Pallone Leads Bipartisan Push to Make FEMA’s New Disaster Aid Rule Retroactive for Hurricane Ida Survivors

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Congressman Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-New Jersey) is leading a bipartisan effort, alongside U.S. Representatives Jenniffer González-Colón (R-Puerto Rico) and Troy Carter (D-Louisiana), urging the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to apply its new disaster aid rule retroactively. This would ensure that those affected by past events, like Hurricane Ida, can benefit from the improved and more accessible assistance. The proposed extension would cover major disasters declared since January 20, 2021, ensuring that survivors of these events-including those in New Jersey-are eligible for the updated relief measures.

The draft interim Individual Assistance Program Equity rule, a major reform introduced by the Biden-Harris Administration in early 2024, marks the first significant overhaul of FEMA's aid program in 20 years. The changes were driven by mounting frustrations from survivors who faced delays, denials, and excessive bureaucratic hurdles when seeking help. With the growing frequency and severity of disasters due to climate change, the Administration recognized the need for more accessible and efficient aid, particularly for low-income and vulnerable communities.

Key updates include Critical Needs Assistance, which automatically provides $750 to cover immediate expenses, and up to $42,500 in FEMA aid not covered by insurance. The rule also eliminates outdated eligibility requirements, such as removing the mandate that the Small Business Administration reject a survivor's loan application before they could receive FEMA aid, reduced documentation requirements, and a simplified appeals process. These changes aim to deliver faster, fairer assistance to those in need.

"The Biden-Harris Administration has made meaningful changes to FEMA's Individual Assistance program that will help New Jerseyans get back on their feet faster when the next storm hits," said Pallone. "We must make these improvements retroactive, so people devastated by Hurricane Ida get the same opportunity to benefit and aren't left behind."

"I'm proud to have advocated for changes to FEMA for future storm survivors, but I'm still nowhere near recovered from Hurricane Ida three years ago. These changes would have helped me tremendously - I had to get an SBA loan because FEMA told me to apply. I had no choice and am now very in debt and I am still fighting my flood insurance for a fair payout. Having FEMA help more with my uninsured losses would be so much better than a loan I can't afford to pay. We are grateful to Congressman Pallone for his ongoing work on behalf of storm survivors and we hope the Biden administration makes the changes retroactive for my family and families like mine around the country," said Leanna Jones a single mother of two and Storm Organizer with the New Jersey Organizing Project.

The full letter to FEMA is available below and online here:

Dear Administrator Criswell:

We are encouraged by the Individual Assistance Program Equity interim final rule you announced on January 22, 2024 and urge you to make it retroactive to all major disasters with individual assistance that President Biden has declared since January 20, 2021. Retroactively making this assistance available to that date will allow many of our constituents impacted by devastating natural disasters to finally move forward with their recovery.

This rule has the potential to dramatically improve Americans' experience and ability to access the federal disaster assistance system. However, as members whose constituents have been impacted by recent major disasters, many of our constituents turned to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) in their time of need and were denied assistance due to the preceding rule's strict and confusing eligibility requirements. Likewise, our constituents that were deemed eligible for assistance may have received far less support under the preceding rule than they may potentially be able to receive now. These disaster survivors are still struggling to get back on their feet and they deserve the opportunity to benefit from the new and improved disaster assistance system.

We urge you to at least prioritize extending the rule's coverage to survivors of the 19 largest disasters which had more than 10,000 Individual and Household Program applications:

• 2021: Texas Severe Winter Storm Uri (DR-4586), Michigan Severe Storm (DR-4607), Louisiana, New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania Hurricane Ida (DR-4611, DR-4614, DR-4515, and DR-4618), Kentucky Tornado (DR-4630)
• 2022: Kentucky Flood (DR-4663), Missouri Flood (DR-4665), Puerto Rico Hurricane Fiona (DR-4671), and Florida Hurricane Ian (DR-4673)
• 2023: California Severe Storm (DR-4683), California Severe Storm (DR-4699), Florida Flood (DR-4709), Guam Typhoon Mawar (DR-4715), Hawaii Wildfire (DR-4724), Illinois Severe Storm (DR-4728), Florida Hurricane Idalia (DR-4734), and Illinois Flood (DR-4749)

Under the old system, many survivors of these disasters were pushed into expensive or untenable circumstances due to their inequitable denial of Individual Assistance or low levels of federal support. Giving people a chance to receive assistance they were unjustly denied will allow them to make informed decisions regarding their housing needs without duress. Survivors of these disasters would especially benefit from the new rule's changes to home repair assistance, the treatment of insurance proceeds, the definition of "owner-occupied" housing, rental assistance, and the elimination of the Small Business Administration application requirement, among other changes. The improved accessibility to Individual Assistance brought by these and other changes will help survivors fix their homes, make accessibility modifications, and ease short-term housing debts. FEMA could help these survivors move out of hotels, inadequate rental properties, nursing homes, and other care institutions and into safe and permanent housing.

Thank you for your serious consideration of our request and commitment to improving our disaster assistance system. We look forward to your response.

Sincerely,

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