Louisiana Recovery Office 
New Orleans, LA   
  FEMA: Week in Review 
  
  
 Doing Business with FEMA at Industry Day for Local Contractors 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
For more information go to http://www.fema.gov/business/contractor 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Feb. 20: Presidents’ Day  
 
Feb. 21: Mardi Gras Day  
 
Feb. 23-25: 88th Annual Police Jury Association of Louisiana Convention, Houma/Terrebonne Civic Center, 346 Civic Center Boulevard, Houma, La. 
 
March 23-24: Louisiana State Citizen Corps Conference, Pontchartrain Convention Center, Kenner, La.  
 
 
 
Katrina/Rita:  3 
Gustav/Ike:  2 
 
 
 
 
 
February 17, 2012 
 
Announcements                                                
 
Local Companies Participate in FEMA Industry Day in Shreveport 
The FEMA Louisiana Recovery Office held its second Disaster Contracting Industry Day on Feb. 9, 2012, in Shreveport, La. following enthusiastic response to Industry Day in New Orleans last October.  
In his opening remarks to event attendees, many of whom were local businesses, FEMA’s Louisiana Recovery Office Acting Executive Director Joe Threat said, “Just as much as you may hope to conduct business with the federal government, we too need your services because the best approach to emergency management is a public-private team approach.” 
Staff from the FEMA Louisiana Recovery Office Acquisitions Department advised attendees on how to register with the Central Contractor Registration and how to respond to notices for federal opportunities.  
                                                                                                         
FEMA Implements Disaster Assistance Recoupment Fairness Act of 2011 
On Dec. 17, 2011, Congress passed the FY12 Omnibus Appropriations bill which the president signed into law on Friday, Dec. 23, 2011.  The legislation contained the Disaster Assistance Recoupment Fairness Act of 2011.  DARFA gives the administrator of FEMA the authority to waive a debt arising from improper payments provided for disasters declared between Aug. 28, 2005, and Dec. 31, 2010, if:   
1) The debt does not involve fraud, the presentation of a false claim, or misrepresentation 
2) The assistance was distributed based on FEMA error 
3) There was no fault on behalf of the debtor 
4) The collection of the debt would be “against equity and good conscience”  
5) In addition, if the above four conditions are met and the debtor’s adjusted gross income is greater than $90,000, FEMA may approve no more than a partial waiver.   
On Feb. 13, 2012, FEMA began sending waiver notices to the most recent address available of more than 80,000 survivors who received notice of debt letters resulting from disasters that occurred between Aug. 2005 and Dec. 2010.  Individuals whose previous appeal was upheld and their recoupment terminated; debtors who have been convicted of fraud; and debtors who have court ordered restitution are not eligible for a waiver and will therefore not receive a notice. The waiver notice explains the process to request a waiver, including what documentation is required. The time limit for disaster survivors to respond to FEMA is 60 days. 
More information can be found at http://www.fema.gov 
 
 
 






                 Contacts   
News Desk: (504) 762-2477   
 
External Affairs Director, Andrea Davis: (504) 247-6628 / Andrea.Davis1@dhs.gov 
 
Outreach Lead, Amy Connolly: (225) 678-6673  / Amy.Connolly@dhs.gov  

FEMAFEMA 

Housing Update 



Calendar