H.R. 4782: Puerto Rico and Virgin Islands Equitable Rebuild Act of 2018

115th Congress · introduced 2018-01-11 · Emergency Management · Latest: Referred to the Subcommittee on Energy.

federal

Follow this bill, step by step

Where it came from: introduced 2018-01-11 · official record
Who proposed it: Del. Plaskett, Stacey E. [D-VI-At Large] · what a sponsor is
What happened next: no floor votes in our records yet. Why?
Where it stands now: Referred to the Subcommittee on Energy. Not final yet: this can still change. We check for updates every day.
If it becomes law and spends money: follow the money to money laws, then agencies and contracts and grants.

What does this mean?

Official title

Puerto Rico and Virgin Islands Equitable Rebuild Act of 2018

Plain summary

Puerto Rico and Virgin Islands Equitable Rebuild Act of 2018 This bill provides for additional disaster-recovery assistance and other assistance to Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands with respect to infrastructure, health care, agriculture, education, economic development, and environmental remediation, among other sectors. Specifically, regarding both territories, the bill: provides for the use of certain emergency assistance to rebuild electric grids; establishes grant programs to promote energy efficiency and renewable energy; subject to oversight requirements, increases funding for transportation infrastructure, telecommunications systems, housing, and community development; increases funding for Medicaid and Medicare; temporarily increases social-services block-grant allotments; increases funding for, and otherwise revises, rural and agricultural programs; increases funding for the Department of Veterans Affairs; provides for aid to the Head Start program, elementary and secondary education programs, and higher education programs; increases funding for training and employment services; modifies provisions concerning unemployment assistance, taxation, and federal permitting; increases funding for economic and community development programs; increases funding for environmental remediation; requires the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to submit to Congress a disaster-relief plan; and otherwise modifies provisions related to emergency funding and disaster-recovery assistance. In addition, the bill: extends Medicaid waiver authority to all territories, provides for Medicaid disproportionate share hospital allotments to the territories, and otherwise revises the Medicaid and Medicare programs with respect to the territories; provides for health-insurance coverage for individuals residing in territories without health exchanges; extends participation in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program and the Supplemental Security Income Program to all territories; modifies provisions concerning the earned-income tax credit and the child tax credit with respect to the territories; and modifies provisions concerning the application of certain workers' protections in Puerto Rico.

Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in House), quoted unchanged (nonpartisan). Read the source.

What a vote does

A “Yea” vote

If it passes both chambers and is signed, it becomes law.

A “Nay” vote

If it is not passed, current law stays as it is.

PSI Sci description of the legislative step (not an opinion).

What does this mean? (plain words)

Official text

Puerto Rico and Virgin Islands Equitable Rebuild Act of 2018

Source: Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in House)

AI explanation – may be wrong, check the official text

No AI explanation yet. It takes up to a minute to write and is then saved for everyone.

Limited to a few requests an hour per person.

The strongest published arguments

Arguments for (supporters)

Needs sources: no published arguments on this side yet. We only show items backed by a published source. Suggest one.

Arguments against (opponents)

Needs sources: no published arguments on this side yet. We only show items backed by a published source. Suggest one.

Alternatives

Needs sources: no published alternatives yet (for example a different bill, a law instead of an amendment, or keeping current law). We only show items backed by a published source. Suggest one.

How did my representative vote? · This bill's floor votes

Officials and money

Sponsor: Del. Plaskett, Stacey E. [D-VI-At Large] · 21 cosponsors

Cost estimate: No cost estimate published yet.

Cosponsors on this site

Nydia M. Velázquez (D-NY), Darren Soto (D-FL), Frederica S. Wilson (D-FL), Gwen Moore (D-WI), Janice D. Schakowsky (D-IL), Gregory W. Meeks (D-NY), Adriano Espaillat (D-NY), Peter Welch (D-VT), Mark Pocan (D-WI), Jamie Raskin (D-MD), Ben Ray Luján (D-NM), Hakeem S. Jeffries (D-NY), James P. McGovern (D-MA), Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-FL)

Sponsor's campaign money: Del. Plaskett, Stacey E. [D-VI-At Large] reported raising $712,670 (2025–2026). Details. Shown for context only; it does not mean any donor supported this bill.

No linked floor roll calls in our collected records yet. This does not mean the bill has never had a vote. Check the official bill history.

Words on this page, explained (2)

Bill: A proposed law. It becomes law only if it passes the legislature and is signed by the president or governor (or a veto is overridden).
Securities: Financial investments that can be bought and sold, such as stocks and bonds.

Plain meanings written from linked sources. All words.

Sources

Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in House)
Congress.gov
Data: GovInfo BILLSTATUS bulk data (Library of Congress), BILLSTATUS-115hr4782.xml <https://www.govinfo.gov/bulkdata/BILLSTATUS/115/hr>

Record fed-us-cong115-hr4782 · catalog fed-us-congress-bills-cong115 · updated 2026-11-15 by psicol fed-bills-cong115