Rural Disaster Declaration Fairness Act

This bill requires FEMA to revise its disaster aid evaluation rules to consider local economic conditions like median income, poverty rates, and tax revenue when deciding whether to grant disaster assistance. It directly affects rural communities that have been denied federal aid despite significant damage, as FEMA currently focuses primarily on physical damage assessments. The key change mandates that both public (community) and individual assistance programs must factor in these economic indicators during need evaluations. Additionally, it sets a minimum 10% non-Federal cost share for repair projects under the Stafford Act. The rule changes apply to all disaster declarations denied since January 2012.