FEMA’s Public Assistance (PA) program provides supplemental federal grants and, in some cases, direct federal assistance to states, tribes, territories, local governments and certain nonprofit organizations after a Presidential emergency or major disaster declaration. Applicants register and submit a Request for Public Assistance; FEMA and the Recipient (state/tribe/territory) scope and cost projects, FEMA approves and obligates funds to the Recipient, and the Recipient disburses subawards to applicants. Eligible work is categorized as emergency (Category A–B) and permanent (Categories C–G), and projects must meet program eligibility, documentation, contracting and environmental/historic‑preservation requirements throughout scoping, obligation, post‑award monitoring and closeout.
Not stated in the DHS press release; the announcement does not identify the specific disaster declaration(s) or named storm(s) the $480 million is tied to.
Funding under PA is delivered as FEMA obligations to the Recipient (the state/tribal/territorial government), which then disburses subawards to eligible applicants. PA generally reimburses eligible, documented costs for approved projects (FEMA obligates the federal share of approved project costs); FEMA can also provide direct federal assistance in certain circumstances, but the usual mechanism is grants/reimbursements through the Recipient.
Yes. Under PA the federal share is not less than 75% of eligible project costs (the non‑federal share is normally up to 25%). The PAPPG explains the minimum 75% federal cost share and notes FEMA may increase the federal share (e.g., up to 90% under qualifying circumstances) per policy.
The DHS release does not give a payment or project‑completion schedule. By program rule, emergency work must normally be completed within six months and permanent work within 18 months of project approval (applicants may request time extensions); FEMA obligates funds after project approval and the Recipient disburses to applicants, and projects are monitored and amended through the PA lifecycle.
Recipients/subrecipients must provide regular project reporting and are subject to post‑award monitoring, quarterly financial/progress updates, and audits. Records and projects can be audited by FEMA, the DHS Office of Inspector General and GAO; federal audit and grant rules (e.g., 2 C.F.R. Part 200 uniform guidance and single‑audit requirements) apply to recipients and subrecipients.
The press release lists the approved dollar breakdown (about $180M for critical infrastructure, $136.6M for emergency protective measures, $66.3M for debris removal) but does not explain project‑level prioritization. FEMA determines eligibility and scopes and costs projects through damage descriptions, site inspections, scopes of work and insurance/duplication‑of‑benefit reviews; obligation amounts reflect FEMA’s eligibility/cost validations for the set of approved projects statewide.