Sponsors (3)
The bill makes it easier and cheaper for disaster survivors who receive FEMA IHP to replace critical documents and improves transparency, but it narrows help to IHP recipients while shifting costs and administrative burdens to federal agencies (and ultimately taxpayers), risking gaps and processing delays for other disaster-affected people.
Disaster-affected individuals and households — including low-income families and immigrants who receive FEMA Individual Assistance (IHP) — can get replacement passports, immigration, and other critical-document fee waivers, reducing out-of-pocket costs and helping people restore legal documents after disasters.
State and local governments, Congress, and the public gain clearer information because agencies must publish public notices and annual reports on waiver availability and usage, increasing transparency about program reach and costs.
Low-income individuals, parents/families, and other disaster-affected people who did not receive IHP assistance are generally excluded from these fee waivers, leaving many without help replacing critical documents.
Taxpayers and federal departments (USCIS, State) may bear higher costs because fee waivers shift replacement-document fees onto agencies, which could increase taxpayer burdens or crowd out other services.
Immigrants and others needing documents could face slower processing or delays because expanded fee waivers create additional administrative workload for USCIS and the State Department during disasters.
Based on analysis of 2 sections of legislative text.
Mandates fee waivers for replacing covered critical documents for disaster survivors who receive IHP assistance and requires agencies to post notices and report waiver counts and costs to Congress.
Introduced February 13, 2025 by Joseph Neguse · Last progress February 13, 2025
Requires a mandatory Presidential fee waiver for replacing certain lost or destroyed "critical documents" when an individual or household receives Individuals and Households Program (IHP) assistance after a Stafford Act major disaster and the disaster destroyed a covered document. Directs the Department of State and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) to publish notices about the waiver and requires each agency to report annually to Congress on the number of waivers granted and the cost of those waivers.