Public Assistance Guides
These guides are short introductions to FEMA's Public Assistance (PA) program, written in plain language. They cover what the program is and how eligibility works, the categories of work, the rules on costs, insurance and procurement, the steps from the first application through an appeal, and which edition of FEMA's guide applies to a disaster. Each page describes what FEMA's own documents say and links to them, so you can read the source for yourself. The guides are educational material rather than FEMA guidance.
Program Basics
What Is Public Assistance?
A plain-language introduction to FEMA Public Assistance: who the program is for, the kinds of work it funds, how costs are usually shared, and how a grant typically moves from declaration to closeout.
What Changed in PAPPG Version 5
A general summary of what FEMA says changed between PAPPG Version 4 and Version 5: the reorganized guide, the standalone policies folded in, and the policy updates FEMA highlights.
Which PAPPG Version Applies to a Disaster?
A plain-language explanation of how FEMA's PAPPG editions apply, as a rule: the declaration date, the editions since 2016, and where to check for a specific disaster.
Public Assistance Glossary: Common Terms in Plain Language
A plain-language glossary of common Public Assistance terms, as FEMA's guide, regulations and the Stafford Act define them: roles, declarations, kinds of work, projects, funding terms, the process from application to closeout, and appeals.
Eligibility & Work Categories
PA Eligibility Basics: The Four Building Blocks
A plain-language introduction to the four building blocks of Public Assistance eligibility — applicant, facility, work and cost — as FEMA's guide describes them.
Public Assistance Work Categories A–G
A simple overview of Public Assistance work categories A through G: emergency work and permanent work, what each category covers in broad terms, and the extra letters FEMA uses.
Category A Debris Removal in Public Assistance
A plain-language overview of Category A debris removal under Public Assistance, as FEMA's guide describes it: the public-interest test, eligible and ineligible locations, private property, contracted work and monitoring.
Category B Emergency Protective Measures in Public Assistance
A plain-language overview of Category B emergency protective measures under Public Assistance, as FEMA's guide describes them: the immediate-threat test, life-safety and property-protection measures, emergency operations centers, evacuation and sheltering, emergency access, and private property.
Private Nonprofit Eligibility for Public Assistance
A plain-language overview of private nonprofit (PNP) eligibility for Public Assistance, as FEMA's guide describes it: the organization, facility and service tests, critical versus non-critical services, the SBA loan step, mixed-use facilities and documentation.
Costs, Funding & Insurance
Insurance and Duplication of Benefits in Public Assistance
A plain-language overview of insurance in Public Assistance, as FEMA's guide and insurance policy describe it: the duplication-of-benefits rule, actual and anticipated proceeds, the obtain-and-maintain requirement, and flood reductions in Special Flood Hazard Areas.
Direct Administrative Costs (DAC) in Public Assistance
A plain-language overview of direct administrative costs (DAC) in Public Assistance, as FEMA's guide and its management costs policy describe them: the definition, the move into the capped management cost contribution, and the line between administering the grant and managing the project.
PA Management Costs in Public Assistance
A plain-language overview of management costs in Public Assistance, as the Stafford Act, FEMA's management costs policy and FEMA's guide describe them: the capped contribution for recipients and subrecipients, eligible activities, timing and documentation.
Section 428 Alternative Procedures for Permanent Work
A plain-language overview of Section 428 alternative procedures in Public Assistance, as the Stafford Act and FEMA's guide describe them: fixed-estimate funding for large permanent work, the fixed cost offer, flexible use of funds, excess funds, and how these projects differ from standard ones.
The Cost Estimating Format (CEF)
A plain-language overview of FEMA's Cost Estimating Format (CEF), as FEMA's guide describes it: when FEMA uses it for large permanent work, the contingency, inflation and locality factors it applies, its place in fixed cost offers, and applicant-prepared estimates.
Small vs Large Projects in Public Assistance
A plain-language overview of small and large projects in Public Assistance, as FEMA's guide and regulations describe them: the annually adjusted project threshold, simplified procedures for small projects, net small project overruns, and the reconciliation of large projects at closeout.
Force Account Labor and Equipment in Public Assistance
A plain-language overview of force account labor and equipment in Public Assistance, as FEMA's guide and regulations describe them: pay rates and fringe benefits, labor policies, regular time and overtime by category of work, equipment rates and operating time, and documentation.
Section 406 Hazard Mitigation in Public Assistance
A plain-language overview of Section 406 hazard mitigation in Public Assistance, as the Stafford Act and FEMA's guide describe it: mitigation on damaged facilities as part of the repair project, eligibility, the three cost-effectiveness paths, and the difference from Section 404.
Process, Documentation & Appeals
The Public Assistance Appeal Process
A plain-language overview of the Public Assistance appeal process, as FEMA's regulations and guide describe it: first and second appeals, the deadlines that run from a determination, what an appeal contains, and arbitration before the Civilian Board of Contract Appeals.
Procurement Under Public Assistance Grants
A plain-language overview of procurement under Public Assistance grants, as FEMA's guide and the federal grant regulations describe it: the two tracks for states and for local governments and nonprofits, full and open competition, prohibited and restricted contract types, the emergency exception, and documentation.
Public Assistance Documentation: What the PAPPG Expects
A plain-language overview of the documentation FEMA's guide expects for Public Assistance, phase by phase: damage and impacts, labor, equipment and materials, procurement and contracts, insurance, scope changes and closeout, and how long records are kept.