Read twice and referred to the Committee on Environment and Public Works.
The bill authorizes the FEMA Administrator to waive or reduce specified environmental and historic-preservation requirements for property acquisition, structure demolition, or relocation projects funded under certain Stafford Act sections and the National Flood Insurance Program's flood mitigation assistance. Before using the authority, FEMA must consult state and local officials for up to 30 days and consider enumerated factors.
Speed versus safeguards: liberal emphasizes environmental protections; conservatives emphasize regulatory speed.
Relative to its intended legislative type, this bill is a clear substantive policy change that authorizes the FEMA Administrator to waive or reduce a defined set of environmental and historic preservation requirements for specified hazard-mitigation property projects.
The bill authorizes the FEMA Administrator to waive or reduce specified environmental and historic-preservation requirements for property acquisition, structure demolition, or relocation projects funded under certain Stafford Act sections and the National Flood Insurance Program's flood mitigation assistance.
Before using the authority, FEMA must consult state and local officials for up to 30 days and consider enumerated factors.
The bill requires regulations, annual reports for five years on waiver usage and effects, and updates statutory language to reference "property acquisition and structure demolition or relocation assistance."
Technocratic and narrowly focused but controversial environmental waivers make congressional consensus and Senate unanimous consent harder.
Relative to its intended legislative type, this bill is a clear substantive policy change that authorizes the FEMA Administrator to waive or reduce a defined set of environmental and historic preservation requirements for specified hazard-mitigation property projects. It defines covered projects, lists the statutes and executive orders potentially subject to waiver, names the responsible official, sets consultation time limits, requires regulations, and mandates multi-year reporting to Congress.
Speed versus safeguards: liberal emphasizes environmental protections; conservatives emphasize regulatory speed.
These are examples from the analysis, not a ranked list of the most-affected groups.
Speed versus safeguards: liberal emphasizes environmental protections; conservatives emphasize regulatory speed.
Skeptical but not uniformly opposed.
Recognizes faster buyouts can reduce future harm, but worries waivers could bypass NEPA, NHPA, ESA, and other protections.
Will focus on risks to environmental justice, historic sites, tribal interests, and public participation.
Cautious pragmatic view.
Accepts that regulatory streamlining can speed mitigation and reduce future costs, but wants clear, narrow criteria, robust oversight, and data showing benefits.
The 30-day consultation and reporting requirements are helpful but may need stronger implementation safeguards.
Generally supportive.
Views authority as useful to cut regulatory red tape and expedite mitigation projects.
Sees the 30-day consultation and reporting as reasonable oversight, but may prefer even broader flexibility for FEMA to act quickly.
Reached or meaningfully advanced
Reached or meaningfully advanced
Still ahead
Still ahead
Still ahead
Technocratic and narrowly focused but controversial environmental waivers make congressional consensus and Senate unanimous consent harder.
The bill has not accumulated any surfaced votes yet.
Speed versus safeguards: liberal emphasizes environmental protections; conservatives emphasize regulatory speed.
Technocratic and narrowly focused but controversial environmental waivers make congressional consensus and Senate unanimous consent harder.
Relative to its intended legislative type, this bill is a clear substantive policy change that authorizes the FEMA Administrator to waive or reduce a defined set of environmental and historic preservation requirements f…
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