FEMA Critical Staffing Act

This bill tells FEMA to quickly rebuild its workforce and keep key disaster programs running. Within 30 days of the law taking effect, FEMA must offer to rehire any employee who was let go between January 20, 2025, and the date the bill becomes law, if that person wants to return. It also requires FEMA to keep using already-approved funding for programs that help states and local communities prepare for and respond to extreme weather, and blocks cuts that would limit access to those resources. The bill specifically orders FEMA to immediately restart the Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities program and the Flood Mitigation Assistance program, and to carry out any projects that already have funding.

• Who is affected: Former FEMA employees who were involuntarily separated, plus states and local communities that rely on FEMA preparedness and mitigation programs .
• What changes: FEMA must offer reinstatement to eligible former staff and continue running key extreme-weather programs without reducing access to them, including BRIC and Flood Mitigation Assistance.
• When: Rehiring offers must happen within 30 days after the law is enacted; program restarts are required immediately .