Improving Disaster Assistance for Veterans Act

The Improving Disaster Assistance for Veterans Act aims to enhance how the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) supports military veterans during and after natural disasters. The bill proposes the creation of a new Veteran Advocate position within FEMA. This advocate would be responsible for ensuring that the specific needs of veterans are considered during the federal disaster declaration process and would serve as a primary bridge between FEMA and veteran service organizations to help former service members navigate the bureaucracy of claiming relief.

Beyond disaster response, the legislation seeks to leverage the unique skills of veterans by expanding their recruitment into FEMA’s workforce. The Veteran Advocate would identify opportunities for hiring veterans into various roles, including on-call reservist positions that are activated during emergencies. By integrating more veterans into the agency, the bill aims to utilize their existing training in fields like search-and-rescue and emergency management to improve overall national disaster response capabilities.