Disaster Recovery Improvement Act
Sponsored By: Senator Ted Budd
Introduced
Summary
Expedite disaster relief funding and give states and counties more say in how federal recovery money is delivered. The bill would create a FEMA-led interagency task force to find and fix delays across federal disaster programs and improve state and local input.
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- State and local officials gain direct representation. The task force would include four governors and four county commissioners representing states and counties hit by a hurricane, wildfire, tornado, and earthquake.
- Federal agencies and covered programs face a focused review. Senior officials from FEMA and agencies such as HUD, USDA, EPA, DOL, Commerce, Treasury, the Army Corps, and OMB must identify barriers and recommend ways to speed funds to programs like FEMA Public Assistance (Sec. 406), FEMA Hazard Mitigation Grants (Sec. 404), HUD Community Development Block Grant Disaster Recovery, USDA disaster and Forest Service funding, DOL Dislocated Worker Grants, Commerce economic development grants, DOI historic preservation and construction funding, and EPA Clean Water State Revolving Fund. The report must also identify funding mechanisms like grants, loans, reimbursements, and contract authority.
- Deadlines and limits shape follow up. The task force must publish a public report within 1 year with recommendations to simplify applications, shorten reviews, strengthen state capacity, and address delays including during presidential transitions. Agencies must report back within 180 days on which recommendations they will implement and why others were not chosen. The bill states it provides no new funding and ends 90 days after the implementation report is submitted.
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Bill Overview
Analyzed Economic Effects
2 provisions identified: 1 benefits, 1 costs, 0 mixed.
Faster disaster recovery planning
If enacted, FEMA would set up a Disaster Recovery Improvement Task Force within 90 days. A senior FEMA official would chair it and senior disaster officials from agencies like SBA, HUD, USDA, HHS, DOL, DOT, Commerce, Treasury, Interior, EPA, the Army Corps, and OMB would join. Four governors and four county commissioners would be appointed to represent one hurricane, wildfire, tornado, and earthquake area from the prior three years; Members of Congress could serve as non‑voting advisers. The task force would publish a report to Congress within one year and then submit an implementation plan within 180 days after that report; the task force would end 90 days after the implementation report is sent.
Task force gets no new funding
If enacted, the bill would not authorize any new money to run the task force. Agencies would need to carry out the work with existing resources or seek separate appropriations from Congress. The bill itself would not provide funding to implement the task force's recommendations.
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Sponsors & CoSponsors
Sponsor
Ted Budd
NC • R
Cosponsors
Raphael Warnock
GA • D
Sponsored 3/5/2026
Roll Call Votes
No roll call votes available for this bill.
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