Post-Disaster Protection Act advances through the House Transportation & Infrastructure Committee

Key Takeaways

On Sept. 15, the U.S. House of Representative’s Transportation & Infrastructure Committee passed the Post-Disaster Protection Act (H.R. 8409), favorably reporting it to the rest of the House for consideration and a vote. The bill would amend the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (P.L. 100-707) to extend the timeframe that disaster survivors can appeal Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) disaster relief denials from 60 days to 90 days, giving individuals more time to correct any errors in their original application and gather required documentation to build a complete appeal. 

Currently, individuals only have 60 days to file an appeal after their application for disaster relief is denied, while FEMA has 90 days to review it. By giving residents an equal amount of time to file their appeal, this bill repairs a fundamental imbalance that disadvantages survivors who may lack access to necessary documentation required to correct their application for FEMA assistance. NACo outlined these points in a coalition letter to the committee’s leadership on June 2, 2026, which urged Congress to pass the Post-Disaster Protection Act.

County Impact

Counties often serve as the frontline for disaster response and recovery. The Post-Disaster Protection Act ensures that disaster survivors have access to a fairer and more accessible appeals process for disaster relief. It helps counties and our constituents to better recover following a disaster by ensuring that more residents can successfully navigate FEMA processes.

NACo strongly supports this bill and urges Congress to advance this legislation to ensure disaster survivors have a fairer and more accessible process.