GENERAL FEDERAL ASSISTANCE.

SEC. 681. GENERAL FEDERAL ASSISTANCE.(a) Major Disasters.—Section 402 of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5170a) is amended—(1) in paragraph (1), by striking “efforts” and inserting “response or recovery efforts, including precautionary evacuations”;(2) in paragraph (2), by striking the semicolon and inserting “, including precautionary evacuations and recovery;”;(3) in paragraph (3)—(A) in subparagraph (D), by striking “and” at the end; and(B) by adding at the end the following:“(F) recovery activities, including disaster impact assessments and planning;”;(4) in paragraph (4), by striking the period and inserting “; and”; and(5) by adding at the end the following:“(5) provide accelerated Federal assistance and Federal support where necessary to save lives, prevent human suffering, or mitigate severe damage, which may be provided in the absence of a specific request and in which case the President—“(A) shall, to the fullest extent practicable, promptly notify and coordinate with officials in a State in which such assistance or support is provided; and“(B) shall not, in notifying and coordinating with a State under subparagraph (A), delay or impede the rapid deployment, use, and distribution of critical resources to victims of a major disaster.”.(b) Emergencies.—Section 502 of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5192) is amended—(1) in subsection (a)—(A) in paragraph (1), by striking the semicolon and inserting “, including precautionary evacuations;”;(B) in paragraph (6), by striking “and” after the semicolon;(C) in paragraph (7), by striking the period and inserting “; and”; and120 STAT. 1445(D) by adding at the end the following:“(8) provide accelerated Federal assistance and Federal support where necessary to save lives, prevent human suffering, or mitigate severe damage, which may be provided in the absence of a specific request and in which case the President—“(A) shall, to the fullest extent practicable, promptly notify and coordinate with a State in which such assistance or support is provided; and“(B) shall not, in notifying and coordinating with a State under subparagraph (A), delay or impede the rapid deployment, use, and distribution of critical resources to victims of an emergency.”;(2) in subsection (b), by striking the period and inserting “, including precautionary evacuations.”; and(3) by adding at the end the following:“(c) Guidelines.—The President shall promulgate and maintain guidelines to assist Governors in requesting the declaration of an emergency in advance of a natural or man-made disaster (including for the purpose of seeking assistance with special needs and other evacuation efforts) under this section by defining the types of assistance available to affected States and the circumstances under which such requests are likely to be approved.”.