In response to calls from members of Congress, the Government Accountability Office, and the DHS Office of Inspector General over the last several years, FEMA is working to reform the way the federal government supports states following disasters.
The agency continues to actively explore the concept of a deductible, specifically leveraging the Public Assistance Program. Individual Assistance programs, such as direct aid to households after a disaster, would remain unchanged.
A Public Assistance deductible concept could incentivize mitigation investments, promote risk-informed decision-making, and build resilience, including to catastrophic events.
As communities increase disaster resiliency, they reduce the cost of future events for both the states and the federal government. A deliberate effort to reduce risk at all levels of government will enhance disaster response and post-disaster recovery capabilities nationwide.
FEMA is committed to a transparent stakeholder engagement effort to explore how the program might move forward. In 2016, FEMA sought public comments on the basic concept of a deductible through www.Regulations.gov under docket ID FEMA-2016-0003.
After considering the 150 comments received, FEMA developed a conceptual model framework that is now available for public comment. This Supplemental Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking, or SANPRM, is available for 90-days on www.Regulations.gov under docket ID FEMA-2016-0003 at this link: FEMA_FRDOC_0001.