Disaster Relief Continuity Act of 2025
Summary
The Disaster Relief Continuity Act of 2025 proposes to keep federal disaster assistance programs running during any potential government shutdown in fiscal year 2026. If enacted, the bill would provide automatic funding to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) during periods when standard budget appropriations have lapsed. This ensures that life-saving activities and financial aid for major disasters would remain available to individuals and communities without interruption from political budget disputes.
Under this proposal, FEMA would be authorized to continue paying essential personnel involved in disaster response and recovery, as well as maintaining grants for existing recovery projects. The bill aims to protect citizens by ensuring that individual assistance and direct aid are not delayed by a shutdown. However, the funding would be strictly limited to disaster-related activities; it could not be used for nonessential administrative tasks, new policy development, or travel unrelated to emergencies.