When a hurricane or wildfire strikes, survivors currently have to navigate separate applications to FEMA, the Small Business Administration, USDA, and other federal programs — each with its own forms, deadlines, and tracking systems. The Disaster Assistance Simplification Act directs FEMA to build a single unified application system that feeds all federal disaster programs at once, so a survivor applies once and gets considered for every type of aid they qualify for. FEMA must have the system ready within 360 days of enactment, and survivors can check application status, receive updates, and update their information throughout the recovery process. The bill allows FEMA to temporarily waive the Paperwork Reduction Act's public-comment requirements during active disaster declarations, while requiring a published privacy impact assessment before any personal data can be shared across agencies. Annual reports to Congress and a GAO review three years in are built in to measure whether the changes actually speed up recovery.
Transparency & Accountability
- Privacy impact assessment — Required before disaster applicant data can be shared across agencies
- Congressional reporting requirements — Annual FEMA implementation reports plus 3-year GAO review mandated
- Agency data-sharing disclosures — FEMA agreements with certified disaster agencies posted publicly
- Paperwork Reduction Act public comment — Waivable for voluntary data collection during declared disasters
Congressional Summary
Disaster Assistance Simplification ActThis bill directs the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to develop and establish a unified intake process and system for applicants for assistance provided by a disaster assistance agency.The system mustfacilitate a consolidated application for any form of disaster assistance provided by a disaster assistance agency when appropriate to support the nature and purposes of the assistance;carry out the purposes of disaster assistance programs swiftly, efficiently, equitably, and in accordance with specified laws and privacy and data protections; andsupport the detection, prevention, and investigation of waste, fraud, abuse, or discrimination in the administration of disaster assistance programs.Further, the system must, among other thingsaccept applications for disaster assistance programs;permit applicants to receive status updates on such applications;allow applicants to update disaster assistance information throughout their recovery journeys;permit the distribution of information on additional recovery resources to disaster survivors that may be available in a disaster-stricken jurisdiction in coordination with appropriate federal, state, local, and tribal partners; andpermit disaster assistance agencies to communicate directly with disaster survivors.Not later than 30 days after receiving a request from a disaster assistance agency to update questions in the consolidated application needed to administer the disaster assistance programs of the agency, FEMA must make those updates.The bill requires reports and congressional briefings from FEMA, and a report from the Government Accountability Office, relating to the bill's implementation.
Legislative Subjects
Details
- Congress
- 119th
- Chamber
- Senate
- Status
- summarized
- Action
- Passed Senate
- Action Date
- 2025-12-16
- Date Added
- 2026-06-29
- Source
- Congress.gov →
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