FEMA Independence Act of 2025
Bipartisan Bill Proposes Making FEMA an Independent Cabinet-Level Agency to Improve Disaster Response
Stalled
No legislative action in over 90 days.
Legislative Progress
Key Points
- This bill would remove the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) from the Department of Homeland Security and establish it as its own independent, cabinet-level agency.
- The new agency would be led by a Director who is appointed by the President and reports directly to the White House, rather than answering to the Secretary of Homeland Security.
- The Director would be required to have at least 10 years of executive leadership experience, split evenly between the public and private sectors, to ensure they are qualified to manage major disasters.
- FEMA's core mission would remain the same: helping the country prepare for, respond to, and recover from natural disasters, terrorist attacks, and other major emergencies.
- If passed, the transition would take place over one year, during which time all current FEMA employees, property, and funding would be moved to the new independent agency.
- Supporters believe this change will reduce red tape and allow FEMA to act more quickly during crises, while the move would reverse a major government reorganization that took place after the 9/11 attacks.
Impact Analysis
Personal Impact
Current FEMA employees would be transferred from the Department of Homeland Security to the new independent agency. The bill protects workers from being fired or having their pay cut for at least one year after the transfer, but the reorganization could still bring uncertainty about new leadership, reporting structures, and long-term career paths. Employees in executive-level positions would keep their current pay rates as long as their new duties are comparable.
State Impacts
Milestones
Referred to the Subcommittee on Economic Development, Public Buildings, and Emergency Management.
Sent to a congressional committee for expert review. The committee decides whether this bill moves forward.
Referred to the Subcommittee on Emergency Management and Technology.
Sent to a congressional committee for expert review. The committee decides whether this bill moves forward.
Referred to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, and in addition to the Committee on Homeland Security, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
Sent to a congressional committee for expert review. The committee decides whether this bill moves forward.
Introduced in House
The bill was officially filed and given a number. It now enters the legislative queue.
Votes
No votes have been recorded for this legislation yet.
Related News
4 articlesLawmakers eye FEMA reform amid Noem threats
House lawmakers have revamped a bipartisan push to make FEMA a Cabinet agency even as the Trump administration talks about eliminating it entirely. The FEMA Independence Act would mark a major change to how the agency operates, showing a clash between Capitol Hill and the White House.
Trump officials working to strip FEMA’s role in disaster recovery by Oct. 1
DHS Secretary Kristi Noem and other officials expressed support for diminishing FEMA's role. In response, Reps. Moskowitz and Donalds introduced a bill to establish FEMA as an independent, Cabinet-level agency to free it from sprawling bureaucracy and help it move with more agility.
Noem Faces More Calls to Resign After Gutting FEMA, Abandoning Disaster Victims
Following a series of winter storms, critics and whistleblowers are calling for FEMA to become independent again. The article notes that the Trump administration has hampered the agency through budget cuts and staff reductions, highlighting the urgency of the FEMA Independence Act.
Source Information
Document Type
Congressional Bill
Official Title
FEMA Independence Act of 2025
Data Sources
Sponsor
Cosponsors
(2)Analysis generated by AI. Always verify with official sources.