Bill Summary
The "FEMA Temporary Housing Assistance Improvement Act" is legislation aimed at amending the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act. The primary focus of this bill is to clarify how insurance is treated when determining eligibility for temporary housing assistance following a disaster. Specifically, it prohibits the President from considering insurance payouts as a duplication of benefits when assessing an individual's eligibility for such assistance. This change is intended to ensure that disaster victims can receive necessary temporary housing support without being penalized for having insurance coverage.
Possible Impacts
The "FEMA Temporary Housing Assistance Improvement Act" introduces changes to the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act, specifically regarding how insurance is treated in relation to disaster assistance. Here are three examples of how this legislation could affect people:
1. **Increased Access to Temporary Housing Assistance**: By prohibiting the President from considering insurance as a duplication of benefits, individuals and families who have insurance coverage may still qualify for temporary housing assistance after a disaster. This means that even if they have insurance that could potentially cover some of their housing costs, they will not be penalized by losing access to federal assistance, thereby providing them critical support during their recovery.
2. **Financial Relief During Recovery**: Many disaster survivors face financial strain due to the immediate costs of temporary housing following a disaster. With the new legislation, individuals who might have previously been disqualified for assistance due to having insurance could receive vital financial support. This could help them cover the costs of temporary housing, utilities, and other essential expenses while they rebuild their homes or find permanent housing solutions.
3. **Encouragement to Secure Insurance**: The amendment may encourage individuals to maintain or purchase insurance policies, knowing that having insurance will not automatically disqualify them from receiving federal disaster assistance. This could lead to enhanced preparedness and resilience in communities, as people may feel more secure in their ability to recover from disasters with both insurance and government support available to them.
[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 2535 Introduced in House (IH)]
<DOC>
119th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 2535
To amend the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency
Assistance Act to prohibit the President from considering insurance as
a duplication of benefits for certain assistance under such Act.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
April 1, 2025
Ms. Brownley (for herself and Ms. Chu) introduced the following bill;
which was referred to the Committee on Transportation and
Infrastructure
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To amend the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency
Assistance Act to prohibit the President from considering insurance as
a duplication of benefits for certain assistance under such Act.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``FEMA Temporary Housing Assistance
Improvement Act''.
SEC. 2. DUPLICATION OF BENEFITS CLARIFICATION.
Section 408(c)(1) of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and
Emergency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5174(c)(1)) is amended by adding at
the end the following:
``(C) Duplication of benefits.--In determining
eligibility for temporary housing assistance under this
subsection, the President may not consider insurance a
duplication of benefits for the purpose of applying
section 312 of this Act.''.
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