H.R. 4669 · Where this bill is now
In committee
Introduced in the House, sent to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, and in addition to the Committee on Homeland Security, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned, Jul 23, 2025
What this bill does
In plain words · AI-written from the official summaryFEMA becomes independent cabinet-level agency
This bill takes FEMA out of the Department of Homeland Security and turns it into its own cabinet-level agency. It also overhauls how FEMA helps communities after disasters and prepares for hazards. The changes streamline how funds flow to affected areas, expand who can get help, and speed up the process for getting money to repair damaged facilities and homes.
How it affects you
If you live in an area hit by disaster, you could see faster access to federal rebuilding money and housing assistance under expanded eligibility rules. Local governments and organizations applying for disaster aid would have new options like block grants for smaller disasters and a unified application system. The official summary doesn't detail how the change affects everyday people outside of disaster situations.
Read the official summary (Introduced in House, Jul 23, 2025)
Fixing Emergency Management for Americans Act of 2025 or the FEMA Act of 2025
This bill reestablishes the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) (currently within the Department of Homeland Security) as an independent, cabinet-level agency. It also makes broad changes to FEMA’s disaster and hazard mitigation assistance programs.
The bill generally transfers FEMA’s current functions and authorities to the independent FEMA, except for certain security-related programs.
The bill makes various changes to the Public Assistance program, including by
• establishing new grants for expedited funding to repair or replace disaster-damaged facilities,
• establishing block grants that recipients may choose instead of Public Assistance for smaller disasters,
• expediting and expanding uses of funding for emergency response and debris removal, and
• allowing use of excess administrative funds for increasing recipients’ disaster management capacity.
The bill makes various changes to the Individual Assistance program, including by
• expanding eligibility for housing assistance,
• expanding mitigation and direct (non-financial) assistance for residences,
• reducing certain restrictions on funds duplicating program benefits, and
• establishing a unified disaster application system.
The bill makes various changes to FEMA’s mitigation programs, including by
• establishing mitigation plans with preapproved projects,
• authorizing an entire Hazard Mitigation Grant Program grant to be provided before costs are incurred,
• changing pre-disaster mitigation assistance to noncompetitive formula grants, and
• allowing recipients to combine mitigation project funds from multiple federal programs.
Additionally, federal entities must publish various information relating to disaster assistance and conduct various studies on related topics (e.g., preliminary damage assessments, fast-moving disasters, and government emergency alerting systems).
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. 4669
A BILL
FEMA Act of 2025
Sponsor: Rep. Sam Graves (R-MO-6) · Introduced Jul 23, 2025 · Emergency Management · 1 version of the text
Sources: Congress.gov actions and votes · bill text from GovInfo · latest official action Sep 3, 2025: “Ordered to be Reported (Amended) by the Yeas and Nays: 57 - 3.”
Sections
Sections · 1
Division A — Establishment of FEMA as Cabinet-Level Independent Agency · Title I — Establishment of Federal Emergency Management Agency · 10
- Sec. 11Establishment of independent agencyNo change
- Sec. 12Administrator; Deputy Administrator; other officials of the AgencyNo change
- Sec. 13Authority and responsibilitiesNo change
- Sec. 14Office of the Inspector GeneralNo change
- Sec. 15Transfer of functionsNo change
- Sec. 16Personnel and other transfersNo change
- Sec. 17Saving provisionsNo change
- Sec. 18ReferencesNo change
- Sec. 19Federal Emergency Management Agency Working Capital FundNo change
- Sec. 20Improving disaster assistance for veteransNo change
Division A — Establishment of FEMA as Cabinet-Level Independent Agency · Title II — Offices and Functions of Federal Emergency Management Agency · 1
Division A — Establishment of FEMA as Cabinet-Level Independent Agency · Title III — Related Matters · 2
Division B — FEMA Reforms · Title I — Public Assistance Reforms · 18
- Sec. 101Rebuilding public infrastructureNo change
- Sec. 102Task force to address backlog of open declared disastersNo change
- Sec. 103Disaster declaration damage thresholdsNo change
- Sec. 104Federal permitting improvementNo change
- Sec. 105Unified Federal reviewNo change
- Sec. 106Block grants for small disastersNo change
- Sec. 107Common sense debris removalNo change
- Sec. 108Disaster management costs modernizationNo change
- Sec. 109Streamlining and consolidating information collection and preliminary damage assessmentsNo change
- Sec. 110Reasonable incident periodsNo change
- Sec. 111Fire management assistance program policyNo change
- Sec. 112Indian tribal government eligibilityNo change
- Sec. 113Strengthening closeouts for critical servicesNo change
- Sec. 114Sheltering of emergency response personnelNo change
- Sec. 115Emergency protective measures to fight flooding damageNo change
- Sec. 116Fairness and accountability in appealsNo change
- Sec. 117Expedited funding for emergency workNo change
- Sec. 118Consistency in procurement practicesNo change
Division B — FEMA Reforms · Title II — Individual Assistance Reforms · 16
- Sec. 201Information sharing for Federal agenciesNo change
- Sec. 202Universal application for individual assistanceNo change
- Sec. 203Clarifying duplication of benefitsNo change
- Sec. 204Crisis counseling and addiction in disastersNo change
- Sec. 205Repair and rebuildingNo change
- Sec. 206FEMA emergency home repair programNo change
- Sec. 207Direct assistanceNo change
- Sec. 208Accurate information to disaster victimsNo change
- Sec. 209Improved notices for FEMA assistanceNo change
- Sec. 210Common sense displacement assistance for disaster victimsNo change
- Sec. 211State-managed housing authorityNo change
- Sec. 212Improved rental assistanceNo change
- Sec. 213Online guides for postdisaster assistanceNo change
- Sec. 214Clarifying sheltering assistance eligibilityNo change
- Sec. 215Access to lifesaving non-congregate shelteringNo change
- Sec. 216Assistance for total lossNo change
Division B — FEMA Reforms · Title III — Mitigation Reforms · 8
- Sec. 301Preapproved project mitigation plansNo change
- Sec. 302Reducing disaster costs and protecting livesNo change
- Sec. 303Resilient buildings and communitiesNo change
- Sec. 304Strengthening hazard risk reductionNo change
- Sec. 305Utility resiliencyNo change
- Sec. 306Additional amendments to hazard mitigation revolving loan fundNo change
- Sec. 307Streamlined hazard mitigation application processNo change
- Sec. 308Study and report on mitigation benefitsNo change
Division B — FEMA Reforms · Title IV — Transparency and Accountability · 19
- Sec. 401GAO review of FEMA transitionNo change
- Sec. 402Transparency and online accountabilityNo change
- Sec. 403Prohibition on political discriminationNo change
- Sec. 404Review of burdensome regulations and policiesNo change
- Sec. 405Report on assistance to individualsNo change
- Sec. 406Individual assistance dashboardNo change
- Sec. 407GAO report on preliminary damage assessmentsNo change
- Sec. 408Improved rental assistanceNo change
- Sec. 409GAO assessment on identity theft and disaster fraud in disaster assistance programsNo change
- Sec. 410GAO study on insurance utilization for public assistance-eligible facilitiesNo change
- Sec. 411Study on wildfire management plansNo change
- Sec. 412Effectiveness of local, State, territory, and Federal alerting systemsNo change
- Sec. 413GAO review of management costsNo change
- Sec. 414Report on coordination of disaster assistance to individualsNo change
- Sec. 415GAO review of cost savings associated with repair and rebuilding reformsNo change
- Sec. 416Transparency for disaster declarationsNo change
- Sec. 417Fast-moving disasters working groupNo change
- Sec. 418Public assistance dashboardNo change
- Sec. 419Improving disaster workforce retentionNo change