Rep. Neguse Introduces Bicameral Bill to Streamline Access to Critical Federal Assistance Following Disaster
Washington, D.C. — Today, Congressman Joe Neguse, Co-Chair of the Bipartisan Wildfire Caucus and the Congressional Disaster Preparedness and Recovery Caucus, introduced a bicameral bill to cut red tape and streamline access to federal assistance following a natural disaster. The Disaster Assistance Deadlines Alignment Act would merge the application deadlines for the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) Disaster Unemployment Assistance (DUA) program and Individuals and Households Program (IHP).
“Following major disasters, FEMA provides critical federal assistance to impacted households. My bill, the Disaster Assistance Deadlines Alignment Act, helps simplify access to the critical FEMA assistance programs by requiring a shared deadline for the agency’s DUA and IHP programs,” said Congressman Neguse. “As the Representative for Colorado’s Second District, I am committed to cutting through red tape to ensure that our communities are able to rebuild and recover after disasters.”
The Disaster Unemployment Assistance (DUA) program provides financial assistance to individuals whose employment or self-employment has been lost or interrupted as a direct result of a major disaster and who are not eligible for regular unemployment insurance benefits. The Individuals and Households Program (IHP) provides financial and direct services to eligible individuals and households affected by a disaster who are uninsured or under-insured, supporting their necessary expenses and serious needs. Currently, the DUA and IHP do not have the same deadlines, which causes unnecessary confusion and burden for applicants after a disaster. The Disaster Assistance Deadlines Alignment Act would extend the DUA application deadline from 30 to 60 days, in line with the IHP deadline. The bill also allows for the consideration of late applications for the DUA program if submitted with good cause.
The Disaster Assistance Deadlines Alignment Act is led by Senators Gary Peters (D-MI), Marco Rubio (R-FL), and Rand Paul (R-KY) in the United States Senate.
“Following a natural disaster, survivors shouldn’t have to worry about conflicting deadlines when applying to federal disaster assistance programs. This bipartisan legislation will limit confusion within the application process and make it easier for families in need to access these critical resources,” said Senator Peters.“I am proud of the Senate’s bipartisan support for this critical legislation and thank Representative Neguse for his work to push this legislation across the finish line in the House.”
The bill is endorsed by the National Association of Counties, the International Association of Emergency Managers, SBP, Team Rubicon, and the Association of State Floodplain Managers.
Background
Congressman Joe Neguse has been leading efforts in Congress to improve federal disaster assistance for communities impacted by natural disasters. Most recently, he led Western lawmakers in a letter to the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) requesting the agency extend the time periods during which affected individuals may apply for SBA physical damage loans following a presidential disaster declaration.
He has also fought to secure proper cost coverage for Coloradans impacted by the Marshall Fire. Alongside Senators Bennet and Hickenlooper, Rep. Neguse led a successful effort to get the SBA to update their formula used to calculate the Disaster Loan Program amount survivors can borrow to rebuild after the Marshall Fire. Rep. Neguse and the Colorado senators were also able to get FEMA to agree to cover the costs of removing foundations, basements and burned vehicles damaged in the Marshall Fire. This coverage is extremely rare and has only been granted for a handful of other wildfires in recent years.