[StBernard] Evacuation facility reimbursement measure passes committee

[Westley Annis]

Evacuation facility reimbursement measure passes committee

WASHINGTON – The Baton Rouge River Center, BREC, the Lamar-Dixon Expo Center in Ascension Parish, and the Cajundome in Lafayette could see federal reimbursement for some post-Katrina and Rita evacuee-related costs thanks to measures proposed by U.S. Rep. Richard Baker, R-Baton Rouge, in legislation passed out of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee today.

By voice vote, the committee approved H.R. 3247, the “Katrina and Rita Recovery Facilitation Act of 2007,” which would allow for the reimbursement of certain costs accrued by facilities that housed evacuees after Hurricanes Katrina and Rita.

“It’s a shame that almost two years after the storms FEMA has not made these reimbursements, and this bill will help rectify that.  Through these facilities, the people of Louisiana stepped up to help their fellow citizens in a time of need, and it’s high time the federal government met its responsibility toward those who helped,” Baker said.

Specifically, the bill would allow reimbursement for: 1) costs incurred for the repair or restoration of a public facility used to host public events if the facility was damaged as a result of use in conducting response activities for Hurricane Katrina or Rita; 2) costs incurred because response activities for Hurricane Katrina or Rita precluded the normal use of the facility for public events; 3) cost incurred as a result of canceled ticketed events; and 4) reasonable costs incurred for necessary materials provided to evacuees in facilities.

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