FEMA Operations Continuity Act of 2025

This bill aims to ensure the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) can maintain critical operations during a lapse in appropriations, commonly known as a government shutdown. It specifically authorizes the FEMA Administrator to continue all disaster relief, recovery, and mitigation activities funded through the Disaster Relief Fund (DRF) . This includes the ability to obligate and disburse DRF balances for both existing and future disaster declarations, covering individual and public assistance programs. Furthermore, the legislation mandates that all unobligated balances within the DRF remain available for expenditure during a shutdown. It explicitly prohibits the withholding, sequestration, or reprogramming of these funds, except as required for compliance with the Anti-Deficiency Act. Crucially, the bill designates FEMA operations authorized under this Act as essential to protect human life and property , thereby exempting them from typical government shutdown restrictions.