Sponsors (15)
The bill speeds and simplifies access to federal disaster aid for state/local governments and communities, at the trade-off of increased risk to oversight and potential improper payments if additional safeguards are not maintained.
State and local governments and disaster-affected communities receive federal Stafford Act disaster funds faster because the bill removes arbitrary fixed-dollar approval thresholds, enabling quicker FEMA obligations and disbursements that speed recovery.
Reduces administrative barriers to using federal disaster assistance, lowering indirect economic harms to households and businesses and making it easier for governments to access and apply funds.
Faster, less-restricted disbursement may weaken FEMA/DHS spending oversight and increase the risk of audit findings or improper/ineligible payments, creating potential costs for taxpayers and complicating state-federal accountability.
Based on analysis of 2 sections of legislative text.
Bars DHS/FEMA from imposing any fixed-dollar monetary threshold that conditions, delays, or requires extra approval for obligation or disbursement of Stafford Act disaster or emergency aid.
Prohibits the Secretary of Homeland Security from creating or applying any DHS/FEMA policy that sets a fixed-dollar monetary threshold that conditions, delays, or requires extra approval before FEMA can obligate or disburse Stafford Act disaster or emergency assistance. The bill defines “monetary threshold” as any fixed dollar amount requirement that triggers additional approvals or delays and applies to administrative practices rather than changing the Stafford Act statute itself. The change aims to prevent internal agency rules that would slow or block timely disaster aid by imposing arbitrary dollar cutoffs for funding obligations and disbursements, preserving FEMA’s ability to provide assistance without extra fixed-dollar approval gates imposed by DHS leadership.
Official title: To prohibit the Secretary of Homeland Security from carrying out any policy that imposes an arbitrary monetary threshold on the obligation or disbursement of disaster relief funds, and for other purposes.
Introduced March 5, 2026 by Pablo José Hernández · Last progress March 5, 2026