Bipartisan legislation recently reintroduced in the U.S. Senate would simplify the application process for federal disaster recovery assistance.
The Disaster Assistance Simplification Act would require the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to establish a universal application across federal agencies for disaster survivors who are seeking federal assistance to recover from natural disasters.
There are several types of federal disaster assistance available to disaster survivors, but survivors must complete complicated applications, depending on the agency. The process can take weeks or months, and some survivors give up trying.
The bill would allow FEMA to share information on disaster survivors with other federal agencies to streamline recovery efforts. All information-sharing practices would be required to meet federal data security standards.
U.S. Sens. James Lankford (R-OK), Rand Paul (R-KY), Gary Peters (D-MI) and Thom Tillis (R-NC) introduced the bill which has been referred to the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee.
The bill has the endorsement of the American Flood Coalition Action, BPC Action, Build Strong Coalition, Environmental Defense Fund, International Association of Emergency Managers, National Association of Counties, National Emergency Management Association, National League of Cities, National Low Income Housing Coalition, SBP, Team Rubicon, and the Water and Coasts at the National Wildlife Federation.