Disaster Displacement Assistance Improvement Act of 2025
Sponsors
Legislative Progress
In CommitteeMs. Brownley (for herself, Mr. Garcia of California, Mr. Sherman, …
Summary
What This Bill Does
This bill amends the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act to ensure that disaster victims can receive federal displacement assistance even if they have insurance. Currently, insurance payouts can be counted as a "duplication of benefits," which can disqualify people from receiving FEMA housing help. This bill removes that barrier for temporary housing assistance.
Who Benefits and How
Disaster victims with insurance coverage benefit most from this change. Under current rules, people who have homeowners or renters insurance may be denied FEMA displacement assistance (help paying for hotels, staying with family, or other temporary housing) because their insurance is counted against them. This bill ensures insured homeowners and renters can still receive immediate temporary housing help from FEMA while waiting for insurance claims to process. Hotels and motels in disaster areas may also see increased business as more displaced residents can access federal funds for temporary stays.
Who Bears the Burden and How
Federal taxpayers bear the cost of this change, as FEMA will provide displacement assistance to more people regardless of their insurance status. The federal government, specifically FEMA and disaster relief programs, will need larger budgets to cover the expanded eligibility. Insurance companies may face indirect pressure as policyholders have less incentive to rely solely on insurance for immediate displacement costs.
Key Provisions
- Prohibits the President from counting insurance as a "duplication of benefits" when determining eligibility for displacement assistance after a disaster
- Defines "displacement assistance" as help for staying in hotels, motels, with family and friends, or other available housing options
- Applies to assistance provided under Section 408 of the Stafford Act, which governs individual and household disaster assistance
- Does not affect other types of disaster assistance beyond displacement/temporary housing
- Takes effect immediately upon passage, applying to future disaster declarations
Evidence Chain:
This summary is derived from the structured analysis below. See "Detailed Analysis" for per-title beneficiaries/burden bearers with clause-level evidence links.
Primary Purpose
The bill aims to amend the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act by prohibiting the President from considering insurance as a duplication of benefits for certain assistance, specifically displacement assistance.
Policy Domains
Bill Structure & Actor Mappings
Who is "The Secretary" in each section?
Key Definitions
Terms defined in this bill
Amends Section 408 of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act to clarify that insurance should not be considered a duplication of benefits when determining eligibility for displacement assistance.
The official name of the bill, used for citation purposes.
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