To authorize the President to provide disaster assistance to States and Indian Tribes under a major disaster recovery program, and for other purposes.
Sponsors
Legislative Progress
IntroducedMr. Rouzer introduced the following bill; which was referred to …
Summary
What This Bill Does
The Natural Disaster Recovery Program Act of 2025 creates new federal programs to help states and tribal governments assist communities recovering from major disasters. It establishes a permanent reserve fund for long-term recovery needs, expands housing repair assistance, and gives FEMA more flexibility to approve disaster declarations for areas hit by multiple disasters.
Who Benefits and How
- States and tribal governments gain access to new grant funding (10% set-aside from disaster relief funds) to address unmet needs after major disasters, including home repair, childcare, and legal aid. They also receive technical assistance to build capacity for administering these programs.
- Homeowners in disaster areas benefit from expanded repair assistance, including minor repairs to make homes habitable so survivors can shelter in place rather than being displaced. The appeals period for denied assistance is extended from 18 to 24 months, giving families more time to contest unfavorable decisions.
- Communities that have experienced multiple disasters will receive greater weight in disaster declarations, making it easier for areas with repeated disasters to qualify for federal assistance.
Who Bears the Burden and How
- FEMA faces increased administrative and reporting requirements, including submitting detailed reports to Congress on disaster declarations, denial rates, appeal processing times, recovery center operations, and outreach to underserved communities.
- The Government Accountability Office (GAO) must conduct reviews of state fiscal controls for disaster assistance programs and study how long it takes to close out disaster recovery operations.
- Federal taxpayers bear the cost of new disaster relief funding, though unused funds are recycled back into the reserve fund rather than lost.
Key Provisions
- Creates the Natural Disaster Recovery Reserve Fund to provide ongoing funding for major disaster recovery, with unused funds recycled back into the fund after 6 years (extendable to 10 years)
- Establishes an unmet needs grant program allowing 10% of disaster relief funds to be set aside for housing repairs, childcare, legal services, case management, and other recovery support
- Authorizes FEMA to provide minor home repairs to make damaged homes habitable so families can shelter in place
- Extends the appeals period for denied individual assistance from 18 months to 24 months and requires FEMA to provide inspection documents and denial reasons to applicants
- Requires FEMA to give greater weight to local impact and disaster history when recommending 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
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