The Trump-appointed FEMA Review Council on Thursday approved a report laying out long-awaited changes to the disaster recovery body, seeking to reduce delays and bureaucracy while increasing the role of states, tribes and territories, according to a public meeting that drew nearly 6,000 virtual attendees.
Council member Glenn Youngkin, a former Virginia governor, told attendees that the recommendations are intended to “accelerat[e] federal dollars, streamlin[e] the process” and make it “less bureaucratic so that Americans can get the help they need on the worst day of their lives,” in remarks delivered during the meeting.
The council’s proposals would overhaul multiple parts of how federal disaster support works, including how disasters qualify for federal help, how FEMA pays for recovery, and what kinds of assistance survivors receive, even as the report stops short of what the administration has said it wants in terms of a broader dismantling of FEMA.
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,” and White House spokesperson Abigail Jackson said in a statement that Trump “looks forward to reviewing the recommendations” and remains committed to getting resources to communities in need while working with states to invest in resilience before disasters strike.
Under the council’s recommendations, some of the most significant changes involve replacing parts of FEMA’s existing funding and eligibility framework. The report would change how states, tribes and territories qualify for federal support, using a decision informed by a per-capita formula that weighs costs against population and then matches disasters to defined metrics for when federal support is triggered.
The council also recommended revising FEMA’s payment approach for recovery costs. It proposed giving states direct payments within 30 days of a disaster and allowing for a potential second payment later on, replacing the current system in which states are reimbursed after they complete recovery work.
Survivor assistance would also be overhauled in ways the council said would limit and restructure help. The report proposed limiting housing assistance to survivors whose homes are uninhabitable and offering survivors a one-time payment rather than multiple channels for rental, repair and replacement assistance. It also would have FEMA focus its housing-related aid on emergency housing while moving away from long-term housing assistance, and would give states the option to run their own housing programs if they adhere to federal standards.
Council member Kevin Guthrie, the Florida emergency management director, said in the meeting: “States, figure it out.” “Do what’s best for you.”
Outside the council, some disaster experts warned that shifting responsibilities could strain local and private capacity and leave vulnerable survivors with fewer options. Noah Patton, director of disaster recovery at the National Low-Income Housing Coalition, said proposals like limiting survivor housing aid to people whose houses are uninhabitable “would dramatically increase the level of displacement and economic insecurity” for low-income survivors.
The council’s report also addressed flood insurance. It recommended shifting most flood insurance policies away from the National Flood Insurance Program, which the report described as carrying more than $20 billion in debt, and moving coverage toward the private market, while continuing to align premium costs more closely with risk.
The report approved Thursday was due roughly six months ago but was delayed amid internal disputes among council members, including clashes tied to drafts involving former Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem. The council, which Mullin and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth co-chair, is a 12-person panel described as including current and former officials and emergency managers from predominantly Republican-led states.
Trump has threatened to dismantle FEMA and has repeatedly said he wants to push more disaster preparedness, response and recovery responsibility to the states. The council’s final recommendations, however, appeared to move away from at least one controversial reform that had appeared in earlier drafts, including a suggestion in a December draft that would cut the FEMA workforce by 50%, a recommendation AP reviewed in its reporting on past drafts.
National Emergency Management Association said in a statement to AP that it “broadly supports the overarching principles outlined by the council of less complexity in federal programs, faster assistance, and cost savings at all levels,” while acknowledging that many changes would require congressional 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 lawmakers could pass FEMA reform soon, especially with time limited ahead of the midterm elections, and he added that the recommendations are not set in stone, saying: “It is important to remember that these are suggestions — they aren’t set in stone,” in remarks to AP.