PUBLIC ASSISTANCE UNIT

PUBLIC ASSISTANCE GRANT PROGRAM

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), as authorized by the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act, provides funding through the Public Assistance Grant Program (PA) to reimburse local, state, tribal, and territorial governments and select private non-profits for costs associated with response and recovery efforts caused by disasters. Only damage to public infrastructure is eligible for reimbursement under this program. For PA funds to become available, the disaster must be severe enough to qualify for a Presidential Major Disaster Declaration or Emergency Declaration for the affected areas. FEMA evaluates several metrics to determine if the incident qualifies: impact to local jurisdictions, are local, state, and/or tribal capabilities overwhelmed, is the countywide damage threshold met ($4.44 per capita), and is the state threshold met ($1.77 per capita).

The State of Nebraska, through the Nebraska Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), is the Recipient of the PA grant. The Recipient is responsible administering the program within the state and for disbursing obligated funding accordingly as a pass-through entity. Eligible state, local, tribal, and territorial governments and private non-profits are sub-recipients of the grant. The Public Assistance (PA) Unit at NEMA coordinates project obligation efforts with FEMA and local sub-recipients to ensure the scope of work is aligned with programmatic regulations and accurately addresses the sub-recipient’s recovery needs. The PA Unit is also responsible for closing out each project and sub-recipient from the grant.

QUICK LINKS

Hazard Mitigation
Public Assistance - Quarterly Reports
Public Assistance - Resources
Declared Disasters
FEMA
FEMA - Grant Portal
FEMA - Procurement Under Grants Training

Documents and Forms

Governor’s Emergency Fund Guide for Elected Officials
Preliminary Damage Assessment Guidance
Preliminary Damage Assessment Form
Preliminary Damage Assessment Form (Public Power District/Utilities Use Only)

Public Assistance Contact Information:

(402) 471-7421 Option 3
nema.publicassistance@nebraska.gov