Disaster Recovery Improvement Act

Key Points

• This bill creates a new interagency task force, led by FEMA, to figure out why federal disaster relief money takes so long to reach communities and recommend ways to speed it up. The effort was prompted by delays after recent disasters like Hurricane Helene.
• The task force will include officials from 12 federal agencies plus 4 state governors and 4 county commissioners from areas recently hit by hurricanes, wildfires, tornadoes, and earthquakes — ensuring that people with on-the-ground experience shape the recommendations.
• Within one year, the task force must publicly release a report with specific recommendations to streamline applications, cut delays in getting funds out, and identify what causes holdups — including during presidential transitions.
• The report must cover specific programs like FEMA Public Assistance, HUD's Community Development Block Grant Disaster Recovery program, USDA crop loss aid, Department of Labor Dislocated Worker Grants, and EPA Clean Water funds — tackling delays across a wide range of disaster relief channels.
• The bill does not authorize any new spending. It is purely a study-and-recommend effort. Within 180 days of the initial report, agencies must explain which recommendations they will implement and which they won't, and the task force then dissolves 90 days later.

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