Following passage by the Senate last year, the House this week voted through the Disaster Assistance Deadlines Alignment Act (H.R. 7568), meaning that all Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) assistance program deadlines could soon solidify into one.
If approved by President Joe Biden, the bill would create a single application deadline for two FEMA programs that individuals use for federal disaster assistance: Disaster Unemployment Assistance (DUA) and the Individuals and Households Program (IHP). Proponents of the bill argued competing deadlines offered potential confusion among applicants and added unnecessary burden.
The original bill was authored by U.S. Sens. Gary Peters (D-MI) and Rand Paul (R-KY), chairman and ranking member of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, along with Marco Rubio (R-FL).
“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,” Peters said.
In the House, the bill was championed by U.S. Rep. Joe Neguse (D-CO). Both versions of the bill would require at least 60 days for survivors to submit applications for both FEMA programs. Currently, the DUA deadline is 30 days, while the IHP deadline is 60 days following a federal disaster declaration.
“Colorado is no stranger to natural disasters, and FEMA has often provided critical federal assistance to families and households that have been impacted, but the process can be cumbersome,” Neguse said. “I am proud to see the House act quickly to pass my bill with Senator Peters that helps simplify access to critical FEMA assistance programs. We will continue to cut through the red tape to ensure that our communities have the tools they need to rebuild and recover after disasters.”
The bill was backed by a diverse array of organizations, including the National Association of Counties Executive, SBP, Team Rubicon, Association of State Floodplain Managers, American Flood Coalition Action and the International Association of Emergency Managers (IAEM).