U.S. Representative Salud Carbajal (D-CA-24), a senior member of the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, released the statement below following the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee passing the bipartisan Fixing Emergency Management for Americans (FEMA) Act of 2025. The FEMA Act represents the most drastic legislative reform of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and federal disaster assistance programs in decades.
“When disaster strikes, communities shouldn’t be forced to navigate layers of bureaucracy and red tape just to get help,” said Rep. Carbajal. “This bipartisan legislation represents a major step forward in strengthening FEMA’s ability to respond quickly and effectively. I’ll keep working with colleagues on both sides of the aisle to get the FEMA Act across the finish line so those impacted by disasters receive the aid they need without delay.”
“The County of Santa Barbara strongly supports the bipartisan Fixing Emergency Management for Americans (FEMA) Act (H.R. 4669). As one of the Nation’s counties that is the most susceptible to natural disasters, we know all too well how lengthy the existing process of federal reimbursement can be. Among other important provisions, the Act would streamline federal reimbursement, adding to financial predictability and easing administrative burdens, which would allow counties like Santa Barbara to focus resources on the provision of frontline services and preparedness for future events,” said Laura Capps, Chair of the Board of Supervisors in Santa Barbara County.
“The Fixing Emergency Management for Americans (FEMA) Act of 2025 directly addresses many challenges and issues that face San Luis Obispo County before, during, and after disasters occur,” said County Chief Administrative Officer Matthew Pontes. “The bill clears the way for expedited repairs and replacement of disaster-damaged facilities without regard to prior condition, addresses the current backlog of open declared disasters, expedites emergency work funding disbursement, and streamlines unnecessary permitting requirements that often delay recovery. Especially important for our County and others in the Western United States, the FEMA Act authorizes fire management activities and grants which will help the County address wildfires. The County strongly supports Chairman Graves’s FEMA Act and Rep. Salud Carbajal’s strong leadership in disaster mitigation, response, and recovery.”
The FEMA Act streamlines the federal government’s disaster response and recovery programs while also making FEMA a cabinet-level agency once again that is directly accountable to the President. The bill rewards effective state and local preparedness, protects taxpayers, cuts red tape, and ensures that relief efforts are fast, fair, and free from political bias.
The text of the FEMA Act of 2025 is available here.
A section-by-section summary of the FEMA Act is available here.
Summary of the FEMA Act of 2025
The FEMA Act of 2025 restores FEMA’s original status as an independent agency, reporting directly to the President and overseen by its own inspector general.
- This structure mirrors the Stafford Act, which authorizes the President to direct federal disaster response efforts through the Disaster Relief Fund.
- Returning FEMA to a Cabinet-level agency will empower the Administrator to lead a coordinated, government-wide response to disasters.
- FEMA will become more agile and focused on helping Americans – not bogged down by having its resources and personnel diverted to support non-Stafford Act disasters.
The FEMA Act of 2025 puts disaster-impacted states in the driver’s seat, helps dollars reach communities faster, injects common sense, and cuts red tape that can drag out disaster recovery for decades.
- By replacing the slow and bureaucratic rebuilding process with faster, project-based grants, states will be able to set the pace of recovery, reduce their dependence on costly consultants, and prioritize the highest need projects, without having to take out expensive loans or wait years for reimbursement.
- For the first time, states are incentivized to make their own investments in mitigation, robust state rainy day funds, and private insurance policies.
- This legislation also makes critical reforms to federal permitting and procurement processes to speed up rebuilding projects and eliminate unnecessary delays.
- In addition, the FEMA Act of 2025 establishes a Recovery Task Force charged with closing out more than 1,000 lingering disaster declarations dating back to Hurricane Katrina and directs FEMA to improve coordination across all federal agencies involved in disaster recovery.
The FEMA Act of 2025 makes commonsense changes to help disaster aid work better for survivors, while saving taxpayer dollars.
- Disaster survivors will complete a single, streamlined application when applying for assistance, significantly reducing the paperwork burden.
- FEMA must provide clear, understandable notices to disaster survivors, ending the confusion caused by complex and jargon-filled denial letters.
- It directs the FEMA Administrator to apply practical, survivor-focused solutions that both speed assistance to disaster victims and reduce overall costs to taxpayers.
- The FEMA Act of 2025 removes disincentives that have discouraged donations from charities, religious organizations, and the public, ensuring more non-federal support is available for disaster survivors.
- States are given more flexibility to determine the best emergency housing solution for a particular disaster.
The FEMA Act of 2025 strengthens efforts to protect communities before a disaster occurs.
- The FEMA Act 2025 overhauls FEMA’s existing mitigation framework to accelerate project timelines, reduce long-term disaster costs, and ensure greater coordination across federal funding streams, so states can more effectively leverage resources.
- States can pre-vet mitigation projects through a peer-review process to speed up funding when disaster strikes and combine funds from federal programs to expedite the completion of critical projects.
- The FEMA Act of 2025 clarifies building code requirements, ensuring states retain the flexibility to tailor standards to the hazards they face.
- The legislation also supports homeowners as they invest in cost-effective mitigation improvements, reducing long-term disaster costs.
The FEMA Act of 2025 prevents the politicization of disaster aid and demands greater transparency and accountability from FEMA.
- The FEMA Act of 2025 strictly prohibits any political discrimination in providing disaster recovery assistance. It directs the Office of Management and Budget to establish a centralized public website that tracks disaster assistance funding across the federal government.
- The bill mandates a full Government Accountability Office review of all FEMA regulations and policies to eliminate outdated, conflicting, and unnecessary rules.
- It also requires an assessment of identity theft and disaster fraud risks, and directs reviews related to insurance coverage, the effectiveness of public alerting systems, and cost savings associated with the reforms in the discussion draft.
