H.R. 2254 · Where this bill is now
In committee
Introduced in the House, sent to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, Mar 21, 2025
What this bill does
In plain words · AI-written from the official summaryLets disaster victims get help from multiple sources
Right now, if you get federal disaster assistance, you can't accept money from any other source for the same loss—charities, donations, legal settlements, anything. This bill changes that rule. It would let people collect federal disaster aid while also accepting help from other sources like charities or court awards. The only restriction that would remain: you still couldn't stack federal disaster money with insurance payouts or aid from other federal programs.
How it affects you
If you're a disaster victim seeking federal assistance, this would give you more options. You could accept charitable donations or win a lawsuit settlement without having to turn down federal disaster funds or reduce how much federal help you receive. People in disaster areas would have a better chance of rebuilding with combined support from multiple sources.
Read the official summary (Introduced in House, Mar 21, 2025)
Don’t Penalize Victims Act
This bill enables persons receiving funds from a federal disaster assistance program to also receive funds for that same purpose from any other source except for another federal program or insurance.
Under current law, federal agencies providing financial assistance for losses resulting from a major disaster or emergency are prohibited from allowing recipients to receive other funds for that same purpose from any other source. Persons seeking federal disaster assistance must report the availability or receipt of duplicative funds and federal agencies will reduce the amount of disaster assistance accordingly to prevent a duplication of benefits.
The bill narrows the duplication restriction to apply only to funds from other federal programs or insurance, so federal agencies providing disaster assistance may allow recipients to also receive funds for that same purpose from any other sources (e.g., charitable gifts, legal claims).
Written by AI (Claude) using only the official summary by the Congressional Research Service, the Library of Congress’s nonpartisan research staff. It can miss nuance, so check the official summary and the bill text for details.
1st SessionH. R. 2254
A BILL
Don’t Penalize Victims Act
Sponsor: Rep. Laura Friedman (D-CA-30) · Introduced Mar 21, 2025 · Emergency Management · 1 version of the text
Sources: Congress.gov actions and votes · bill text from GovInfo · latest official action Mar 21, 2025: “Referred to the Subcommittee on Economic Development, Public Buildings, and Emergency Management.”