Disaster Legal Services

 

The Disaster Legal Services Program (DLS) supports the National Preparedness Goal (NPG) Mission Area of Recovery and the specific capability targets of economic recovery and health and social services. The objective and goal of DLS is to provide legal assistance to low-income individuals who, prior to or as a result of a presidentially-declared major disaster, are unable to secure legal services adequate to meet their disaster-related needs.

Active 97.033 Federal Emergency Management Agency, Department of Homeland Security C - Direct Payments For Specified Use; J - Provision of Specialized Services Fiscal Year 2016 12 grants 1,900 disaster survivors. 10 grants 2,100 disaster survivors.
Fiscal Year 2017 12 grants 2,100 disaster survivors.
Fiscal Year 2018 12 grants 3000 disaster survivors.
Fiscal Year 2019 14 grants 3500 disaster survivors.
Fiscal Year 2020 Program enabled free legal advice for disaster-related matters to disaster survivors
Fiscal Year 2021 6 new Disaster Legal Services programs were initiated in FY2021.
Fiscal Year 2023 Under Disaster Legal Services, attorneys with the American Bar Association’s Young Lawyers Division provide confidential assistance to low-income disaster survivors on issues related to disaster recovery. No information about survivors who utilize the DLS program is shared with FEMA. As of mid-July 2023, 11 DLS programs had offered legal assistance to survivors in 10 states, tribes, and territories. Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act, Section 416, Public Law 93-288, 42 U.S.C. 5182 FEMA enters into a contract with the American Bar Association Young Lawyers Division to cover the administrative costs of implementing and managing the Disaster Legal Services program. The Disaster Legal Services program provides free legal advice for individuals impacted by a presidentially-declared major disaster that includes Individual Assistance. Legal advice is limited to cases that do not produce a fee. This free legal advice for disaster-related matters includes, but is not limited to, assistance with insurance claims; landlord/tenant problems; home repair contracts; consumer protection matters; mortgage foreclosure problems; replacement of wills and other important legal documents; drafting of powers of attorney; estate administration; preparation of guardianships and conservatorships; and referrals to local and state agencies for additional assistance. Not applicable. Preapplication coordination is not applicable. 2 CFR 200, Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards applies to this program. FEMA makes a formal request to the National Director of the Disaster Legal Services (DLS) program indicating the intent to implement the DLS program. Administrative funds are made available through a contractual agreement as outlined in the Memorandum of Agreement between FEMA and the American Bar Association on behalf of its Young Lawyers Division. Not applicable. None. None. None. Not applicable. The Disaster Legal Services program provides free legal advice for individuals impacted by a Presidentially-declared major disaster that includes Individual Assistance. Legal advice is limited to cases that do not produce a fee. This free legal advice includes assistance with insurance claims; counseling on landlord/tenant problems; assistance with home repair contracts; assistance in consumer protection matters; counseling on mortgage foreclosure problems; replacement of wills and other important legal documents; drafting powers of attorney; estate administration; preparation of guardianships and conservatorships; and referrals to local and State agencies for additional assistance. Performance Reports: Refer to Program guidance. Subpart F, Audit Requirements Maintain records in keeping with federal guidelines and per program guidance at https://www.fema.gov/media-library/assets/documents/177489. Statutory formula is not applicable to this assistance listing.

Matching requirements are not applicable to this assistance listing.

MOE requirements are not applicable to this assistance listing. The length of the program is generally tied to the need for services and varies with each disaster. Method of awarding/releasing assistance: Payment based on project need. Payment based on Project need. See Appendix IV of the Catalog for a listing of addresses for FEMA's Regional Offices. Federal Emergency Management Agency Individual Assistance Division
500 C Street, SW, Sixth Floor
Washington, DC 20472-3100 US
FEMA-HQ-CSS@dhs.gov
Phone: 202) 646-2500 http://www.fema.gov 70-0702-0-1-453 (Provision of Specialized Services) FY 22$80,000.00; FY 23 est $90,000.00; FY 24 est $100,000.00; FY 21$30,000.00; FY 20$120,000,000.00; FY 19$1,001,940.00; FY 18$65,000,000.00; FY 17$43,795.00; FY 16$50,000.00; - None. Federal Disaster Assistance Regulations, 44 CFR ? 206.164; and Disaster Legal Services Handbook; and the Individual Assistance Program and Policy Guide. Fiscal Year 2019 14 grants 3,500 disaster survivors
Fiscal Year 2020 Under a presidential major disaster declaration designated for Individual Assistance, a state, tribe, or territory may request a DLS program. FEMA partners with the American Bar Association-Young Lawyers Division (ABA-YLD) to provide confidential legal assistance to survivors who are unable to secure legal services to meet their unmet disaster-caused needs without a cost-share. No survivor information is shared with FEMA.
Fiscal Year 2021 Following an incident, a state, tribe, or territory may request the inclusion of DLS in their presidential major disaster declaration designated with Individual Assistance. FEMA partners with the American Bar Association-Young Lawyers Division (ABA-YLD) to provide free confidential legal assistance to survivors who are unable to secure legal services to meet their disaster-caused legal needs. No survivor information is shared with FEMA.
Fiscal Year 2023 Following a presidential major disaster declaration designated for Individual Assistance, a state, tribe, or territory have requested Disaster Legal Services in their disaster declaration request.