WASHINGTON, D.C. – Senators Thom Tillis (R-NC), Gary Peters (D-MI), Rand Paul (R-KY), and James Lankford (R-OK) reintroduced the Disaster Assistance Simplification Act, bipartisan legislation to simplify the application process for federal disaster recovery assistance.
“When disasters like Helene strike, families and communities should be focused on rebuilding, not navigating a maze of bureaucratic red tape,” said Senator Tillis. “This bipartisan legislation creates a universal application for federal disaster assistance, streamlining the process and ensuring survivors get the help they need.”
Background:
The Disaster Assistance Simplification Act would require the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to establish a universal application across federal agencies for disaster survivors who are seeking federal assistance to recover from hurricanes, floods, wildfires, and other natural disasters. Currently, individuals seeking federal aid to recover from a disaster must complete complicated applications depending on which agency they need help from – a process that can take weeks or even months.
After a disaster, there are several types of federal disaster assistance that may become available to disaster survivors. For example, FEMA’s Individuals and Households Program can provide financial or direct assistance for housing and other needs and the Small Business Administration’s (SBA) Real Property Disaster Loans and Personal Property Loans are available to eligible homeowners and renters who have incurred uninsured or underinsured damage to their home or personal property located in a declared disaster area.
These burdensome applications can overwhelm some survivors, causing many to simply give up trying to access desperately needed assistance and pushing survivors beyond their breaking point. The Disaster Assistance Simplification Act amends the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act to require FEMA to establish a universal disaster application across federal agencies for disaster survivors who are seeking federal recovery aid. The bill would allow FEMA to share information on disaster survivors with other federal agencies to streamline recovery efforts and reduce the burden on survivors after a disaster. Finally, the bill requires all information sharing practices to meet federal data security standards.
The bill has been endorsed by the National Association of Counties, National League of Cities, National Emergency Management Association, Environmental Defense Fund, American Flood Coalition Action, Water and Coasts at the National Wildlife Federation, National Low Income Housing Coalition, SBP, Build Strong Coalition, BPC Action, Team Rubicon, and the International Association of Emergency Managers.
“Local officials and emergency responders are often first on the scene following a disaster, coordinating clean-up, recovery and rebuilding efforts to return our residents lives back to normal,” said Matthew Chase, Executive Director, National Association of Counties. “Once federal assistance becomes available, county residents often find themselves having to complete multiple complex applications that require similar information. This process is arduous, redundant, and confusing for individuals during one of the most stressful times of their lives. The Disaster Assistance Simplification Act would create a universal disaster application for survivors to ensure they are able to access vital funding more efficiently. Counties thank Senators Peters, Paul, Lankford, and Tillis for introducing this critical legislation to support local governments and our residents.”
“The National League of Cities would like to thank Senators Peters, Paul, Lankford, and Tillis for their leadership and dedication to helping the residents of our cities, towns, and villages access critical federal assistance after a disaster,” said Yucel Ors, Legislative Director, National League of Cities. “We applaud this bipartisan collaboration in sponsoring the Disaster Assistance Simplification Act, which would establish a universal disaster application for individuals, households, and businesses seeking access to federal disaster recovery assistance.”
“The Disaster Assistance Simplification Act is an urgently necessary step to help reduce the burden on disaster survivors as they apply for assistance,” said Lynn Budd, President, National Emergency Management Association. “The National Emergency Management Association fully endorses the creation of a universal application for disaster aid. This initiative is a way for FEMA and other federal agencies to stay survivor-centric, and I applaud this common-sense and humane improvement. By allowing seamless interagency data sharing to increase efficiency, communication, and coordination, wait times for disbursement of desperately needed assistance to survivors should be reduced significantly. The universal application process allows for improved oversight, while simultaneously creating a more equitable, less burdensome process. For survivors already experiencing the most difficult and tragic moments in their lives, this is an entirely welcome improvement to disaster individual assistance.”
“The International Association of Emergency Managers strongly supports the Disaster Assistance Simplification Act. The opportunity to create a universal application for disaster survivors to apply for assistance is overdue and will provide quicker, more equitable and efficient assistance to those affected by disasters,” said Mary Jo Flynn-Nevins, Government Affairs Committee Chair, International Association of Emergency Managers. “It will lessen the burden on the disaster victims as well as the local jurisdictions who assist them. The Disaster Assistance Simplification Act will result in better oversight of assistance and help the disaster survivors receive the help they need to rebuild their lives in a timelier manner.”
“At the worst moment in their lives, disaster victims shouldn’t be bounced between different federal agency websites and long wait times. Instead, they should be able to upload their information one time, in one place, and receive relief so they can rebuild,” said Melissa Roberts, President and Founder, American Flood Coalition Action. “We applaud Chairman Paul, Ranking Member Peters, Senator Lankford, and Senator Tillis for leading this bipartisan effort to establish a universal disaster assistance application. With catastrophic flooding and other disasters devastating communities across the United States, enacting this commonsense proposal can’t come soon enough.”
“The Association of State Floodplain Managers (ASFPM) applauds Senators Peters, Paul, Lankford, and Tillis for introducing the Disaster Assistance Simplification Act to help speed up and better clarify available federal assistance programs to those impacted by a disaster,” said Chad Berginnis, Executive Director and Washington Liaison, Association of State Floodplain Managers. “Flood survivors throughout the country need timely disaster assistance as well as a system that is comprehensive and easy to navigate as they attempt to get their lives back to normal. This legislation is a step in the right direction.”
“Team Rubicon has deployed to over 1200 disasters to help those impacted by natural disasters and through long-term recovery,” said Art delaCruz, Chief Executive Officer, Team Rubicon. “We have seen firsthand how complexity and multiple agency applications during extremely stressful times inhibits aid reaching those impacted. A single application for those impacted by disasters will limit the duplication of effort and enable greater equity in the process. We thank Senators Peters, Paul, Lankford, and Tillis for leading this work.”
“Our nation’s disaster recovery system is complex and multifaceted, including a slate of federal programs, governed by a national disaster recovery framework, which collectively attempt to meet the needs of individuals and communities affected by disasters,” said Michele Stockwell, President, Bipartisan Policy Center Action (BPC Action). “BPC Action applauds Sens. Gary Peters (D-MI), Rand Paul (R-KY), James Lankford (R-OK) and Thom Tillis (R-NC) for reintroducing the bipartisan Disaster Assistance Simplification Act to streamline the application processes for those seeking access to federal disaster recovery assistance. This legislation is a crucial step toward a federal disaster response system that is quicker and more responsive to those in their hour of greatest need.”
“For years, BuildStrong America has called on Congress to reduce the administrative burdens associated with disaster grant programs and spending,” said Natalie Enclade, Executive Director, BuildStrong America. “We applaud Senators Peters, Paul, Lankford and Tillis for leading the Disaster Assistance Simplification Act, which will create a unified application for disaster assistance and ultimately make it easier for survivors and communities to access the help they need.”
“Across the country, SBP works tirelessly to reduce the time between disaster and recovery for survivors and communities,” said Reese May, Chief Strategy and Innovation Officer, SBP. “The Disaster Assistance Simplification Act will streamline federal assistance and drastically reduce the burden of application for survivors in need. America’s framework for disaster recovery is confusing and frustrating and it prevents many survivors from receiving they help they need – or even requesting the assistance at all. We applaud Senators Peters, Paul, Lankford, and Tillis for bringing forth this long overdue legislation.”
“The lowest-income and most marginalized disaster survivors are often hardest hit by disasters, and they continue to face the steepest, longest path to a complete and equitable recovery,” said Renee Willis, Acting President and CEO, National Low Income Housing Coalition. “For too long, a daunting application and appeals process has prevented low-income disaster survivors from accessing the critical assistance they need to get back on their feet. The creation of a universal application for disaster assistance, such as the one proposed in the Disaster Assistance Simplification Act, is an important first step in dismantling barriers created by the federal government and fixing our nation’s broken disaster housing recovery system.”
“Frontline communities feel the pain of natural disasters first and worst and are often last to receive help in their wake,” said Jessie Ritter, Associate Vice President for Water and Coasts, National Wildlife Federation. “It is critical to ensure that federal aid is a source of support subject to a clear and efficient process so that communities, including the most vulnerable, can focus on recovery and not paperwork. This important legislation will start to address this enduring problem and help improve the federal approach to disaster response.”
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