Bluegrass Times

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Yesterday, bipartisan legislation cosponsored by U.S. Senator Rand Paul (R-KY) to simplify and streamline the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) program’s deadlines and applications for disaster survivors passed the U.S. Senate. Both bills now move to the U.S. House of Representatives for consideration.

“Over the past few years, Kentucky has endured several deadly tornados and flash floods, leaving significant damage and displacing thousands throughout the Commonwealth,” said Dr. Paul. “Many of those impacted have expressed challenges in receiving quick assistance and updates from government agencies. As part of my commitment to always put Kentuckians first, I’m proud to cosponsor the Disaster Assistance Simplification Act and the Disaster Assistance Deadlines Alignment Act of 2023 which will reduce the burden on disaster survivors by ensuring the process of receiving aid is simple and speedy. I’m glad to see the Senate pass these important pieces of legislation that will no doubt help many Kentuckians.”

The Disaster Assistance Simplification Act:

The legislation would require FEMA to establish a universal application across federal agencies for disaster survivors who are seeking federal assistance to recover from hurricanes, floods, wildfires, and more. Currently, individuals that seek federal aid to recover from a disaster must fill out separate and detailed applications depending on what agency they need help from – a process that can take weeks or even months. The legislation would significantly streamline this process to reduce the burden on disaster survivors by creating one universal application. This legislation was introduced in the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee (HSGAC) in May by Dr. Paul, Ranking Member of HSGAC, and Senators Gary Peters (D-MI), Chairman of HSGAC, and James Lankford (R-OK).

You can read more about the Disaster Assistance Simplification Act HERE.

The Disaster Assistance Deadlines Alignment Act of 2023:

FEMA’s Disaster Unemployment Assistance (DUA) and Individuals and Household Program (IHP) currently have different deadlines, which can cause confusion for disaster survivors who may have trouble tracking when they need to apply for each program. The bipartisan legislation would ensure these programs have the same deadline to reduce the burden on people who need them to rebuild their lives after disasters. This legislation was introduced in the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee (HSGAC) in June by Dr. Paul, Ranking Member of HSGAC, and Senators Gary Peters (D-MI), Chairman of HSGAC, and Marco Rubio (R-FL).

You can read more about the Disaster Assistance Deadlines Alignment Act of 2023 HERE.

You can learn more about Dr. Paul’s efforts HERE.

Original source can be found here.