# 119-s-4388: Housing Survivors of Major Disasters Act of 2026

119-s-4388, Housing Survivors of Major Disasters Act of 2026, is a 119th Congress bill sponsored by Sen. Warren, Elizabeth [D-MA] (D-MA); status introduced; PRIA reads it as touching household money (as of 2026-05-10).

- Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-4388
- As of: 2026-05-10
- Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts.

## Facts
- Bill: 119-s-4388
- Congress: 119
- Title: Housing Survivors of Major Disasters Act of 2026
- Status: introduced
- Introduced: 2026-04-27
- Sponsor: Sen. Warren, Elizabeth [D-MA] (D-MA)
- Cosponsors: 12
- Policy area: Emergency Management
- Touches household money: yes
- Last recorded action: 2026-05-10

## Summary

**This bill would expand access to disaster housing assistance for people who lack formal property documents.** It also creates a simple self-declaration form, broadens what counts as proof of home ties, and pushes FEMA and HUD to coordinate temporary rental help. - Families, displaced households, and people living or staying in boardinghouses, bunkhouses, manufactured homes, mobile homes, travel trailers, or who are homeless would be eligible for assistance if they were in the disaster area during the incident period. - Owner-occupants without formal title would be allowed to show "constructive ownership" with a wide range of evidence, such as utility bills, school records, deeds, wills, mortgage papers, or medical records, and could use assistance funds to obtain title, land surveys, and related taxes or fees. - Applicants who received or sought assistance on or after Jan 1, 2017 would get at least 180 days to submit a declarative statement to reopen or appeal determinations, and the bill would require FEMA to publish the no-notary form in English and Spanish at Disaster Recovery Centers and online and to provide staff guidance within 30 days.

## Cosponsors (12)

- Sen. Markey, Edward J. [D-MA] (D-MA), 2026-04-27T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Durbin, Richard J. [D-IL] (D-IL), 2026-04-27T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Klobuchar, Amy [D-MN] (D-MN), 2026-04-27T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Gillibrand, Kirsten E. [D-NY] (D-NY), 2026-04-27T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Van Hollen, Chris [D-MD] (D-MD), 2026-04-27T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Sanders, Bernard [I-VT] (I-VT), 2026-04-27T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Blumenthal, Richard [D-CT] (D-CT), 2026-04-27T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Kaine, Tim [D-VA] (D-VA), 2026-04-27T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Bennet, Michael F. [D-CO] (D-CO), 2026-04-27T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Merkley, Jeff [D-OR] (D-OR), 2026-04-27T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Booker, Cory A. [D-NJ] (D-NJ), 2026-04-27T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Padilla, Alex [D-CA] (D-CA), 2026-04-27T00:00:00.000Z

## Provisions PRIA read

- Easier rules for repair and rebuilding: benefit, high. If enacted, the bill would change repair and rebuilding eligibility to apply to residences "damaged by a major disaster" rather than only those "rendered uninhabitable." The repair standard would shift to ensuring homes are habitable during longer-term recovery and could coordinate with other repai…
- FEMA and HUD rental consultations: benefit, high. If enacted, FEMA and HUD would have to consult within 60 days after any major disaster declared after enactment about a joint program under section 408 to provide temporary rental assistance. The consultations must consider helping people made eligible by the bill, such as those made homeless or li…
- More FEMA housing help for survivors: benefit, high. If enacted, this would expand who can get FEMA housing help under section 408 after a presidentially declared major disaster. People who lived in the disaster area during the incident period — including people made homeless and occupants of trailers, boardinghouses, and other nontraditional housing…
- Simpler FEMA forms and appeals: benefit, medium. If enacted, the FEMA Administrator would have 30 days to create a plain declarative statement form that applicants can use to self-certify eligibility. FEMA could not require notarization and must publish the form in English and Spanish at all active Disaster Recovery Centers and online in English,…

## Related bills

- 119-s-5066: Health Equity and Accountability Act of 2026
- 119-s-2763: Keep Billionaires Out of Social Security Act
- 119-s-3869: Healthy Families Act
- 119-s-51: Washington, D.C. Admission Act
- 119-s-5108: Right to IVF Act of 2026
- 119-s-1503: Equality Act

## Sources
- [119-s-4388 on Congress.gov](https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/senate-bill/4388)

## Related
- [119-s-5066: Health Equity and Accountability Act of 2026](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-5066)
- [119-s-2763: Keep Billionaires Out of Social Security Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-2763)
- [119-s-3869: Healthy Families Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-3869)
- [119-s-51: Washington, D.C. Admission Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-51)
- [119-s-5108: Right to IVF Act of 2026](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-5108)
- [119-s-1503: Equality Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-1503)
- [All bills in Congress](https://policyrisk.com/legislation)

Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-4388 (as of 2026-05-10).