H.R. 3347

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 3347 Introduced in House (IH)]

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119th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 3347

To abolish FEMA and establish a block grant program for disaster 
relief, and for other purposes.

_______________________________________________________________________

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

May 13, 2025

Mr. Higgins of Louisiana introduced the following bill; which was 
referred to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, and in 
addition to the Committee on Homeland Security, for a period to be 
subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration 
of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee 
concerned

_______________________________________________________________________

A BILL

To abolish FEMA and establish a block grant program for disaster 
relief, and for other purposes.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

This Act may be cited as the ``Sovereign States Emergency 
Management Act''.

SEC. 2. ABOLISHMENT OF FEMA.

(a) Abolishment.--The Federal Emergency Management Agency is 
abolished effective on the date that is 2 years after the date of 
enactment of this Act.
(b) Unobligated Funds.--Any funds made available to the 
Administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency that are 
unobligated on the abolishment date described in subsection (a) shall 
be transferred to the general fund of the Treasury and made available 
to carry out the program established under section 2.
(c) Transfer of Functions.--All functions that immediately before 
the abolishment date specified in subsection (a) are authorized to be 
performed by the Administrator of the Federal Emergency Management 
Agency, any other officer or employee of the Agency acting in that 
capacity, or any agency or office of the Agency, are transferred to the 
President effective on such abolishment date.
(d) Personnel and Assets.--Except as otherwise provided in this 
Act, so much of the personnel, property, and records employed, used, 
held, available, or to be made available in connection with a function 
transferred to the President under subsection (c) shall be available to 
the President, at such time or times as the President directs for use 
in connection with the functions transferred.
(e) References.--Any reference in any other Federal law, Executive 
order, rule, regulation, or delegation of authority, or any document of 
or pertaining to the Federal Emergency Management Agency--
(1) to the Administrator of the Federal Emergency 
Management Agency is deemed to refer to the President; or
(2) to the Federal Emergency Management Agency is deemed to 
refer to the Executive Office of the President.

SEC. 3. DISASTER RELIEF BLOCK GRANT PROGRAM.

(a) Establishment.--The Secretary of the Treasury shall establish a 
program to provide grants to States for natural disaster and emergency 
relief.
(b) Grant Terms.--
(1) In general.--In carrying out the program established 
under this section, the Secretary shall provide a grant to each 
State in an amount determined in accordance with the formula 
established pursuant to paragraph (2).
(2) Allocation of funds.--
(A) In general.--The Secretary shall, by rule, 
establish a formula for the allocation of grant funds 
to each State under this section.
(B) Considerations.--In establishing the formula 
under subparagraph (A), the Secretary shall consider 
the following:
(i) Population size.
(ii) Historical disaster frequency and 
severity during the 20-year period preceding 
the date of enactment of this Act.
(iii) Geographic risk factors (such as 
seismic zones, flood plains, hurricane-prone 
areas).
(iv) Economic need, as determined by per 
capita income.
(3) Use of funds.--A State may use a grant provided under 
this section to carry out--
(A) disaster preparedness training and acquire and 
maintain related equipment;
(B) response and recovery operations following a 
natural disaster or emergency; and
(C) mitigation projects to reduce future disaster 
risks.
(4) Administrative costs.--A State may use not more than 5 
percent of the amount allocated to such State under this 
subsection for administrative costs.
(5) Allocation.--The Secretary may not allocate grant funds 
to a State for a fiscal year under this section unless and 
until the Secretary, pursuant to subsection (c), approves the 
emergency management plan submitted by such State for such 
fiscal year.
(c) State Emergency Management Plans.--Not later than April 1 of 
each year, each State shall develop and submit for approval by the 
Secretary an emergency management plan for the fiscal year beginning on 
October 1 of such year, and such plan shall include--
(1) a description of how the State intends to use funds 
allocated under this section;
(2) documentation of coordination between the State, local 
governments, and Tribal authorities in developing and 
implementing such emergency management plan; and
(3) measurable goals for disaster preparedness and 
response.
(d) Reports.--Not later than 90 days after the end of each fiscal 
year, each State shall submit to the Secretary a report describing--
(1) how funds allocated under this section were used during 
the preceding fiscal year;
(2) outcomes achieved with such funds, including 
improvements in preparedness metrics, response times, and 
completed mitigation projects; and
(3) the extent to which the State complied with the 
emergency management plan developed under subsection (c).
(e) Duplication of Benefits.--The Secretary shall ensure that no 
State receives a grant under this section if such State receives 
assistance from any other Federal source for the same purposes for 
which such a grant may be used.
(f) Audit.--Not less frequently than annually, the Secretary shall 
conduct an audit of the program established under this section and 
submit a report thereon to the Committees on Oversight and Government 
Reform, Homeland Security, and Transportation and Infrastructure of the 
House of Representatives and the Committee on Homeland Security and 
Governmental Affairs of the Senate.
(g) Administrative and Audit Expenses.--Of the amounts made 
available to carry out this section, 10 percent shall be for expenses 
related to administering the program established under this section and 
10 percent shall be for expenses related to carrying out the audit of 
such program required under subsection (f).
(h) Termination.--The program established under this section shall 
terminate on the date that is 4 years after the date on which the 
Secretary issues the rule required by subsection (b)(2).
(i) Definitions.--In this section:
(1) Emergency.--The term ``emergency'' means an occasion or 
instance for which assistance is needed to save lives and to 
protect property and public health and safety, or to lessen or 
avert the threat of a catastrophe in any part of a State.
(2) Natural disaster.--The term ``natural disaster'' means 
any natural catastrophe (including any hurricane, tornado, 
storm, high water, winddriven water, tidal wave, tsunami, 
earthquake, volcanic eruption, landslide, mudslide, snowstorm, 
or drought), or, regardless of cause, any fire, flood, or 
explosion, in any part of a State, for which assistance is 
needed to alleviate the damage, loss, hardship, or suffering 
caused thereby.
(3) State.--The term ``State'' any of the fifty States, the 
District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, Guam, 
American Samoa, and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana 
Islands.
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