U.S. Representative Greg Steube (R-Fla.) Steube’s Bill Would Ensure FEMA Debris Removal Aid for Privately Owned Communities After Disasters. In
Steube’s Bill Would Ensure FEMA Debris Removal Aid for Privately Owned Communities After Disasters.
In response to the recent devastation from Hurricanes Milton and Helene, U.S. Representative Greg Steube (R-Fla.) is urging the House Committee on Transportation & Infrastructure to fast-track his proposed Clean Up DEBRIS Act. This legislation would mandate that the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) provide debris removal assistance to privately owned communities impacted by major disasters.
The Clean Up DEBRIS Act seeks to make private communities such as housing cooperatives, condominiums, and mobile home parks eligible for FEMA assistance in the same way as other homeowners, eliminating the need for waivers or special approvals.
“Hurricane Milton hitting Florida on the heels of Hurricane Helene demonstrated how debris is a life-threatening issue in Florida, and that is exactly why we must prioritize swift debris removal after a storm,” Rep. Steube said. “My legislation, the Clean Up DEBRIS Act, will ensure FEMA provides debris removal assistance to privately owned communities in the aftermath of all major disasters without the need for waivers or special approval. This bill will provide a swift correction to a long, burdensome, government process that communities shouldn’t be forced to navigate during storm recovery.”
READ: Florida Rep. Greg Steube Urges U.S. Army Corps To Permanently Restore Midnight Pass
In a letter to the committee, Steube stressed the inequity of existing policies that allow some communities relief while others are left behind.
“These complexities also make it hard for local governments to act, uncertain of if or how much their relief efforts will be reimbursed. In times of crisis in major disasters, it is vital to public safety that municipalities can act without fear of overburdensome government regulations,” the letter stated.
After Hurricane Ian, Steube worked to secure policy waivers from FEMA to aid commercial mobile home and manufactured housing parks in Florida’s 17th Congressional District. Introduced in October 2023, the Clean Up DEBRIS Act aims to permanently eliminate the bureaucratic barriers his district encountered with FEMA after Ian.
Now, with three additional hurricanes affecting the Sunshine State in recent months, the need for the legislation has intensified.
The bill is currently awaiting action by the Committee on Transportation & Infrastructure.
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