The U.S. Commission on Civil Rights will hold a virtual briefing on June 25, 2021 on the civil rights implications of the federal response and impact of Hurricanes María in Puerto Rico and Harvey in Texas.
The Commission’s investigation seeks to examine compliance efforts with the Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (Stafford Act) and other civil rights obligations in the response to natural disasters. The investigation will focus on the challenges faced by FEMA in providing aid, the lessons learned and how the federal government is developing best practices to address compliance with civil rights commitments when it comes to natural disaster response.
At this public briefing, the Commissioners will hear from subject matter experts such as government officials, volunteer organizations, non-governmental advocates and academics. The Commission will accept written materials from the public for consideration as we prepare our report; submit to FEMAbriefing@usccr.gov no later than July 26, 2021.