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Brett Mattson

Legislative Director, Justice & Public Safety | Midsize County Caucus

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Action Needed

Urge your members of Congress to support passage of the bipartisan Fixing Emergency Management for Americans (FEMA) Act (H.R. 4669). This legislation would overhaul the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) programs by streamlining disaster recovery and providing counties and our residents with more direct, timely and transparent access to federal disaster assistance.

Background

Introduced by U.S. House Transportation and Infrastructure (T&I) Committee leadership in the 119th Congress, the bipartisan FEMA Act (H.R. 4669) represents the most significant reform of FEMA in decades. By modernizing FEMA’s programs and strengthening coordination with state and local governments, the bill aims to deliver disaster assistance more efficiently and transparently, ensuring that FEMA is better equipped to meet the needs of local communities. 

Counties are the nation’s frontline responders during emergencies and natural disasters. Local officials provide life-saving emergency services, clear debris, manage shelters and oversee the long-term process of rebuilding critical infrastructure. However, the current federal disaster assistance system often slows recovery with unnecessary bureaucracy, delayed funding and cumbersome requirements that place additional strain on already limited county resources. The FEMA Act directly addresses these challenges by implementing key reforms to the federal disaster response system. 

The FEMA Act makes sweeping reforms to FEMA’s Public Assistance (PA) program by shifting from a reimbursement model to a grant model, setting funding deadlines, introducing a flexible cost-share tied to mitigation measures and streamlining environmental and historic reviews that have long delayed recovery.

For disaster survivors, the legislation also reforms the Individual Assistance program, creating a universal disaster application, expanding FEMA’s authority to repair homes, identifying alternative methods of determining eligibility for survivors without fixed addresses and clarifying that charitable donations or small loans will not constitute duplication of benefits. These changes simplify access to aid and expedite assistance during residents’ times of greatest need.

The bill also strengthens mitigation by allowing states to develop pre-approved disaster mitigation projects with at least one project per county, restructuring pre-disaster mitigation into a formula grant and consolidating duplicative applications. Finally, the FEMA Act promotes accountability and transparency by directing FEMA to establish a PA dashboard. The dashboard will publicly display updates on project approvals, cost estimates and disbursement status, enabling counties to better track the progress of their recovery efforts. Together, these reforms respond directly to county priorities and offer a pathway toward a more resilient and responsive national emergency management system.
 

Key Talking Points

  • The FEMA Act modernizes disaster programs, so counties no longer must navigate a maze of paperwork and slow reimbursement processes after emergencies. By simplifying applications and speeding up access to federal resources, counties can deliver timely aid to residents, repair critical infrastructure and stabilize local economies more effectively.
  • The FEMA Act enhances accountability and transparency in how disaster dollars are managed, giving counties better visibility into timelines and funding streams. This helps county leaders plan budgets, prioritize community recovery projects and rebuild with greater certainty, rather than waiting months or years for unclear federal decisions.
  • The FEMA Act strengthens the partnership between counties, states and the federal government, recognizing that effective disaster management requires all levels of government working together. By enhancing coordination not only during response and recovery but also in mitigation planning, the bill ensures counties have the tools and support to build more resilient communities before the next disaster strikes.
     

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