New Law Brings Long-Sought Transparency to FEMA Disaster Reimbursements

Key Takeaways

Thanks in large part to persistent county advocacy, Congress has enacted a landmark transparency reform for federal disaster assistance. Section 313 of the Homeland Security and Further Additional Continuing Appropriations Act of 2026 (H.R. 7147) requires FEMA to publish a publicly accessible, interactive dashboard tracking all reimbursement requests under its Public Assistance (PA) Program - one of the most significant accountability reforms in recent memory.

Background

County governments are on the front lines of disaster recovery – rebuilding roads, utilities and public facilities after every federally declared disaster. In 2025 alone, 680 counties experienced at least one such event. Yet for years, counties submitted reimbursement requests and waited – sometimes for years – with no visibility into project status, cash flow timelines or where delays were occurring. Section 313 directly addresses that gap.

What the Law Requires

Under the new provision, FEMA must post reimbursement request data no more than 90 days after receiving it, and within 60 days of a project entering final review at the Department of Homeland Security. The dashboard must include:

• Cost estimates, applicant identifiers, submission dates, project descriptions and federal/non-federal cost-share breakdowns for every proposed grant award
• Status and timeline of FEMA’s review, including approval and grant issuance dates
• Plain-language explanations for any cost estimate not approved or any grant delayed beyond statutory timelines, along with corrective actions taken
• Project-level progress updates and individual assistance request data

NACo Disaster Reform Priorities

Impact on Counties

The provision comes just days after NACo’s Intergovernmental Disaster Reform Task Force convened nearly 20 county leaders from 13 states in Washington, D.C. – a fly-in focused on exactly this kind of systemic reform. The new dashboard will give county officials real-time insight into where projects stand, helping them anticipate cash flow needs and communicate more effectively with residents and elected officials.

“For too long, counties have submitted project worksheets and waited without clear visibility into where our reimbursement stands or why it was delayed. Section 313 changes that. This is accountability in action, and it is a direct result of county leaders coming to Washington and demanding better.”

— Matthew Chase, NACo Executive Director

NACo will continue monitoring FEMA’s implementation of Section 313 to ensure counties get the transparency we and our residents deserve.