restoration – through repair or replacement – of disaster-damaged structures and facilities. The program is managed by FEMA, administered by GOHSEP and is available after a Presidentially declared emergency or disaster. 
 

Who can Participate in the PA Program?

There are four (4) eligibility requirements that must be met to participate in the PA Program.

The Subrecipient (Applicant)  –  is the basis for eligibility. The Subrecipient must be eligible for the facility to be eligible. The facility must be eligible for the work to be eligible. The work must be eligible for the cost to be eligible.

 

Eligibility
APPLICANT There are four (4) types of eligible Applicants for Public Assistance (PA). If an entity meets the requirements one (1) of the types, the Applicant may be eligible to receive Federal disaster assistance.
  • State government agencies.

  • Local governments and special districtsFor example school districts, irrigation districts, fire districts and utility districts.

  • Private nonprofit organizations (PNPs). PNPs must own or operate facilities that are open to the general public and that provide certain essential and critical services otherwise performed by a government agency.

  • Federally recognized Native American Indian Tribes or authorized Tribal organizations, including Alaskan Native Tribal governments and village organizations – not including Alaska Native Corporations, which are owned by private individuals.

FACILITY

The facility must be:

  • The legal responsibility of an eligible Applicant and not under the specific authority of another Federal agency.

  • Located in the designated disaster area.

  • Damaged by the declared disaster or emergency.

  • In active use and open to the general public at the time of the disaster.

WORK

To be eligible for PA funding, disaster recovery work performed on an eligible facility must be:

  • Required as a direct result of a major disaster event.

  • Located within a designated disaster area.

  • The legal responsibility of an eligible Applicant.




COST




Generally, costs that can be directly tied to the performance of eligible work are eligible. Costs must be:

  •  Reasonable and necessary to accomplish the work.
  •  Compliant with Federal, State and local requirements for procurement.
  • Reduced by all applicable credits, such as insurance proceeds and salvage values.
Cost is reasonable if it is a cost that is both fair and equitable for the type of work being performed.

The cost of eligible work is typically a shared cost. The Federal share of assistance is generally not less than 75 percent of the eligible cost for Emergency Measures and Permanent Work. The grant recipient is usually the State. The Recipient determines how the non-Federal share – up to 25 percent – is split with eligible Subrecipients  (Applicants). There are exceptions

Under certain circumstances the Federal share may be 90 percent or even 100 percent.    

What Projects/Activities are Funded Through PA Grants?

There are two (2) broad categories of eligible work Emergency Work and Permanent Work. Each category is further subdivided as shown in the graphic to the right.
  • Emergency Work is that which must be performed to reduce or eliminate an immediate threat to life, protect public health and safety, and to protect improved property that is threatened in a significant way as a result of a disaster
  • Permanent Work is that which is required to restore a damaged facility to its pre-disaster design and function and capacity – in accordance with, applicable codes or standards.
  • Temporary Facilities may also be eligible for PA when services provided at public, Tribal and PNP are disrupted due to a major emergency or disaster event.

See the chart to the right for examples of eligible activities.

PA projects must meet environmental and historic regulations. To learn more, download the EHP environmental + historic preservation brochure and visit Environmental and Historic Preservation Guidance for FEMA Grant Applicants.

When is the Application Period?

An RPA must be submitted to FEMA within 30 days after Presidential-declaration designation of the area where the damage occurred.

 

 


Request for Public Assistance Download 
PNP QuestionnaireDownload 
Reimbursement Documentation Requirements Checklist Download 
Procurement BrochureDownload 
Applicant Certification for Express Pay System (EPS) Download 
RRF Minimum MemoDownload 
Reimbursement Request Form Download
Contract Work Summary RecordDownload 
Materials Summary Record Download 
Rented Equipment Summary RecordDownload 
Force Account Labor Summary Record Download 
Fringe BenefitsDownload
Force Account Equipment Summary Record Download 

How to Apply - Request for Public Assistance (RPAs)

The Request for Public Assistance (RPA) is FEMA’s official application form (FEMA form 90-49) that public organizations and PNPs use to apply for disaster assistance.

 

It is a simple, short form with self-contained instructions.


The RPA:
  • Identifies the Subrecipient (Applicant)
  • Provides for general claim information
  • Includes records of meetings. Special issues or concerns that may affect funding
RPA must be submitted to the FEMA RA within 30 days after designation of the area where the damage occurred.
  • It can be delivered in person at the Applicant Briefing, filed online through LouisianaPA.com or sent by mail or faxed to GOHSEP.
7667 Independence Blvd.
Baton Rouge, LA 70806
(225) 267-2832

Learn More

If you need assistance with a PA application or want to know more about PA funding opportunities:

To learn more about Public Assistance Program (PA), please:

  

     
CLICK AN ITEM ABOVE TO DOWNLOAD ONE OF THE GUIDES FROM THE PUBLIC ASSISTANCE (PA) TOOLBOX.

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If you are a current recipient of a Public Assistance grant administered by GOHSEP and want to know your grant status, please click below to login to:

Eligible Applicants

State Agencies
Federally Recognized Tribal Governments
Local Governments
Private Nonprofit OrganizationsApply through local jurisdiction

EXAMPLES of Eligible PA WORK

EMERGENCY WORK
CATEGORY A: DEBRIS REMOVAL
Trees + woody debris
Building components or contents
Sand + mud + silt + gravel
Wreckage produced during conduct of emergency protective measures (for example, drywall)
Other disaster-related wreckage
CATEGORY B: EMERGENCY PROTECTIVE MEASURES
Alerts + warning of risks + hazards
Building inspections
Emergency communications
Emergency evacuations of medical and custodial care facilities
Emergency mass care and shelter operations
Emergency medical facilities
Food + water + ice + other essential needs
PNP facility emergency protective measures IF the facilities are otherwise eligible
Rescue + care + shelter + essential needs for household pets and service animals
Search + rescue
Security in the disaster area
Transportation of disaster victims
Temporary generators for facilities that provide health and safety services
Under certain conditions, rescue + evacuation + movement of supplies + persons + care + shelter + essential needs for human populations affected by the outbreak and spread of influenza pandemic
Under certain conditions, snow removal
PERMANENT WORK
CATEGORY C: ROADS + BRIDGES
Road ditches
Road drainage structure + low-water crossings
Road surfaces + bases + shoulders
Bridge approaches
Bridge decking + pavement
Bridge piers + girders + abutments
Bridge slope protection
CATEGORY D: ROADS + BRIDGES
Canals + aqueducts + sediment basins
Certain irrigation facilities
Dams + reservoirs + levees
Engineered drainage channels
Pumping facilities
Shore protective devices
CATEGORY E: BUILDING + EQUIPMENT
Codes + standards upgrades or a portion of that work
Contents or a portion thereof
Equipment
Mold remediation
Restoration through repair or replacement of damaged facilities to pre-disaster design + function
Routine maintenance NO
Temporary or permanent relocation
Under certain circumstances, ADA compliance work or a portion of that work
CATEGORY F: UTILITIES
Communications
Power generation + distribution
Sewage collection systems
Water treatment plants + distribution
CATEGORY G: PARKS + RECREATION + OTHER
Fish hatcheries
Golf courses
Mass transit facilities
Picnic tables
Piers + boat docks
Playground equipment
Swimming pools + bath houses
Tennis courts
Trees + ground cover NO
Other facilities that do not fit in Categories C – F