Summary

Creates a permanent federal fee waiver for people or households that lose a covered critical document because of a Presidentially declared major disaster where individual assistance is provided. The President, working with the affected State Governor, must waive required fees for replacing those documents; the Department of State and USCIS must post public notices about the waiver, and each agency must send Congress annual reports on how many waivers were granted and the costs incurred.

Key Points

• Establishes a permanent federal fee waiver for people/households who lose covered critical documents in qualifying major disasters.
• Waiver must be authorized by the President in coordination with the affected State Governor.
• Department of State and USCIS must publish online notices about the fee waiver.
• Each implementing agency must deliver annual reports to Congress on waiver counts and total costs.
• Applies only to disasters with a Presidential major disaster declaration that includes individual assistance.
• Intended to lower barriers for survivors to replace essential identity and immigration documents during recovery.
• Does not specify a dedicated funding source; agencies must track and report costs to Congress.
• Permanent change to the Disaster Recovery Reform Act rather than a temporary or one-time measure.

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