# Plain Language Summary: Strengthening Capacity for Disaster Resilient Territories Act

This bill creates a new program within the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) specifically designed to help U.S. territories recover more effectively after major disasters. The territories covered include Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, American Samoa, and any other U.S. territories. The bill recognizes that these island communities face unique challenges when recovering from hurricanes, typhoons, and other major disasters—challenges that mainland states don't typically experience.

The core problem the bill addresses is that U.S. territories struggle to navigate FEMA's disaster recovery programs and complete recovery projects. The bill lists many reasons why: territories have outdated infrastructure, limited staff with expertise in federal disaster programs, high debt levels that make it hard to fund recovery upfront, remote locations that make shipping materials expensive and slow, language barriers, limited internet access, and housing shortages that make it difficult to bring in recovery workers. When multiple disasters hit in quick succession (as has happened in Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands), these problems get even worse. The bill cites specific examples like Hurricane María in Puerto Rico and Typhoon Yutu in the Northern Mariana Islands to illustrate how severe and costly these disasters are.

To fix these problems, FEMA will establish a Territorial Disaster Recovery Program that provides customized help to territories. The program will identify what specific obstacles each territory faces, offer technical assistance tailored to their needs, create training courses that address local challenges, and develop best practices for managing recovery projects. FEMA will also work directly with community leaders and local experts to make sure solutions actually fit what people on the ground need. The bill requires FEMA to report to Congress every two years on what gaps they've found, what assistance they've provided, and whether the program should continue. The bill authorizes $50 million per year for five years to fund this program.