Reassigned Employees on External Funding: Understanding FEMA Reimbursement

The Public Assistance (PA) program offers financial support for disaster response and recovery efforts. Here's a specific scenario related to reassigned employees and FEMA reimbursement:

The Case of Reassigned Employees Funded Externally

• Employee Reassignment: An existing employee (permanent) is assigned tasks outside their usual job duties to address the emergency.
  • For instance, a police officer might be reassigned to clear debris.
• External Funding Source: The employee's salary is typically funded by an external source, such as a grant from another federal agency or dedicated funds.
• No Duplication of Funding: FEMA needs to confirm that the external funding source doesn't already cover the specific emergency work the employee is doing.
  • Essentially, FEMA shouldn't reimburse costs already covered by another source.

FEMA Reimbursement and Considerations:

• Reimbursement Based on Normal Pay Rate: If the above criteria are met, FEMA reimburses the applicant based on the employee's normal pay rate, not the rate typically associated with the reassigned work.
• Documentation Importance: Applicants must provide proper documentation and evidence to demonstrate the eligibility of these reassigned employees for reimbursement. This ensures FEMA reimburses only for valid claims.

In essence, FEMA helps cover the cost of an employee's regular salary when they are temporarily reassigned to perform essential emergency work that is not funded by another source.

By understanding these guidelines, applicants can ensure they are properly documenting and claiming reimbursement for eligible reassigned employees funded from external sources.

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