Sponsors (19)
The bill greatly expands federal support for animal and pet emergency preparedness—improving rescue capacity and household outcomes for companion animals—while increasing federal spending and risking local crowding out and ongoing costs for smaller jurisdictions.
State, local, and tribal governments can receive 90% federal funding for animal- and pet-preparedness purchases, substantially lowering local upfront costs for shelters, rescue equipment, and related infrastructure.
Local emergency responders and communities will have improved disaster-response capacity through funding for training, animal response teams, and disaster-management software, which can speed rescues and reduce animal-related public-health risks.
Households with companion animals (including parents and rural residents) may receive better emergency care and sheltering because grants explicitly cover crates, supplies, veterinary items, and field rescue equipment.
Taxpayers face higher federal spending because the federal share for eligible animal-preparedness items is raised to 90%, increasing the federal budgetary outlay compared with typical matching rates.
State and local jurisdictions may redirect or crowd out other emergency-management priorities to accommodate animal-specific equipment and grants, potentially reducing funding for non-animal emergency needs.
Smaller jurisdictions and tribal communities may incur ongoing maintenance and operational costs (storage, generator fuel, trailer upkeep) for newly eligible equipment that exceed initial grant purchases and strain local budgets.
Based on analysis of 2 sections of legislative text.
Permits EMPG funds for specified pet and companion-animal preparedness items and raises the federal match for those items from 50% to 90%.
Introduced February 9, 2026 by Brian Jeffrey Mast · Last progress February 9, 2026
Amends the Emergency Management Performance Grants program to allow States, local, and tribal governments to use EMPG funds for specific pet and companion-animal emergency preparedness items and activities, and raises the federal cost-share for those pet-related activities from 50% to 90%. The change lists allowable purchases and activities such as crates, trailers, veterinary supplies, generators, training, and animal response-team development. This does not create a new appropriation; it changes how existing EMPG funds may be used and makes a higher federal match available only for the newly authorized animal-related preparedness activities.