House Passes Neguse-Led Bill to Better Equip Communities with Access to Federal Disaster Assistance

Washington, D.C. — This week, the House passed Assistant Minority Leader Joe Neguse’s bipartisan, bicameral Disaster Management Costs Modernization Act. This legislation enhances communities’ capacity for long-term disaster recovery by allowing Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) disaster management funds awarded for one disaster to be applied to other open disasters.

“As we continue to face increasing numbers of natural disasters across our country—wildfires, floods, hurricanes, and more—it’s critically important that we work to equip our communities with the resources that they need. My home state of Colorado has seen firsthand the devastating impacts of these disasters, Mr. Speaker, as we’ve unfortunately experienced record-breaking and deadly wildfires, drought, and flood conditions–all over just the last few years. This bill would strengthen our efforts to prepare for and mitigate the impacts of future disasters across our country,” Assistant Leader Neguse stated while speaking in support of his legislation during House consideration of the bill. 

Neguse’s full remarks can be found HERE. 

For communities in Colorado and beyond that are experiencing an increase in natural disasters such as wildfires, floods, and droughts, the Disaster Management Costs Modernization Act streamlines unnecessary red tape to enable state and local governments to utilize FEMA-allocated management costs across multiple disasters and build future disaster recovery capacity. Under current law, management costs awarded for one disaster may only be used for that disaster, which creates additional administrative burdens for communities who may be managing multiple open disasters. 

Additional information on the legislation can be located HERE.

House Assistant Minority Leader Joe Neguse has been steadfast in his efforts to expand access to critical federal disaster assistance for communities impacted by natural disaster. In July, when the Alexander Mountain Fire and Stone Canyon Fire threatened parts of his congressional district, Neguse acted swiftly to secure federal funds authorized by FEMA to fight the fires. 

Earlier this year, Rep. Neguse was successful in enacting the Disaster Assistance Deadlines Alignment Act, which merges the application deadlines for the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) Disaster Unemployment Assistance (DUA) program and Individuals and Households Program (IHP). He is also the sponsor of a legislative package aimed at streamlining federal assistance under the Small Business Administration for families and communities impacted by natural disasters.