Summary

Makes federal debris removal eligible for units inside condominiums, homeowners associations, housing cooperatives, and manufactured-home parks after a major disaster when a State or local government issues a written finding that the debris threatens life, public health or safety, or the community’s economic recovery. Adds legal definitions for these housing types to the Stafford Act and requires the President to issue implementing rules that respect State and local definitions. Changes apply only to disasters declared on or after enactment.

Key Points

• Adds four housing-related definitions to the Stafford Act: residential common interest communities, condominiums, housing cooperatives, and manufactured home parks.
• Makes debris removal from units in those housing types eligible as 'in the public interest' for federal assistance after a major disaster when a State or local government issues a written threat determination.
• Requires the President to issue implementing rules and to defer to State and local statutory and ordinance definitions when practical.
• Applies only to major disaster or emergency declarations made on or after the Act's enactment date (no retroactivity).
• Does not itself appropriate new funds; it changes eligibility for existing federal disaster assistance authorities.
• Creates a new formal role for State and local governments to document threats to health, safety, life, or economic recovery to trigger federal assistance.
• Targets debris/wreckage removal at the unit level within private housing arrangements rather than broad public-right-of-way cleanup alone.
• May speed recovery for residents of HOAs, condos, co-ops, and manufactured-home parks by making federal help clearer and more accessible after disasters.

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