U.S. House passes disaster aid for churches bill

WASHINGTON —  The Federal Disaster Assistance Nonprofit Fairness Act of 2013, HR 592, was debated on the House floor and passed Feb. 13. 

With 354 “yes” votes, the bill, taken under a procedure called “suspension of the rules,” well surpassed the 2/3rds majority needed to pass. HR 592 authorizes the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to issue direct grants to churches and other religious institutions damaged October 2012 by Superstorm Sandy.

Co-sponsored by Rep. Chris Smith (R-N.J.) and Rep. Grace Meng (D-N.Y.), HR 592 allows for houses of worship to qualify for FEMA grants available to other nonprofits like museums, zoos and performing-arts centers that provide essential services “of a governmental nature” to the general public.

According to media reports, more than 200 houses of worship damaged in Superstorm Sandy have applied for FEMA aid.

Opponents to the bill, like Americans United for Separation of Church and State (AU), had sent a letter Feb. 12 urging members of the U.S. House of Representatives to oppose HR 592. Barry Lynn, executive director of AU, argued that taxpayers should not be forced to pay for reconstruction of buildings used primarily for worship.