Sponsors (13)
Last progress March 21, 2025 (10 months ago)
Introduced on March 21, 2025 by Laura Friedman
Changes a rule in federal disaster law that prevents “duplication of benefits.” It removes unspecified language from the Stafford Act’s duplication‑of‑benefits section, which is used to decide when disaster aid must be reduced or denied because a survivor already received help from another source (like insurance, SBA loans, or other grants). Because the exact words being removed are not shown, the practical effect could be to either expand or limit who qualifies for certain disaster assistance. The change will matter for disaster survivors and for agencies that calculate benefits after hurricanes, floods, fires, and other disasters.
Amend Section 312(a) of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5155(a)) by striking specified language. The exact language to be struck is not provided in this section.
Primary effects will fall on disaster survivors and households in federally declared disaster areas, because duplication‑of‑benefits rules directly determine how much aid they can receive after accounting for insurance, loans, or other grants. FEMA and other executive‑branch agencies that administer disaster programs will need to adjust their eligibility calculations and systems. State and local governments that partner on disaster relief could see changes in case processing and appeals. Depending on the text removed, survivors might qualify for more aid (if offsets are loosened) or less aid (if offsets are tightened). Insurers and SBA loan determinations won’t change directly, but their payouts will continue to interact with federal grants through the revised duplication‑of‑benefits standard.
Referred to the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure.