HR-4782 : Still Just a Bill

Puerto Rico and Virgin Islands Equitable Rebuild Act of 2018

This bill provides for additional disaster-recovery assistance and other assistance to Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands with respect to infrastructure, health care, agriculture, education, economic development, and environmental remediation, among other sectors. Specifically, regarding both territories, the bill:

  • provides for the use of certain emergency assistance to rebuild electric grids;
  • establishes grant programs to promote energy efficiency and renewable energy;
  • subject to oversight requirements, increases funding for transportation infrastructure, telecommunications systems, housing, and community development;
  • increases funding for Medicaid and Medicare;
  • temporarily increases social-services block-grant allotments;
  • increases funding for, and otherwise revises, rural and agricultural programs;
  • increases funding for the Department of Veterans Affairs;
  • provides for aid to the Head Start program, elementary and secondary education programs, and higher education programs;  
  • increases funding for training and employment services;
  • modifies provisions concerning unemployment assistance, taxation, and federal permitting;
  • increases funding for economic and community development programs;
  • increases funding for environmental remediation;
  • requires the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to submit to Congress a disaster-relief plan; and
  • otherwise modifies provisions related to emergency funding and disaster-recovery assistance.

In addition, the bill:

  • extends Medicaid waiver authority to all territories, provides for Medicaid disproportionate share hospital allotments to the territories, and otherwise revises the Medicaid and Medicare programs with respect to the territories;
  • provides for health-insurance coverage for individuals residing in territories without health exchanges;
  • extends participation in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program and the Supplemental Security Income Program to all territories;
  • modifies provisions concerning the earned-income tax credit and the child tax credit with respect to the territories; and 
  • modifies provisions concerning the application of certain workers' protections in Puerto Rico.

Action Timeline

Action DateTypeTextSource
2018-05-22CommitteeReferred to the Subcommittee on Energy.House committee actions
2018-01-16CommitteeReferred to the Subcommittee on Indian, Insular and Alaska Native Affairs.House committee actions
2018-01-16CommitteeReferred to the Subcommittee on Federal Lands.House committee actions
2018-01-12CommitteeReferred to the Subcommittee on Water Resources and Environment.House committee actions
2018-01-12CommitteeReferred to the Subcommittee on Railroads, Pipelines, and Hazardous Materials.House committee actions
2018-01-12CommitteeReferred to the Subcommittee on Highways and Transit.House committee actions
2018-01-12CommitteeReferred to the Subcommittee on Economic Development, Public Buildings and Emergency Management.House committee actions
2018-01-12CommitteeReferred to the Subcommittee on Aviation.House committee actions
2018-01-11IntroReferralReferred to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, and in addition to the Committees on Energy and Commerce, Financial Services, Agriculture, Ways and Means, Natural Resources, Education and the Workforce, the Budget, and Science, Space, and Technology, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.House floor actions
2018-01-11IntroReferralReferred to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, and in addition to the Committees on Energy and Commerce, Financial Services, Agriculture, Ways and Means, Natural Resources, Education and the Workforce, the Budget, and Science, Space, and Technology, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.House floor actions
2018-01-11IntroReferralReferred to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, and in addition to the Committees on Energy and Commerce, Financial Services, Agriculture, Ways and Means, Natural Resources, Education and the Workforce, the Budget, and Science, Space, and Technology, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.House floor actions
2018-01-11IntroReferralReferred to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, and in addition to the Committees on Energy and Commerce, Financial Services, Agriculture, Ways and Means, Natural Resources, Education and the Workforce, the Budget, and Science, Space, and Technology, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.House floor actions
2018-01-11IntroReferralReferred to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, and in addition to the Committees on Energy and Commerce, Financial Services, Agriculture, Ways and Means, Natural Resources, Education and the Workforce, the Budget, and Science, Space, and Technology, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.House floor actions
2018-01-11IntroReferralReferred to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, and in addition to the Committees on Energy and Commerce, Financial Services, Agriculture, Ways and Means, Natural Resources, Education and the Workforce, the Budget, and Science, Space, and Technology, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.House floor actions
2018-01-11IntroReferralReferred to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, and in addition to the Committees on Energy and Commerce, Financial Services, Agriculture, Ways and Means, Natural Resources, Education and the Workforce, the Budget, and Science, Space, and Technology, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.House floor actions
2018-01-11IntroReferralReferred to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, and in addition to the Committees on Energy and Commerce, Financial Services, Agriculture, Ways and Means, Natural Resources, Education and the Workforce, the Budget, and Science, Space, and Technology, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.House floor actions
2018-01-11IntroReferralReferred to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, and in addition to the Committees on Energy and Commerce, Financial Services, Agriculture, Ways and Means, Natural Resources, Education and the Workforce, the Budget, and Science, Space, and Technology, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.House floor actions
2018-01-11IntroReferralIntroduced in HouseLibrary of Congress

Policy Area :

Emergency Management
See Subjects
  • Administrative law and regulatory procedures
  • Agricultural education
  • Agricultural prices, subsidies, credit
  • Alternative and renewable resources
  • Aviation and airports
  • Child care and development
  • Child health
  • Child safety and welfare
  • Community life and organization
  • Congressional oversight
  • Credit and credit markets
  • Digital media
  • Disaster relief and insurance
  • Economic development
  • Education programs funding
  • Electric power generation and transmission
  • Elementary and secondary education
  • Emergency planning and evacuation
  • Employment and training programs
  • Employment discrimination and employee rights
  • Energy assistance for the poor and aged
  • Energy efficiency and conservation
  • Floods and storm protection
  • Food assistance and relief
  • Forests, forestry, trees
  • Government ethics and transparency, public corruption
  • Government information and archives
  • Government lending and loan guarantees
  • Government studies and investigations
  • Hazardous wastes and toxic substances
  • Health care costs and insurance
  • Health care coverage and access
  • Health facilities and institutions
  • Health personnel
  • Higher education
  • Historic sites and heritage areas
  • Hospital care
  • Housing and community development funding
  • Hybrid, electric, and advanced technology vehicles
  • Income tax credits
  • Infrastructure development
  • Internet, web applications, social media
  • Livestock
  • Low- and moderate-income housing
  • Marine and inland water transportation
  • Medicaid
  • Medicare
  • Mental health
  • Military facilities and property
  • Natural disasters
  • Parks, recreation areas, trails
  • Poverty and welfare assistance
  • Prescription drugs
  • Public housing
  • Public transit
  • Public utilities and utility rates
  • Railroads
  • Roads and highways
  • Rural conditions and development
  • School administration
  • Sex and reproductive health
  • Small business
  • Solid waste and recycling
  • Student aid and college costs
  • Tax treatment of families
  • Teaching, teachers, curricula
  • Telephone and wireless communication
  • Transportation programs funding
  • U.S. territories and protectorates
  • Unemployment
  • Veterans' medical care
  • Wages and earnings
  • Water quality
  • Watersheds
  • Women's health
  • Student records
  • American Samoa
  • Northern Mariana Islands
  • Puerto Rico
  • Virgin Islands
  • Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)