Washington, D.C. — U.S. Senators Ted Budd (R-N.C.) and Reverend Raphael Warnock (R-Ga.) introduced the bipartisan Disaster Recovery Improvement Act this week to establish the Disaster Recovery Improvement Task Force. The interagency task force would take input from local leaders, including county commissioners and governors, to evaluate necessary reforms needed to strengthen federal government programs responsible for providing disaster aid and resources to communities in the wake of major natural disasters, including hurricanes, wildfires, tornadoes, and earthquakes.
“For well over a year, I have worked with DHS to unlock FEMA funding for Western North Carolina that has been stuck in longstanding regulatory bottlenecks. Through that work, I’ve also uncovered additional gaps in our federal disaster response, including programs run by other agencies that have slowed recovery efforts. This cannot continue. Reform is clearly needed to fix these programs which is why Senator Warnock and I have put forth a solution to establish a task force that would bring local, state, and federal officials together to eliminate hurdles holding back the deployment disaster relief,” said Senator Budd.
“When disaster strikes, Georgians should not have to navigate a confusing, bureaucratic maze to rebuild their lives. Lately, the federal government has not acted with the urgency our neighbors need when they are hurting, and Georgians have felt these delays,” said Senator Warnock. “This bipartisan task force Senator Budd and I are proposing would bring local and federal leaders to the same table so we can better deliver relief to the people who need it most.”
The Disaster Recovery Improvement Act is supported by the North Carolina Association of County Commissioners (NCACC).
“The voice of county leaders is critical in disaster recovery. We appreciate Senator Budd’s recognition of that fact by including county-level input in his proposed legislation, which seeks to craft meaningful reforms for disaster recovery programs that span numerous federal agencies outside of FEMA. Disaster recovery begins and ends at the local level. We must support those impacted by Helene while applying important lessons learned in the wake of the disaster to improve outcomes in future events,” said Wallace Nelson, President, NCACC.
Read the full bill text HERE.
BACKGROUND
The Disaster Recovery Improvement Act would:
- Establish a task force:
- Chaired by a senior official from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).
- A senior official from the following federal agencies that administer key disaster recovery programs: Small Business Administration, Department of Housing and Urban Development, Department of Agriculture, Department of Health and Human Services, Department of Labor, Department of Transportation, Department of the Treasury, Department of the Interior, Environmental Protection Agency, Army Corps of Engineers, and the Office of Management and Budget.
- Four state governors
- Four county commissioners
- Identify gaps ignored by federal programs that are vital to recovery efforts by helping federal officials pinpoint where reform is most needed to strengthen recovery programs.
- Develop recommendations to avoid future delays in deploying disaster relief aid during transitions between presidential administrations.
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