H.R. 3759 · Where this bill is now
In committee
Introduced in the House, sent to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, Jun 5, 2025
What this bill does
In plain words · AI-written from the official summaryChanges FEMA disaster funding recovery rules
This bill modifies how FEMA handles money it gives out for emergencies and disasters. It shortens from three years to two years the time FEMA has to recover funds it paid out by mistake. The bill also lets FEMA set its own acceptable error rate instead of being locked into a 10% standard, and allows FEMA to skip recovering funds in certain cases where overpayments are small (5% or less of a project's cost).
How it affects you
State, local, and tribal governments that receive FEMA disaster assistance would be affected by these changes. They'd have less time FEMA could come back asking for overpayments, and in some cases FEMA might not recoup smaller overpayments at all. Most everyday Americans wouldn't directly notice the difference, though it could affect how quickly disaster aid gets distributed and used in their communities.
Read the official summary (Introduced in House, Jun 5, 2025)
Streamlined FEMA Cost Exemption Act
This bill reduces to two years the statute of limitations for the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to recoup disaster funding. It also requires FEMA to establish a ratio of acceptable error in its grants payments and authorizes the waiver of certain recoupment and duplication of benefits requirements.
The bill reduces from three years to two the time period (starting from the final report of project completion) during which FEMA may take action to recover emergency or disaster assistance FEMA has provided to a state, Indian tribal, or local government.
Also, under current law, FEMA generally must reduce and recover improper payments (i.e., payments that should not have been made or were made in an incorrect amount) and maintain an error rate below 10%. The bill requires FEMA to establish its own acceptable error ratio for providing emergency or disaster assistance funds for eligible purposes. It also authorizes FEMA to waive recoupment of certain emergency or disaster assistance (e.g., Public Assistance funding) when the provided funds exceed the total cost of the relevant project by no more than 5%.
Additionally, the bill reauthorizes the President to waive the prohibition on the duplication of benefits upon request from the governor of a state if the President determines certain criteria are met. In exercising such authority, the President may not determine that a loan is a duplication. This authority is not applicable to FEMA’s Individual Assistance program or Public Assistance for repair and replacement.
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. 3759
A BILL
Streamlined FEMA Cost Exemption Act
Sponsor: Rep. Neal P. Dunn (R-FL-2) · Introduced Jun 5, 2025 · Emergency Management · 1 version of the text
Sources: Congress.gov actions and votes · bill text from GovInfo · latest official action Jun 6, 2025: “Referred to the Subcommittee on Economic Development, Public Buildings, and Emergency Management.”