1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Federal Disaster Assistance Nonprofit Fairness Act of 2017 . 2. Findings Congress finds the following: (1) Churches, synagogues, mosques, temples, and other houses of worship throughout communities nationwide play an essential role in the daily lives of the communities. (2) The Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (referred to in this section as FEMA ) public assistance program provides financial grants for the repair of various types of private nonprofit facilities. (3) Among the types of nonprofits to which FEMA provides such grants are those in which citizens gather and engage in a variety of educational, enrichment, and social activities. These activities are essential to community building and occur in houses of worship. (4) Under the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act ( 42 U.S.C. 5121 et seq.), FEMA’s disaster relief program is a general government program under which assistance is provided in the wake of a natural disaster using criteria that are neutral with regard to religion. (5) Congress has previously enacted legislation providing financial assistance to religious nonprofit institutions, including houses of worship, on terms equal to other eligible nonprofit institutions. (6) Such legislation is consistent with recent precedents of the Supreme Court of the United States and legal opinions issued by the Office of Legal Counsel of the Department of Justice. 3. Inclusion of houses of worship as private nonprofit facilities eligible for disaster relief (a) Definition of private nonprofit facility Section 102(11)(B) of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act ( 42 U.S.C. 5122(11)(B) ) is amended to read as follows: (B) Additional facilities In addition to the facilities described in subparagraph (A), the term private nonprofit facility includes any private nonprofit facility that provides essential services of a governmental nature to the general public (including museums, zoos, performing arts facilities,