Crisis Counseling Act
This bill requires the President to immediately approve a request from a state, territory, or Indian tribe affected by a major disaster for financial assistance available through the Crisis Counseling Assistance and Training Program (CCP).
Under current law, such states, territories, and tribes must apply to, and wait for approval from, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to implement the CCP. This bill provides for automatic approval for such requests if the requesting state, territory, or tribe has been designated a disaster area under the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act.
To ensure that, after the declaration of a major disaster, States, 
local governments, and Indian tribal governments affected by the major 
 disaster receive immediate approval for services and assistance under 
  section 416 of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency 
                            Assistance Act.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Crisis Counseling Act''.

SEC. 2. CRISIS COUNSELING ASSISTANCE AND TRAINING.

    Section 416 of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency 
Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5183) is amended--
            (1) by striking ``The President is authorized'' and 
        inserting the following:
    ``(a) In General.--The President is authorized''; and
            (2) by adding at the end the following:
    ``(b) Immediate Assistance Required.--
            ``(1) In general.--A State or local agency, or an Indian 
        tribal government, that is affected by a major disaster may 
        submit to the President a request for the financial assistance 
        described in subsection (a).
            ``(2) Immediate approval.--Immediately upon receipt of a 
        request for financial assistance under paragraph (1), the 
        President shall--
                    ``(A) approve the request; and
                    ``(B) grant the financial assistance.''.
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Crisis Counseling Act
A bill to ensure that, after the declaration of a major disaster, States, local governments, and Indian tribal governments affected by the major disaster receive immediate approval for services and assistance under section 416 of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act.
Crisis Counseling Act
Sen. Warnock, Raphael G.