PRIA Logo™
119-hr-2341119th CongressWALLET

Duplications of Benefits Victims Relief Act

Sponsored By: Representative Rouzer, David [R-NC-7]

In Committee

Summary

Allows the President to waive the prohibition on duplicative federal disaster assistance. This bill would let a Governor ask the President to permit additional federal aid for a state, person, business, or other entity after a major disaster or emergency when the President finds the waiver is in the public interest and will not create waste, fraud, or abuse.

Show full summary
  • Families and disaster survivors: People and households could receive extra federal help even if they already received some other federal assistance. No income test may be used to bar someone from qualifying, and federal loans would not automatically count as duplicative if used for the disaster loss.
  • State leaders: Governors could request waivers on behalf of their state or residents, and the President would have to grant or deny the request within 45 days of submission.
  • Federal agencies and oversight: The President may consider recommendations from the Federal Emergency Management Agency Administrator and weigh cost effectiveness, equity, and other public policy factors. FEMA would also have to report within 1 year on how to improve coordination and delivery of individual disaster assistance and provide an update 4 years later.

Personalized for You

How does this bill affect your finances?

Personalize government policy and PRIA will tell you what this bill means for your household, plus every other piece of legislation we track. PRIA reads each provision against your financial profile to show you exactly what matters to your wallet.

Free to download

Bill Overview

Analyzed Economic Effects

1 provisions identified: 1 benefits, 0 costs, 0 mixed.

Let survivors combine more disaster aid

If enacted, this bill would let the President waive the “no double-dipping” rule for disaster aid, case by case. A Governor could request a waiver for the State or for a person or business hurt by a declared disaster on or after January 1, 2016. The President would have 45 days to decide and would need to find it in the public interest and not prone to waste, fraud, or abuse, considering FEMA advice, cost-effectiveness, and fairness. Loans would not count as duplicate help if all federal aid goes to the disaster loss. No income test could block someone from a waiver. This would not change rules for two FEMA aid programs (sections 406 and 408).

Sponsors & CoSponsors

Sponsor

Rouzer, David [R-NC-7]

NC • R

Cosponsors

  • Rep. Carter, Troy A. [D-LA-2]

    LA • D

    Sponsored 3/25/2025

Roll Call Votes

No roll call votes available for this bill.

View on Congress.gov
Back to Legislation