H.R. 8577

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 8577 Introduced in House (IH)]

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119th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. R. 8577

To provide for a procedure for Congress to carry out a reversal of a 
decision by the President not to declare a major disaster requested by 
the Governor of a State under the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief 
and Emergency Assistance Act, and for other purposes.

_______________________________________________________________________

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

April 29, 2026

Mr. Krishnamoorthi (for himself, Mr. Neguse, and Ms. Pettersen) 
introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on 
Transportation and Infrastructure, and in addition to the Committee on 
Rules, 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 provide for a procedure for Congress to carry out a reversal of a 
decision by the President not to declare a major disaster requested by 
the Governor of a State under the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief 
and Emergency Assistance Act, 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 ``Disaster Declaration Transparency 
Act of 2026''.

SEC. 2. PROCESS FOR CONGRESSIONAL REVERSAL OF REFUSAL TO DECLARE MAJOR 
DISASTER.

Section 401 of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency 
Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5170) is amended by adding at the end the 
following:
``(d) Notification to Congress.--
``(1) Covered refusal.--In this subsection, the term 
`covered refusal' means an instance in which--
``(A) the Governor of a State requests a 
declaration by the President of a major disaster under 
subsection (a); and
``(B) the President declines to declare such a 
major disaster--
``(i) contrary to a recommendation provided 
by the Administrator of the Federal Emergency 
Management Agency; or
``(ii) based on a recommendation by the 
Administrator of the Federal Emergency 
Management Agency not to approve the 
declaration that is contrary to established 
precedent.
``(2) Notification requirement.--Not later than 24 hours 
after issuing a covered refusal, the President shall submit to 
the Speaker of the House of Representatives and the President 
of the Senate a written explanation of the covered refusal.
``(e) Declaration by Joint Resolution.--
``(1) Definitions.--In this subsection:
``(A) Covered joint resolution.--The term `covered 
joint resolution' means only a joint resolution of 
either House of Congress--
``(i) introduced not later than 14 calendar 
days after the date on which Congress receives 
a notification under subsection (d)(2) relating 
to a covered refusal; and
``(ii) the sole matter after the resolving 
clause of which is as follows: `That the 
President shall declare a major disaster under 
section 401 of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster 
Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 
5170) relating to _______', the blanks being 
filled in with a description of the disaster 
that is the subject of the covered refusal.
``(B) Covered refusal.--The term `covered refusal' 
has the meaning given the term in subsection (d).
``(2) Introduction.--A covered joint resolution may be 
introduced--
``(A) in the House of Representatives, by the 
majority leader (or the majority leader's designee) or 
the minority leader (or the minority leader's 
designee); and
``(B) in the Senate, by the majority leader (or the 
majority leader's designee) or the minority leader (or 
the minority leader's designee).
``(3) Floor consideration in house of representatives.--
``(A) Discharge from committee.--If a committee of 
the House of Representatives to which a covered joint 
resolution has been referred has not reported the joint 
resolution within 2 calendar days after the date of 
referral of the joint resolution, the committee shall 
be discharged from further consideration of the joint 
resolution and the joint resolution shall be placed on 
the appropriate calendar.
``(B) Moving to consideration.--At any time after a 
covered joint resolution has been placed on the 
appropriate calendar, it is in order for the sponsor of 
the joint resolution (or a designee) to move for the 
consideration of that joint resolution.
``(C) Points of order; motions.--All points of 
order against the covered joint resolution and its 
consideration are waived. If the motion under 
subparagraph (B) is agreed to, the joint resolution 
shall remain the unfinished business of the House of 
Representatives until disposed of, except as provided 
in paragraph (5).
``(D) No amendments.--A covered joint resolution 
shall not be subject to amendment in the House of 
Representatives.
``(E) Debate.--General debate on a covered joint 
resolution shall not exceed 4 hours, which shall be 
equally divided and controlled by the sponsor of the 
joint resolution (or a designee) and an opponent.
``(F) Final passage.--At the conclusion of debate, 
the previous question shall be considered as ordered on 
the resolution, and the House of Representatives shall 
vote on final passage without intervening motion.
``(4) Consideration in the senate.--
``(A) Reporting and discharge.--If the committee of 
the Senate to which a covered joint resolution was 
referred has not reported the joint resolution within 2 
calendar days after the date of referral of the joint 
resolution, that committee shall be discharged from 
further consideration of the joint resolution and the 
joint resolution shall be placed on the appropriate 
calendar.
``(B) Proceeding to consideration.--Notwithstanding 
Rule XXII of the Standing Rules of the Senate, it is in 
order at any time after the committee of the Senate to 
which a covered joint resolution was referred reports 
the joint resolution to the Senate or has been 
discharged from consideration of the joint resolution 
(even though a previous motion to the same effect has 
been disagreed to) to move to proceed to the 
consideration of the joint resolution, and all points 
of order against the joint resolution (and against 
consideration of the joint resolution) are waived. The 
motion to proceed is not debatable. The motion is not 
subject to a motion to postpone.
``(C) No amendments.--An amendment to a covered 
joint resolution, or a motion to postpone, or a motion 
to proceed to the consideration of other business, or a 
motion to recommit a covered joint resolution, is not 
in order.
``(D) Consideration.--
``(i) Limitation on debate.--Consideration 
in the Senate of a covered joint resolution 
shall be limited to not more than 10 hours, 
which shall be equally divided between, and 
controlled by, the majority leader and the 
minority leader, or by their designees.
``(ii) Vote on adoption.--Whenever all the 
time for debate on a covered joint resolution 
has been used or yielded back, the vote on the 
passage of the resolution shall occur without 
any intervening motion or amendment, except 
that a single quorum call at the conclusion of 
the debate if requested in accordance with the 
Rules of the Senate may occur immediately 
before such vote.
``(E) Rulings of the chair on procedure.--Appeals 
from the decisions of the Chair relating to the 
application of the rules of the Senate, as the case may 
be, to the procedure relating to a covered joint 
resolution shall be decided without debate.
``(F) Consideration of veto messages.--Debate in 
the Senate of any veto message with respect to a 
covered joint resolution, including all debatable 
motions and appeals in connection with the joint 
resolution, shall be limited to 10 hours, to be equally 
divided between, and controlled by, the majority leader 
and the minority leader or their designees.
``(5) Rules relating to senate and house of 
representatives.--
``(A) Treatment of senate joint resolution in house 
of representatives.--In the House of Representatives, 
the following procedures shall apply to a covered joint 
resolution received from the Senate (unless the House 
has already passed a joint resolution relating to the 
same proposed action):
``(i) The joint resolution shall be 
referred to the appropriate committees.
``(ii) If a committee to which a joint 
resolution has been referred has not reported 
the joint resolution within 2 calendar days 
after the date of referral, that committee 
shall be discharged from further consideration 
of the joint resolution.
``(iii) Beginning on the third legislative 
day after the committee to which a joint 
resolution has been referred reports the joint 
resolution to the House of Representatives or 
has been discharged from further consideration 
thereof, it shall be in order to move to 
proceed to consider the joint resolution in the 
House of Representatives. All points of order 
against the motion are waived. Such a motion 
shall not be in order after the House of 
Representatives has disposed of a motion to 
proceed on the joint resolution. The previous 
question shall be considered as ordered on the 
motion to its adoption without intervening 
motion. The motion shall not be debatable. A 
motion to reconsider the vote by which the 
motion is disposed of shall not be in order.
``(iv) The joint resolution shall be 
considered as read. All points of order against 
the joint resolution and against its 
consideration are waived. The previous question 
shall be considered as ordered on the joint 
resolution to final passage without intervening 
motion except 4 hours of debate equally divided 
and controlled by the sponsor of the joint 
resolution (or a designee) and an opponent. A 
motion to reconsider the vote on passage of the 
joint resolution shall not be in order.
``(B) Treatment of house of representatives joint 
resolution in senate.--
``(i) Receipt before passage.--If, before 
the passage by the Senate of a covered joint 
resolution, the Senate receives an identical 
joint resolution from the House of 
Representatives, the following procedures shall 
apply:
``(I) That joint resolution shall 
not be referred to a committee.
``(II) With respect to that joint 
resolution--
``(aa) the procedure in the 
Senate shall be the same as if 
no joint resolution had been 
received from the House of 
Representatives; but
``(bb) the vote on passage 
shall be on the joint 
resolution from the House of 
Representatives.
``(ii) Receipt after passage.--If, 
following passage of a covered joint resolution 
in the Senate, the Senate receives an identical 
joint resolution from the House of 
Representatives, that joint resolution shall be 
placed on the appropriate Senate calendar.
``(iii) No companion measure.--If a covered 
joint resolution is received from the House of 
Representatives, and no companion joint 
resolution has been introduced in the Senate, 
the Senate procedures under this subsection 
shall apply to the House of Representatives 
joint resolution.
``(C) Application to revenue measures.--The 
provisions of this paragraph shall not apply in the 
House of Representatives to a covered joint resolution 
that is a revenue measure.
``(6) Rules of house of representatives and senate.--This 
subsection is enacted by Congress--
``(A) as an exercise of the rulemaking power of the 
Senate and the House of Representatives, respectively, 
and as such is deemed a part of the rules of each 
House, respectively, and supersedes other rules only to 
the extent that it is inconsistent with such rules; and
``(B) with full recognition of the constitutional 
right of either House to change the rules (so far as 
relating to the procedure of that House) at any time, 
in the same manner, and to the same extent as in the 
case of any other rule of that House.''.
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