Fifty members of the House joined in a letter to Republican and Democratic leaders of the House urging them to bring H.R. 4669, the Fixing Emergency Management for Americans (FEMA) Act, to the House floor for consideration “so Congress can deliver real, bipartisan disaster reform for the communities that need it most.”
“We respectfully urge House leadership to bring H.R. 4669, the Fixing Emergency Management for Americans (FEMA) Act, to the House floor for consideration so Congress can deliver real, bipartisan disaster reform for the communities that need it most,” the Feb. 2 letter said.
APPA supports the legislation.
“The comprehensive, widely supported and bipartisan Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) reform proposal will help communities and individuals cut through red tape, recover, and rebuild faster – while also ensuring disaster recovery expenses are not placed solely on communities in Western North Carolina, East Tennessee, the Gulf Coast, and so many others who may be least able to afford them.”
For example, the FEMA Act of 2025 makes numerous commonsense changes to help disaster aid work better for survivors, the letter said.
“Many of us have heard firsthand from our constituents how complicated and difficult disaster recovery assistance applications are for major storms like Hurricane Helene.”
To help with this, the FEMA Act would create a “Universal Application,” allowing disaster survivors to complete a single, streamlined application when applying for assistance, significantly reducing the paperwork burden they currently face.
“Other reforms that will help lower costs for Americans 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 bill also provides much-needed clarity around reimbursement for loan interest costs and emergency work timelines.”
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. The bill’s policy reforms are supported by several external stakeholders and a broad swath of the House Republican Conference and Democratic Caucus, while aligning with the Administration’s desire to see a reformed and more responsive agency,” the letter said.
