A council meant to reform the Federal Emergency Management Agency proposed Thursday a series of long-awaited changes to the disaster recovery body that stop short of the administration’s promises to dismantle it, but could reduce the number of disasters the federal government supports and the amount of money it doles out.
The council appointed by President Donald Trump approved a highly anticipated report that outlines ways the Trump administration could potentially put far more responsibility on states, tribes and territories for disaster preparedness, response and recovery.
It proposes upending how the federal government determines which disasters to support, how FEMA pays states and other governments for disaster recovery costs, and what kind of FEMA assistance survivors receive, among other reforms.
“These recommendations are all about accelerating federal dollars, streamlining the process, making it less bureaucratic so that Americans can get the help they need on the worst day of their lives,” former Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin, a council member, said in a public meeting Thursday with nearly 6,000 virtual attendees.
There is broad agreement that FEMA needs reforms to move faster and relieve bureaucracy. However, the council’s recommendations raise concerns among some disaster experts that shifting responsibilities will be more than some state and local governments, the private sector, or survivors can handle.
Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin said the report offered him “a clear direction and an oversight of an agency that is in need of reform, but is still mission capable.”
The recommendations will now be sent to Trump, though many of the reforms would require congressional action.
Trump “looks forward to reviewing the recommendations,” White House spokesperson Abigail Jackson said in a statement, and “remains committed to getting resources to communities in need while also working with states to ensure they invest in their own resilience before disaster strikes.”
Major changes to federal aid
Among the council’s most significant recommendations is changing how states, tribes, and territories qualify for federal support from a decision informed by a per-capita formula that weighs costs against population to a pre-defined set of metrics for a disaster to trigger federal support.
It also recommended giving states direct payments within 30 days of a disaster, with a potential for another payment further down the line, replacing the current system of reimbursing states after recovery work is done.
Survivors’ assistance would be upended, too: The council proposed limiting housing assistance to those whose homes are rendered uninhabitable and offering survivors a one-time payment instead of multiple channels for rental, repair, and replacement assistance.
FEMA would focus its survivor aid on emergency housing, moving away from long-term housing assistance and giving states the option to run their own housing programs while adhering to federal standards.
“States, figure it out,” said council member and Florida emergency management director Kevin Guthrie. “Do what’s best for you.”
Other recommendations include shifting most flood insurance policies away from the National Flood Insurance Program, which is over $20 billion in debt, to the private market, and continuing to align premium costs more closely with risk.
A bumpy road to a final report
Trump has threatened to dismantle FEMA and has repeatedly said he wants to push more responsibility for disaster preparedness, response and recovery to the states.
The 12-person council he appointed is co-chaired by Mullin and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. It is comprised of current and former officials and emergency managers from predominantly Republican-led states.
Emergency managers, local leaders, nonprofits involved with disaster management and survivor groups have anxiously awaited the council’s findings, which were due roughly six months ago but were delayed as former Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and council members clashed over drafts.
The final recommendations seemed to move away from at least one of the most controversial reforms included in past drafts: Cutting the FEMA workforce by 50%, a recommendation included in a December draft reviewed by The Associated Press.
Can Congress pass FEMA reforms?
In a statement to The Associated Press, a spokesperson for The National Emergency Management Association said the group “broadly supports the overarching principles outlined by the council of less complexity in federal programs, faster assistance, and cost savings at all levels.”
Some disaster experts worry local governments and nonprofits won’t be able to fill in potential voids left by a federal pullback. Limiting survivor aid to those whose houses are uninhabitable, for example, “would dramatically increase the level of displacement and economic insecurity” for low-income survivors, said Noah Patton, director of disaster recovery at the National Low-Income Housing Coalition.
Most major changes would require legislative action. A FEMA reform act passed out of a House committee last year, but no further action has been taken.
Patton said he was skeptical that lawmakers could pass FEMA reform soon, especially with limited time before the midterm elections, and said the recommendations are not a foregone conclusion.
“It is important to remember that these are suggestions — they aren’t set in stone,” he said.
