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FEMA Operations Continuity Act of 2025
To authorize the Administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency to continue disaster relief, recovery, and mitigation operations funded through the Disaster Relief Fund in the event of a lapse in appropriations, and for other purposes.
Summary
The bill authorizes FEMA to continue disaster relief, recovery, and mitigation operations using the Disaster Relief Fund during a government shutdown or lapse in appropriations. FEMA would be able to obligate and disburse available Disaster Relief Fund balances to provide individual and public assistance for current and future disaster declarations. The bill requires FEMA to maintain necessary personnel and contract support to ensure uninterrupted processing of disaster assistance claims and payments. The bill classifies FEMA disaster operations as essential for protecting human life and property, exempting them from standard government shutdown restrictions.
AI-generated plain-language summary of the bill text — neutral, and may be imperfect. See the full text below for the exact wording.
Sponsor (1)
- Rep. Bell, Wesley [D-MO-1] (D-MO)
4 cosponsors
- Rep. Elfreth, Sarah [D-MD-3] (D-MD)
- Rep. Fields, Cleo [D-LA-6] (D-LA)
- Rep. Figures, Shomari [D-AL-2] (D-AL)
- Rep. Moulton, Seth [D-MA-6] (D-MA)
Actions (3)
- Dec 1, 2025 Referred to the Subcommittee on Economic Development, Public Buildings, and Emergency Management. · house
- Oct 21, 2025 Referred to the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure. · house
- Oct 21, 2025 Introduced in House
Similar bills (6)
Bills with similar text or summary — includes reintroductions across Congresses. Ranked by semantic similarity of the bill text (computed locally); a neutral discovery aid, not a claim the bills are duplicates.
Text versions (1)
Bills are re-published as they move (Introduced → Reported → Engrossed → Enrolled …). Each stage below is a separate text; pick two to see what changed. Data from Congress.gov.
Full text
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
October 21, 2025
Mr. Bell (for himself, Mr. Moulton, and Mr. Fields) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure
A BILL
To authorize the Administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency to continue disaster relief, recovery, and mitigation operations funded through the Disaster Relief Fund in the event of a lapse in appropriations, 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 “FEMA Operations Continuity Act of 2025”.
SEC. 2. CONTINUATION OF FEMA OPERATIONS DURING A LAPSE IN APPROPRIATIONS.
Notwithstanding any other provision of law, in the event of a lapse in appropriations, the Administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency shall be authorized to—
(1) continue all disaster relief, recovery, and mitigation operations funded through the Disaster Relief Fund;
(2) obligate and disburse Disaster Relief Fund balances for all existing and future disaster declarations, including individual and public assistance under sections 403, 406, 407, 408, and 502 of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5170b, 5172, 5173, 5174, and 5192); and
(3) maintain personnel and contract support necessary to ensure uninterrupted processing of claims and payments.
SEC. 3. USE OF DISASTER RELIEF FUND.
(a) Availability.—All unobligated balances in the Disaster Relief Fund shall remain available to the Administrator for expenditure during a lapse in appropriations.
(b) Prohibition on Diversion.—No funds from the Disaster Relief Fund may be withheld, sequestered, or reprogrammed during a lapse in appropriations, except as necessary to comply with section 1341 of title 31, United States Code (commonly referred to as the ‘Anti- Deficiency Act’).
SEC. 4. EXCEPTION FROM GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN RESTRICTIONS.
For purposes of section 1341 of title 31, United States Code (commonly referred to as the ‘Anti-Deficiency Act’), operations of the Federal Emergency Management Agency authorized under this Act shall be considered essential to protect human life and property, and therefore exempt from shutdown restrictions. <all>
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