A United States congressional committee has voted to advance a bipartisan bill which aims to streamline the Federal Emergency Management Agency (Fema) and speed the delivery of disaster relief funds to electric co-ops hit by wildfires, hurricanes, ice storms and other natural disasters.
The Fixing Emergency Management for Americans (Fema) Act, which was voted on by the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee earlier this month, would also retain Fema’s Public Assistance fund that supports co-ops as they restore power and rebuild systems after storms.
“Electric co-operatives are among the first to respond when disaster strikes and work tirelessly to restore power in some of the hardest-hit and most remote communities,” said National Rural Electric Cooperative Association (NRECA) CEO Jim Matheson. “Fema plays a critical role in these efforts.
“This strong bipartisan committee vote is an important step towards a stronger, more responsive Fema that helps co-ops rebuild faster and reduces the post-disaster financial burden on rural families and businesses.”
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Thanking the legislators behind the bill, Matheson added that the law is “a vital step toward a smarter Fema – one that protects taxpayer dollars and empowers local communities.”
Leaders from co-ops Great Lakes Energy, Vermont Electric Cooperative rand Haywood EMC recently shared their experiences of receiving support through FEMA with NRECA. The co-ops asserted that, while the agency provides critical funding, it is in need of reform. More understanding of the need for certain investments, reduced waiting times for reimbursement, and recovery of loan interested payments were all cited as changes that are needed.
The bill was introduced by House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee chair Sam Graves (R-MO), ranking member Rick Larsen (D-WA), congressman Daniel Webster (R-FL) and congressman Greg Stanton (D-AZ).
It makes changes to the disaster delivery model and would also remove Fema from the Department of Homeland Security, establishing it as a cabinet-level independent agency.
The bill is expected to go before the full House for a vote in the coming week, and, if passed, would need to Senate approval before being signed into law by the president.
