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Introduced January 13, 2026 by Debbie Dingell · Last progress January 13, 2026
Requires States and local governments to adopt crisis standards of care and emergency plans that protect the civil rights of people with disabilities and older adults and follow federal nondiscrimination law and HHS Office for Civil Rights guidance. Creates multiple federal grant programs, a Disaster Human Services Emergency Fund, expanded advisory committees, a DOJ review committee of prior disability‑related settlement agreements, and a GAO audit to improve accessibility and inclusion in disaster preparedness, response, recovery, and mitigation. Provides new definitions, mandates accessibility and inclusion requirements for recipients of disaster funds, funds regional training/technical assistance centers and national demonstration projects, and authorizes several hundred million dollars over multiple years to support capacity building, rapid human‑services response, and research/evaluation for disability‑ and age‑inclusive disaster practices.
The bill substantially strengthens civil‑rights protections, accessibility standards, and funded capacity for people with disabilities and older adults in disasters—improving inclusion and resilience—but does so through large new spending commitments and added compliance and administrative requirements that could slow delivery, concentrate funds with larger entities, and raise budgetary trade-offs.
People with disabilities and older adults will gain stronger legal protections, explicit inclusion in planning, and clearer non‑discrimination rules for disaster response and crisis care, improving access to evacuation, sheltering, communications, and medical resources during emergencies.
The bill creates and authorizes substantial dedicated funding streams and grants (regional centers, rapid-response and human‑services funds, preparedness capacity grants, and multi‑year awards) to build capacity, speed assistance after disasters, and sustain inclusive programs nationwide.
New accessibility and technical standards (e.g., visitability, ADA/Rehab Act compliance, multi‑language and ASL communications) and program eligibilities increase the likelihood that housing, shelters, information, and human services after disasters are physically and communicatively accessible.
Federal taxpayers face materially higher federal spending commitments (multiple new authorizations and grant programs totaling hundreds of millions per year), which may require budget offsets or trade-offs with other priorities.
State, Tribal, local governments and nonprofit providers will face increased administrative, compliance, and reporting burdens to meet new standards, eligibility rules, and oversight requirements, potentially diverting staff time and grant dollars from frontline services.
Large minimum grant sizes, high award thresholds, and Secretary discretion in award criteria risk concentrating funds with larger institutions and excluding smaller community groups and grassroots organizations.