Disaster Assistance Simplification Act
Sponsored By: Senator Gary Peters
Passed Senate
Summary
Creates a centralized, unified intake process and system for federal disaster assistance. It would let survivors apply once for multiple programs, let agencies share information to speed aid, and set privacy and security rules.
Show full summary
- Families and survivors get a single consolidated application that can provide status updates and let applicants update information across recovery. Submitting that application counts as prior written consent to share information with disaster assistance agencies under the Privacy Act.
- Disaster assistance agencies can share application data and communicate directly with survivors to speed distribution of aid, including block grants. The system must be implemented within 360 days and agencies can request consolidated-application updates with a 30-day turnaround.
- The bill requires data security and privacy safeguards, agency certification and training, 24-hour notification of unauthorized disclosures, financial remediation for improper disclosures, and regular reporting and briefings to Congress and the Government Accountability Office, with quarterly and annual reports on implementation and survivor burden.
Your PRIA Score
Personalized for You
How does this bill affect your finances?
Sign up for a PRIA Policy Scan to see your personalized alignment score for this bill and every other piece of legislation we track. We analyze your financial profile against policy provisions to show you exactly what matters to your wallet.
Bill Overview
Analyzed Economic Effects
3 provisions identified: 1 benefits, 0 costs, 2 mixed.
One application for disaster aid
This bill would require FEMA to set up one unified disaster aid application within 360 days. You could apply once, check your status, and update your info during recovery. Agencies could use your application data to speed help, including some block grants, and to fight fraud. If an agency needs new questions, FEMA would have to add them within 30 days.
Disaster data sharing and protections
If you apply through the unified system, FEMA could treat your submission as written consent to share your disaster info with other aid agencies, after posting a public notice of what would be shared. Before collecting data, FEMA would need to certify security standards, publish a privacy impact assessment, and set rules of behavior. Agencies would need a posted agreement, train staff, report any unauthorized disclosure within 24 hours, cooperate in fixes, and take responsibility for remediation. FEMA’s posted notice would count as the required Privacy Act system notice during the aid period. Sharing for disaster aid would not be treated as a Privacy Act “matching program,” and you would not be forced to apply to more than one program.
Faster disaster forms, fewer delays
After a declared major disaster or emergency, FEMA could waive some Paperwork Reduction Act steps for voluntary, disaster‑specific forms. The waiver would start when FEMA posts a short justification and a list of covered agencies. It would last for the full period of performance for that aid. Agencies would return to normal PRA rules after that if they plan to reuse the data.
Free Policy Watch
You just read the policy. Now see what it costs you.
Pick a topic. PRIA runs your household against live legislation and sends you a free personalized readout.
Pick a topic to get started
Sponsors & CoSponsors
Sponsor
Gary Peters
MI • D
Cosponsors
Sen. Lankford, James [R-OK]
OK • R
Sponsored 3/5/2025
Sen. Paul, Rand [R-KY]
KY • R
Sponsored 3/5/2025
Sen. Tillis, Thomas [R-NC]
NC • R
Sponsored 3/5/2025
Sen. Ernst, Joni [R-IA]
IA • R
Sponsored 3/10/2025
Sen. Budd, Ted [R-NC]
NC • R
Sponsored 4/30/2025
Roll Call Votes
No roll call votes available for this bill.
View on Congress.govTake It Personal
Get Your Personalized Policy View
Take the PRIA Score to see how policy affects your household, then upgrade to PRIA Full Coverage for year-round monitoring.
Already have an account? Sign in