H.R. 5503

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 5503 Introduced in House (IH)]

<DOC>

119th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 5503

To require the Federal Emergency Management Agency to establish a 
Territorial Disaster Recovery Program to continuously identify, 
monitor, and address factors and capability gaps that hinder the 
execution and completion of recovery activities relating to major 
disasters by eligible entities located in the territories of the United 
States.

_______________________________________________________________________

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

September 18, 2025

Ms. Velazquez introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure

_______________________________________________________________________

A BILL

To require the Federal Emergency Management Agency to establish a 
Territorial Disaster Recovery Program to continuously identify, 
monitor, and address factors and capability gaps that hinder the 
execution and completion of recovery activities relating to major 
disasters by eligible entities located in the territories of the United 
States.

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 ``Strengthening Capacity for Disaster 
Resilient Territories Act''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS AND PURPOSE.

(a) Findings.--Congress makes the following findings:
(1) The United States territories are particularly 
vulnerable to extreme weather events, which have become more 
frequent and stronger in recent years.
(2) Category-5 Hurricane Maria, which made its landfall in 
Puerto Rico on September 20, 2017, is considered to be the 
second deadliest storm recorded in United States history.
(3) Category-5 Hurricane Irma, which struck the U.S. Virgin 
Islands and Puerto Rico on September 6, 2017, is considered to 
be the second-most intense tropical cyclone worldwide in 2017.
(4) Typhoon Mawar, which struck Guam on May 19, 2023, and 
the south of Rota, Northern Mariana Islands on May 24, 2023, is 
considered to be the strongest to hit Guam since 2002.
(5) Super Typhoon Yutu, which struck the Northern Mariana 
Islands on October 24, 2018, is considered to be the strongest 
typhoon recorded to impact the Mariana Islands.
(6) Hurricane Fiona made its landfall as a Category-1 
Hurricane in Puerto Rico on September 18, 2022, causing severe 
flooding and compounding the damage left by Hurricanes Irma and 
Maria.
(7) A major disaster declaration was issued for the 
territory of American Samoa on September 15, 2022, due to high 
surf, high winds, and flooding.
(8) Rising sea levels, caused by ocean warming, contribute 
to the increased frequency and intensity of hurricanes, and the 
fragile condition of coastal environments in the United States 
territories. This translates to disrupted economic activity, 
such as tourism, agriculture and fishing, damaged dwellings, 
and limited drinking water supplies.
(9) The Federal Emergency Management Agency (hereinafter 
referred to as ``FEMA'') has obligated significant amounts of 
funding to address multiple natural disasters in the United 
States territories.
(10) As of September 2025, FEMA had obligated 
$10,382,528,245 under the Public Assistance and Hazard 
Mitigation programs to address damages caused by Hurricane 
Maria in Puerto Rico. In addition, as of September 2025, FEMA 
had obligated $2,497,729,050 under the Public Assistance and 
Hazard Mitigation programs to address damages caused by 
Hurricane Fiona in Puerto Rico.
(11) As of August 2022, FEMA had obligated $4,200,000,000 
under the Public Assistance program and $138,200,000 under the 
Hazard Mitigation program to address damages caused by 
Hurricanes Irma and Maria in the Virgin Islands.
(12) After the passage of Typhoon Mangkhut and Super 
Typhoon Yutu in Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands, FEMA 
obligated a total of $677,200,000 between 2018 and 2020 to aid 
response and recovery efforts related to both disasters.
(13) The United States territories have similar 
vulnerabilities that result in long and difficult recovery 
processes.
(14) The economies of the United States territories depend 
heavily on tourism to create revenue. Such dependency 
undermines disaster resiliency, given the industry's 
susceptibility to external shocks, such as atmospheric 
conditions, financial crises, and global pandemics. Any of this 
phenomenon can reduce the number of visitors and trigger the 
closure of businesses and lay-offs.
(15) The United States territories struggle with high 
levels of public debt, which impact their ability to provide 
cash advances to initiate disaster recovery projects. Notably--
(A) Puerto Rico is in the midst of debt 
restructuring proceedings that, as of 2025, have 
reduced Puerto Rico's public debt from over 
$70,000,000,000 to $31,000,000,000 and pension 
liabilities from $55,000,000,000 to $7,000,000,000;
(B) as of September 2021, Virgin Islands' public 
debt stood at $2,200,000,000, representing 50 percent 
of its gross domestic product; and
(C) as of September 2023, Guam's public debt stood 
at $2,500,000, representing 38 percent of its gross 
domestic product.
(16) The physical infrastructure of the United States 
territories, including electricity grids and water plants, is 
outdated, and has lacked appropriate maintenance and hardening.
(17) The United States territories face housing 
affordability and availability challenges that impact their 
ability to absorb the influx of the recovery workforce after a 
disaster occurs.
(18) The United States territories are situated in remote 
locations, which results in higher import costs, significant 
delays in the shipping and transportation of construction 
materials necessary to carry out recovery projects, and 
barriers for staff seeking to travel to the continental United 
States to receive recovery training.
(19) The United States territories have limited specialized 
staff to adequately navigate and manage recovery programs, 
including developing projects for obligation, using Public 
Assistance to cover administrative and managerial costs, and 
procuring goods and services according to Federal standards.
(20) The United States territories hurdle to find and 
procure specialized personnel to advance recovery efforts, such 
as engineers and construction contractors, given the high 
demand for these professionals by public agencies and large 
corporations in the aftermath of disasters.
(21) The United States territories struggle with dangerous 
demographic patterns that exacerbate social, financial, and 
economic fragilities. From 2010 to 2020, the populations of the 
territories shrunk, and at a faster pace than any other 
continental state. In such period, Puerto Rico's population was 
reduced by 11.8 percent, U.S. Virgin Islands' population by 
18.1 percent, Northern Mariana Islands' population by 12.2 
percent, American Samoa's population by 10.5 percent, and 
Guam's population by 3.5 percent. Additionally, the islands are 
experiencing lower birthrates and higher death rates.
(22) The postal addresses used in the United States 
territories have not been recognized and registered by the 
United States Postal Service, which can result in additional 
obstacles for recovery, primarily for individuals and 
households seeking to obtain FEMA assistance.
(23) The United States territories have endured consecutive 
major disasters, which has made it more difficult for FEMA to 
correctly assess recent and older damages, and therefore 
obligate funding for Public Assistance projects.
(24) The United States territories encompass a variety of 
languages, political sensitivities, and cultural differences 
that Federal authorities like FEMA have not traditionally 
considered, thereby impacting the territories' full and equal 
participation in Federal disaster recovery programs.
(b) Statement of Purpose.--It is the purpose of this Act to 
establish a program within FEMA to continuously identify, monitor, and 
address factors and capability gaps that hinder the execution and 
completion of recovery activities by eligible entities located in the 
territories of the United States under sections 403, 404, 406, 407, and 
502 of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance 
Act (42 U.S.C. 5121 et seq.).

SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS.

In this Act:
(1) Administrator.--The term ``Administrator'' means the 
Administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
(2) Community.--The term ``community'' means a network of 
individuals and families, businesses, governmental and 
nongovernmental organizations, and other civic organizations 
that reside or operate within a shared geographical boundary 
and may be represented by a common political leadership at a 
regional, county, municipal, or neighborhood level.
(3) Eligible entity.--The term ``eligible entity'' means an 
entity eligible for a grant under section 403, 404, 406, 407, 
or 502 of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency 
Assistance Act (5121 U.S.C. et seq.).
(4) Recovery.--The term ``recovery'' means the capabilities 
and actions necessary to recover effectively from a major 
disaster declared under the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief 
and Emergency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5121 et seq.), 
including--
(A) rebuilding infrastructure systems;
(B) providing adequate interim and long-term 
housing for individuals impacted by such incident;
(C) restoring health, social, and community 
services;
(D) promoting economic development; and
(E) restoring natural and cultural resources.
(5) Territory of the united states.--The term ``territory 
of the United States'' means American Samoa, the Commonwealth 
of the Northern Mariana Islands, the Commonwealth of Puerto 
Rico, Guam, the United States Virgin Islands, and any other 
territory or possession of the United States.

SEC. 4. TERRITORIAL DISASTER RECOVERY PROGRAM.

(a) In General.--Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment 
of this Act, the Administrator shall establish a Territorial Disaster 
Recovery Program (in this section referred to as the ``Program'') to 
continuously identify, monitor, and address factors and capability gaps 
of local emergency managers, or other applicable emergency response 
coordinators, and eligible entities located in the territories of the 
United States in carrying out recovery activities relating to major 
disasters declared under the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and 
Emergency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5121 et seq.).
(b) Duties.--In carrying out the Program, the Administrator shall--
(1) not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of 
this Act, and every 2 years thereafter, identify and analyze 
gaps in identifying, applying and receiving assistance, and 
carrying out recovery activities described in subsection (a) 
that are specific to eligible entities located in the 
territories of the United States;
(2) provide technical assistance to the entities described 
in paragraph (1) in applying for grants under sections 403, 
404, 406, 407, and 502 of such Act that--
(A) is tailored to meet the needs of applicants at 
each stage of the administration of projects for which 
grants are made under such sections; and
(B) takes into account the challenges of--
(i) applicants who are located in remote or 
difficult-to-access areas;
(ii) applicants who are part of a minority 
cultural group;
(iii) applicants with limited English 
language proficiency; and
(iv) applicants with slow internet speeds 
or limited broadband access;
(3) design online and in-person training courses that are 
specific to the entities described in paragraph (1) and that 
address the capability gaps identified under this section;
(4) develop best practices regarding the administration of 
projects in the territories of the United States for which 
grants are made under sections 403, 404, 406, 407, and 502 of 
such Act;
(5) develop feedback mechanisms for entities receiving 
technical assistance or training under this section; and
(6) foster meaningful collaboration with local experts, 
community leaders, and other members of the community, that 
leads to the performance of activities under this section that 
are locally informed and relevant to local needs.
(c) Report to Congress.--
(1) In general.--Not later than 2 years after the date of 
enactment of this Act, and every 2 years thereafter for the 
duration of the Program, the Administrator shall submit to the 
Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure and the 
Committee on Homeland Security of the House of Representatives 
and the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs 
of the Senate a report on--
(A) any capability gaps identified under subsection 
(b)(1);
(B) the nature of any technical assistance provided 
under the Program;
(C) any online or in-person training courses 
developed, or planned to be developed under the 
Program;
(D) any best practices identified under subsection 
(b)(4); and
(E) an analysis of, responses to, and any 
activities carried out as a result of feedback received 
by applicants for assistance under the Program and 
entities receiving such assistance.
(2) Final report.--In the report required to be submitted 
in the final year for which the Program is authorized, the 
Administrator shall include recommendations on--
(A) whether to continue the Program;
(B) if a continuation of the program is 
recommended, the suggested duration of such 
continuation; and
(C) the necessary funding to carry out the Program.
(d) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized to be 
appropriated to carry out this section $50,000,000 for each of fiscal 
years 2026 through 2030.
<all>