Sponsor
Thomas Roland Tillis
Senator · R-NC
Senator · R-NC
The bill provides immediate, substantial federal disaster relief to speed recovery at the state and local level, but does so without offsets, raising short- and long-term fiscal risks and the possibility of displaced priorities or uneven implementation.
State and local governments (and the communities they serve) receive $25 billion in FY2025 to fund disaster response and recovery, enabling faster repairs to roads, utilities, housing, and other critical infrastructure after major disasters.
The bill’s emergency designation allows the funding to be provided without PAYGO offsets, permitting immediate aid to flow without triggering offsetting budget cuts or tax increases.
All taxpayers face increased federal deficit risk because $25 billion is added to spending without offsets, potentially worsening fiscal pressures over time.
Congress may need to reallocate or cut other discretionary priorities later to cover the cost, which could reduce funding available for programs important to middle-class families and other constituencies.
If state and local governments do not manage or distribute the funds efficiently, communities may still experience delayed, uneven, or insufficient relief despite the appropriation.
Based on analysis of 2 sections of legislative text.
Provides a one-time, emergency-designated $25 billion appropriation to FEMA’s Disaster Relief Fund for FY2025.
Official title: Appropriate amounts to the Disaster Relief Fund of the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
Introduced June 5, 2025 by Thomas Roland Tillis · Last progress June 5, 2025
Provides a one-time, emergency-designated appropriation of $25 billion to the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s Disaster Relief Fund for fiscal year 2025. The funds are designated as emergency spending under statutory PAYGO and related budget enforcement rules to avoid offsetting PAYGO or regular budget constraints.