Congressman Chris Smith went to the border of Monmouth and Ocean counties--among the areas hardest hit by Superstorm Sandy--on the fifth anniversary of a storm that destroyed thousands of homes, businesses and public property on a scale not seen in recent memory, and killed more than 100 people on the East Coast. Smith met with local officials in Point Pleasant Beach, led by Mayor Stephen Reid, at the historic Manasquan Coast Guard Station. He also went to a dune area slated for imrpovement, as well as the site of a destroyed house still under construction. He met with faith-based leaders whose churches provided clothes, shelter and food in the wake of the storm, and listened to their powerful stories of emergency response, recovery and rebuilding in the community. Smith shared the status of his bipartisan bill regarding recovery from Sandy and other disasters, entitled "The Federal Disaster Assistance Nonprofit Fairness Act," which passed in 2013 by a lopsided vote of 354-72 but was stalled in the Senate. Reintroduced in 2017, Smith's new bill, HR 2405, remains a bipartisan piece of legislation that would put houses of worship on an even playing field with other non-profit organizations seeking disaster assistance. There were many nonprofit religious organizations, churches, synagogues, and other religious centers that were shut out of getting federal assistance despite damage they sustained, and despite their leadership helping so many people in the immediate aftermath of the storm. He also spoke about his Equity for Disaster Victims Act of 2017, (HR 3674) which would provide relief to victims of Superstorm Sandy and reform the federal government’s disaster relief programs to ensure fairness and flexibility. HR 3674 would allow homeowners, small businesses, and nonprofits that accepted Small Business Administration (SBA) loans following Sandy to receive U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) grants to repay the principal and any interest accrued on the loan. It would also make the provision permanent for any future disasters.