Disaster Declaration Transparency Act of 2026

Key Points

• This bill creates a process for Congress to override a presidential refusal to declare a major disaster after a governor's request. It specifically targets refusals that go against FEMA's recommendation or break from how similar disasters have been handled before.
• When the White House denies a disaster request under these conditions, it must send a written explanation to Congress within 24 hours. This creates a paper trail that holds decision-makers accountable and lets the public see why federal aid was withheld.
• Members of Congress would have a 14-day window to introduce a fast-track joint resolution forcing the disaster declaration. Committees get only 2 days to act before being automatically bypassed, and debate time is capped at 4 hours in the House and 10 hours in the Senate.
• The bill is introduced by Rep. Krishnamoorthi, along with Rep. Neguse and Rep. Pettersen. It was referred to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure and the Committee on Rules.
• Because the resolution is a joint resolution, it would still need to be signed by the president or passed with a veto-proof majority. The bill includes procedures for handling a presidential veto, with 10 hours of Senate debate on any veto message.