u.s. Department of Homeland Seeurity 
SOO C Street. SW 
Washington, OC 20472 
August 30, 2008 
MEMORANDUM FOR: 
FROM: 
FEMA Regional Administrators 
Regions I -X 
Carlos 1. Castillo r:flJ~ 
Assistant Administrator 1~ 
Disaster Assistance Directorate 
SUBJECT: Guidance for the Implementation of the Host-State 
Evacuation and Sheltering Reimbursement Policy 
(DAP9523.18) 

This memorandum provides additional and clarified guidance for the implementation 

of Disaster Assistance Policy 9523.18 "Host-State Evacuation and Sheltering 

Reimbursement", issued on July 18,2007. The purpose ofthe Policy is to establish the 

procedures for reimbursing host-States for the costs ofevacuation and sheltering support 

that they provide to impact-States. 

Under the Policy, FEMA may reimburse a host-State for evacuation and sheltering 
support provided to evacuees from an impact-State in two ways. First, host-States may 
be reimbursed through the impact-State via established mutual aid arrangements 
(including EMAC agreements) with the impact-State. Second, FEMA may provide direct 
reimbursement to a host-State when the host-State agrees to: ( I) accept evacuees via any 
requested mode oforganized transportation; and (2) make at least 10% of identified 
sheltering capacity within the host-State available to support impact-State evacuees. 

As indicated in the Policy, and assuming the two conditions above are satisfied, FEMA 
may (following a Presidential declaration of an emergency or major disaster for the 
impact-State that includes public assistance, category B) provide direct reimbursement to 
a host-State for its eligible evacuation and sheltering costs when FEMA requests, and a 
host-State agrees to provide, evacuation and/or sheltering support for evacuees from an 
impact-State. 

ADDITIONALLY, and assuming the two conditions above are satisfied, FEMA may 
(following a Presidential declaration ofan emergency or major disaster for the impactState 
that includes public assistance, category B) provide direct reimbursement to a hostState 
for its eligible evacuation and sheltering costs when THE IMPACT STATE 
requests, and a host-State agrees to provide. evacuation and/or sheltering support for 
evacuees from an impact-State. 

www.fema.gov 


Carlos J. Castillo 
August 30, 2008 
Page 2 

The agreement ofa host-State to the terms ofthe Policy should be transmitted in writing, 
either electronically or in hard copy, by an authorized official ofthe host-State to the 
FEMA Regional Administrator (or hislher designee). 

When the terms of the Policy are agreed to, the host-State may enter into a grant 
agreement with FEMA and be reimbursed directly through a grant from FEMA that is 
paid for from the impact-State's emergency or major disaster declaration. As stated in 
the Policy, the impact-State will be responsible for any non-Federal share ofevacuation 
and sheltering support provided by a host-State, and this applies whether the request to 
the host-State is made by FEMA or by the impact-State, and whether reimbursement is 
done directly by FEMA or through mutual aid agreements. 

For additional information, contact James Walke, Director, Public Assistance Division, 
Disaster Assistance Directorate, at (202) 646-2751. 

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