The American Public Power Association recently joined a group of other trade associations in a letter sent to key lawmakers offering strong support for H.R.4669, the Fixing Emergency Management for Americans Act.
The groups also encouraged the House of Representatives to take it up as soon as possible.
APPA is asking its members to reach out to their congressional delegations in the House and Senate in support of H.R. 4669.
“At a time when concerns about costs of living and affordability are top of mind for many Americans, the bill’s reforms are urgently needed,” the groups said in their Dec. 9 letter.
The letter was sent to Speaker of the House Mike Johnson (R-La.), Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-La.), Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) and Democratic Whip Katherine Clark (D-Mass.).
“We believe the 57-3 vote in the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee demonstrated significant and widespread support for a reformed and more responsive Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).”
The proposal “was crafted in a thoughtful way that aligns with the President’s desire to help communities and individuals cut through red tape, recover, and rebuild faster – while also ensuring disaster recovery expenses are not placed solely on communities who may be least able to afford them,” the letter said.
“Among the most important reforms aligned with affordability are found within changes to the slow and bureaucratic Public Assistance program. H.R.4669 would allow states and local communities to receive more financial assistance up front and dramatically improve the pace of long-term recovery,” the groups said.
The bill “also provides much-needed clarity around reimbursement for loan interest costs and emergency work timelines. With respect to Individual Assistance, the FEMA Act of 2025 makes numerous commonsense changes to help disaster aid work better for survivors.”
The bill contains language to institute a “Universal Application,” allowing disaster survivors to complete a single, streamlined application when applying for assistance, significantly reducing the paperwork burden they currently face, APPA and the other groups noted.
“H.R.4669 also contains numerous provisions to help protect communities before and after a disaster occurs, including utility resiliency, building code language maintaining local flexibility, and resources to help strengthen existing homes against natural disasters. These provisions will ultimately lower costs for Americans,” the letter said.
“We sincerely appreciate Chairman Sam Graves and Ranking Member Rick Larsen for their work and leadership on the bill. It is time for the full House to act and take up the bill for a floor vote as soon as possible.”
