Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee
Introduced
In Committee
On Floor
Passed Chamber
Enacted
This legislation mandates that the Administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) amend its existing rules for evaluating disaster assistance within 120 days of enactment. The revised regulations will establish specific, weighted criteria for determining the need for both public and individual disaster aid, aiming to provide a more structured and equitable assessment process. For public assistance , the new rules will assign weighted valuations to factors such as localized impacts (40%), estimated cost (10%), and the economic circumstances of the local and state economies (10%). Similarly, for individual assistance , criteria like concentration of damages (20%), trauma (20%), special populations (20%), and local economic considerations (5%) will receive specific weights. These amended rules are designed to apply retroactively to any major disaster declaration requested by a Governor and denied on or after January 1, 2012.
Fairness in Federal Disaster Declarations Act of 2023
Introduced in Senate
Read twice and referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs. (text: CR S652-653)
Emergency Management
Fairness in Federal Disaster Declarations Act of 2026
USA119th CongressS-3895| Senate
| Updated: 2/24/2026
This legislation mandates that the Administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) amend its existing rules for evaluating disaster assistance within 120 days of enactment. The revised regulations will establish specific, weighted criteria for determining the need for both public and individual disaster aid, aiming to provide a more structured and equitable assessment process. For public assistance , the new rules will assign weighted valuations to factors such as localized impacts (40%), estimated cost (10%), and the economic circumstances of the local and state economies (10%). Similarly, for individual assistance , criteria like concentration of damages (20%), trauma (20%), special populations (20%), and local economic considerations (5%) will receive specific weights. These amended rules are designed to apply retroactively to any major disaster declaration requested by a Governor and denied on or after January 1, 2012.