▶ 0:25:15Sam is the Nigerian.
▶ 0:25:17That's right.
▶ 0:25:19I call the committee on transportation infrastructure to order. Pursuant to committee rule 6F and house rule 11 clause 2HF, the chairman may postpone further proceedings today on any question of approving any measure or matter or adopting an amendment in which a recorded vote of the and was ordered. I'd ask unanimous consent that the chairman be authorized to declare a recess at any time during today's meeting without objection that is so ordered. A bill and amendment text have been distributed electronically and paper copies are also available in the hearing room.
▶ 0:25:47As a reminder, the committee may use an electronic uh system for any requested recorded votes. Today, the committee is considering the fiscal year 2026 views and estimates of the committee on transportation and infrastructure.
▶ 0:26:01an amendment in the nature of a substitute to HR 4669 fixing the emergency management for Americans act of 2025 or FEMA act of 2025 and an amendment in the nature of a substitute to HR561 the county UAS Authority security safety and reauthorization act finally ask unanimous consent for the committee to use an amendments roster for any items under consideration by the committee without objection that is so ordered.
▶ 0:26:27Our first item for consideration is a committee uh on transportation infrastructures fiscal year 2026 views and estimates and I now call up the views and estimates with now without objection. The first reading is dispensed with. The views and estimates are now considered as read and open for amendment at any point. I recognize myself for five minutes for a quick statement.
▶ 0:26:53The committee has been busy and productive during the first eight months of the 119th Congress and we have held 30 hearings and roundts reported 27 bills out of committee and 21 bills referred to the committee have been approved by the house. In particular, the committee helped deliver the reconciliation legislation that provided historic investments in the United States Coast Guard for border national uh security as well as a down payment for the modernization of America's air traffic control system.
▶ 0:27:21Earlier this summer, the committee advanced the Coastg Guard Authorization Act of 2025 through the House, which will authorize and strengthen this critical armed service. However, we still have plenty of work to do to move this bill forward and get it signed into law. Later this year, the committee plans to consider several legislative items that will strengthen federal pipeline safety programs, reauthorize the Federal Maritime Commission, provide financial support for clean water infrastructure projects, and reauthorize the federal surface transportation programs.
▶ 0:27:51This committee has an important opportunity to refocus on the core infrastructure that moves people and goods safely and efficiently, cut red tape and accelerate project delivery, and ensure the states have the flexibility to address their priorities. Also to shore up the bankrupt highway trust fund. I look forward to the House playing a robust role in this process and for this committee to develop the next surface transportation authorization bill in a bipartisan manner.
▶ 0:28:18And I appreciate ranking member Larson for working with uh working with me and I urge my colleagues to support the views and estimates for fiscal year 2026. And I now recognize Rick for a
▶ 0:28:29Thank you, Mr. Chair. U thanks for working with us on the budget views and estimates. This report serves as a starting point for our work in fiscal year 26 and the second session of the 119th Congress. Committee has a lot of work ahead of us, including drafting a new surface transportation reauthorization bill, monitoring implementation of the Federal Aviation Administration reauthorization, and getting the Coast Guard reauthorization and pipeline safety bills all across the finish line.
▶ 0:28:55We also have a couple bills we're working on today that are part of the important bipartisan work of this committee. I believe these views and estimates reflect our desire to continue working in a bipartisan and productive manner. Now, while all members of the committee may not agree with every aspect of this particular report, we are uh what we are marking up today reflects a bipartisan roadmap for the committee. I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting these the budget views and estimates. With that, I yield back.
▶ 0:29:27Do any other members wish to be recognized for a statement on views and estimates for fiscal year 2026? Seeing none, are there any amendments to the views and estimates for fiscal year 2026? Hearing none, the question is now on adopting and submitting the views and estimates for the fiscal year 2026 to the House Committee on Budget. All those in favor signify by saying I. I.
▶ 0:29:52All opposed signify by saying nay. Opinion of the chair, the eyes have it. The views and estimates for fiscal year 2026 are adopted. Pursuant to House Rule 10, clause 4, it asks unanimous consent that fiscal year 2026 views and estimates as adopted by the committee on transportation infrastructure be submitted to the committee on budget. Without objection, that is so ordered. All right.
▶ 0:30:20Our next item for consideration is HR 4669, the FEMA act of 2025. And I unanimous consent to discharge the subcommittee on economic development, public buildings, and emergency management from further consideration of HR4669. Without objection, that is so ordered. I now call up the bill for consideration. Without objection, the first reading of the bill is dispensed with. The bill is now considered as read and open for amendment at any point. I recognize myself to offer an amendment in the nature of a substitute.
▶ 0:30:50And clerk, please designate the amendment. An amendment in the nature of a substitute to HR4669 offered by Chairman Graves.
▶ 0:30:58Without objection, the amendment in the nature of a substitute shall be considered as read and shall be considered as base text for the purpose of further amendment. I now recognize myself for five minutes for my statement. I'm very proud of uh of this bill and proud to support the ANS to HR 4669.
▶ 0:31:15On May 8th, ranking member Larsson and I drafted released draft legislation, the Fixing Emergency Management for Americans or FEMA Act of which proposed reforms to the federal government's disaster response and recovery programs. The purpose of the discussion draft was to solicit feedback from members of Congress and stakeholders since disasters have impacted each and every one of our districts in some way.
▶ 0:31:42Since the release of the discussion draft, more than 150 members and stakeholders have provided valuable feedback that is incor was incorporated into the base text which was introduced at the end of July. As a result of continued feedback, the ANS incorporates input from dozens of members on both sides of the aisle to make common sense reforms to our nation's emergency management system.
▶ 0:32:04Specifically, this legislation makes the Federal Emergency Management Agency a cabinet level agency once again and makes it directly accountable to the president. It replaces the slow and bureaucratic rebuilding process for public assistance with faster projectbased grants. It makes critical reforms to federal permitting and procurement processes to speed up rebuilding pro uh projects and eliminate some costly delays.
▶ 0:32:30It implements common sense changes to help provide disaster assistance that works better for survivors. It overhauls FEMA's existing mitigation framework to accelerate project timelines, reduce long-term disaster costs, and ensure greater coordination across federal funding streams. And it also demands greater transparency and accountability from FEMA. All these and the other reforms in the bill are designed to address one simple fact that we all recognize.
▶ 0:32:58members of Congress, the president, and most importantly, Americans who have been impacted by disasters all know that FEMA is not working the way it should for our communities. I want to thank Raiki Member Larson, all of my colleagues who provided their insights as the committee worked on this critical piece of legislation, and I would urge support of this legislation. I now recognize Mr. Larson for his statement.
▶ 0:33:22Thank you, Mr. Chair. Uh I support the ANS of the FEMA act, a bipartisan bill that Chair Graves, Representative Webster, Subcommittee, uh Ranking Member Stanton, and I introduced. This legislation is a result of months of bipartisan discussions and negotiations with colleagues on both sides of the aisle and the emergency management stakeholder community. This committee engaged over 150 stakeholders to produce a product that will strengthen and streamline our national disaster preparedness and mitigation efforts.
▶ 0:33:50We held multiple hearings, briefings, and meetings uh this year that underscored FEMA's critical role in planning, in response, and in recovery. Uh I mean, think about it. Last year, 27 natural disasters each caused over $1 billion in damages in the US. When state and local governments are overwhelmed and cannot manage the costs of the impact of disasters, FEMA steps in with resources and funding needed, speeds up recovery, and saves lives.
▶ 0:34:19This legislation enables FEMA to continue e executing its essential mission while modernizing and integrating disaster response and recovery recovery programs through timely and bipartisan action. This bill makes a number of key reforms. It restores FEMA as an independent cabinet level agency that reports directly to the office of the president and is overseen by its own inspector general. It puts a disaster impact.
▶ 0:34:42It puts disaster impacted states in the driver's seat, giving them a stronger role in managing recovery, prioritizing resilience, and rebuilding quickly. It ensures federal dollars reach communities faster and cuts through the red tape that too often drags out recovery for years. It streamlines the disaster recovery process by creating a universal application for federal assistance, making it easier for survivors to access resources for basic needs and housing. It strengthens efforts to protect communities before disaster strike.
▶ 0:35:10And finally, it prevents the polit politization of disaster aid by demanding greater transparency and accountability from FEMA. In closing, I again want to thank Chair Graves, Representative Webster, and subcommittee ranking member Stanton for the leadership and commitment to including the priorities of members and priorities of emergency management stakeholders in this crucial legislation.
▶ 0:35:31As we navigate the peak of the 2025 disaster season, it's essential to seize this opportunity to enact meaningful bipartisan reforms that strengthen our national response and coordination capacity. I look forward to advancing this legislation through committee and pass it into law so that Americans can count on a stronger and more effective FEMA when they need it most. With that, I yield back. Mr.
▶ 0:35:57Thank you, Chair Graves. As a former ranking member of this subcommittee, I proud to be co- original co-sponsor of this legislation. In recent years, my home state of Florida has been kind of the gold standard for disaster response and recovery. Florida has achieved this cutting edge red tape cutting the utilization of technology to better advantage taxpayers dollars, investing in common sense legislation.
▶ 0:36:23Notably, the FEMA act of 2025 uh rewards states like Florida that have taken steps to prepare for the next disaster. One of the most significant policy changes included in the FEMA act relates to public assistance. Currently, public assistance process is structured as an uh overly bureaucratic uh re uh re reimbursement process which caused many disasters to drag on for decades.
▶ 0:36:52Under FEMA act, communities would receive public assistance for expedited repair, restoration, replacement of disaster damage facilities in the form of grants, putting the power back into the hands of the states. This is especially beneficial for states like Florida. They're oftentimes impacted by several hurricanes in one year. The FEMA act also includes language to establish new pilot program to help families retrofit their homes to be more flood resistant to natural disasters.
▶ 0:37:23Florida has implemented several uh similar programs including Elevate Florida and my my safe Florida home. These programs have been extremely successful and so I'm with gratitude for the FEMA doing these investment residential retrofits programs. Additionally, this legislation includes language from the FEMA loan interest repayment act.
▶ 0:37:48I've long been an an advocate of this legislation which helps provide much needed financial relief to local communities and electric cooperatives impacted by natural disasters. Closing this legislation remark marks the most significant reforms in federal emergency management agency in decades applied the inclusion of so many common sense re reforms leading to better outcomes and survivors of communities.
▶ 0:38:15I want to thank Chairman Graves uh for his leadership on this legislation. I urge my colleagues to support this bill and I yield back.
▶ 0:38:25Mr. Stanton.
▶ 0:38:27Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman. Today's markup of the Fixing Emergency Management for Americans Act of 2025 is a show of strong bipartisanship. Exactly what we need more of this Congress. I want to thank you, Chairman Graves, Ranking Member Larson, Representative Webster, and all of our respective staff members for their steadfast commitment to this process, working tirelessly to negotiate common sense reforms to modernize and strengthen the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
▶ 0:38:55And I also want to uh thank Ranking Member Webster, his important leadership on this legislation. 20 years ago, Hurricane Katrina hit Louisiana and exposed major weaknesses in the nation's disaster response system. Prior to Hurricane Katrina, FEMA was overhauled and tucked into the Department of Homeland Security without proper consultation from professional emergency managers. The result was the most catastrophic loss of life in modern disaster history. We cannot afford to repeat the mistakes of the past.
▶ 0:39:25This bill today builds upon those lessons and moves the agency forward. FEMA is where Americans look for help after what is the worst day in their lives. So, it is critical that the agency be postured to respond at all times. This bill gives FEMA independence and tools it needs to respond to disaster.
▶ 0:39:46It elevates FEMA to a cabinet level agency, once again directly accountable to the president, streamlines the federal government's disaster response recovery programs, and ensures that relief efforts are fast, fair, and free from political bias. This bill does common sense things that should have been addressed years ago. It allows for universal application for disaster survivors.
▶ 0:40:06Disaster survivors will be able to use a single application for FEMA, Small Business Administration, Department of Housing, Urban Development, United States Department of Agriculture, Department of HHS, Health and Human Services Assistance Programs. The last thing a person wants to do when suffering the loss of uh family or property from disaster is more paperwork. By streamlining the application, paperwork will move faster, the relief will flow faster, the reimbursement process will be streamlined.
▶ 0:40:36That is both accountability and efficiency. I'm a recovery mayor. I know firsthand how often the federal government is too complicated, too slow, or completely disconnected from the realities people are facing on the ground. This bill prioritizes local communities. It expands housing and sheltering options that ease displacement challenges. What this means practically is that the state is given more flexibility to determine the best housing option for a particular disaster.
▶ 0:41:03Having more housing options will allow the state and localities nimleness to respond and lessen the chance a family will experience homelessness or be displaced out of their community for too long. And this bill rewards effective state and local preparedness, incentivizing investment in mitigation to stop the worst impacts of future disasters. We all know that an ounce of prevention is worth a pound in cure. This operationalizes and rewards those localities that invest in preparation and keep their community members safe.
▶ 0:41:34And this bill does common sense permanent reform to help things move quickly. It aligns FEMA's permitting process with those of other federal grant programs, meaning we don't need to start from square one when repairing or rebuilding a disaster. And this bill, this bill removes disincentives that have discouraged donations from charities, religious organizations, and the general public. That means more non-federal support is available for disaster survivors. And we're using all the tools in that tool belt to respond to disaster.
▶ 0:42:04And this bill incorporates legislation I proudly co-lead with Representative Joe Nagus, the Disaster Management Cost Modernization Act that allows management costs to be spread across multiple disasters, offering localities more flexibility in administrative planning. There will always be more ways to improve, but this bill hits the largest pain points that we have heard from our states, localities, professional emergency managers, and more.
▶ 0:42:28And I want to thank the partners in this in drafting this bill and I urge my colleagues to support this important reform bill for FEMA. I yield back.
▶ 0:42:38Mr. Rouseer.
▶ 0:42:39Thank you. Uh Mr. Chairman, uh the FEMA Act of 2025 is a very good compilation of legislative language that reflects years of feedback from local and state officials, emergency managers, and volunteer organizations, all of whom have told us the same thing. When disaster strikes, help should be fast and focused on results for all affected, not delayed for months and literally years in so many cases because of paperwork and bureaucracy.
▶ 0:43:08The package includes several priorities of mine, including provisions from the duplication of benefits victim relief act. Too many families who accept a donation from a charity or take a SBA loan to keep the lights on find out later that accepting those essential resources prevent them from receiving other assistance later for which they otherwise would be eligible.
▶ 0:43:32This bill makes clear that SBA loans and private charitable donations are not considered duplicative for FEMA individual assistance. The bill also includes a number of provisions from the state managed disaster relief act. Small-scale disasters shouldn't require the same regulatory process as a major once in a generation disaster event. Uh this bill creates an alternative lumpsum option for small disasters so that aid can move quickly without months of paperwork.
▶ 0:44:00The result is a faster recovery when small-scale disasters strike and a greater FEMA bandwidth when the big disasters brought about by major storms hit. Additionally, this bill incorporates provisions from the Natural Disaster Recovery Program Act, a bill I've worked on for a number of years, which puts families back in their homes faster and at lower cost.
▶ 0:44:22This legislation allows permanent repairs when it is more cost-effective than temporary housing, establishes a FEMA emergency home repair program, and allows direct assistance for repairs when that is the most practical form of assistance. It is it also makes households with damaged homes eligible for hazard mitigation assistance instead of limiting that help to only those homes deemed uninhabitable.
▶ 0:44:47For disaster survivors, a single universal application in housing options aligned with local needs enable families to get back on the path to a much quicker recovery. So overall, this package delivers the fundamental reforms FEMA has needed for decades to function much more efficiently and effectively by putting in place clear lines of authority and real accountability to provide for a faster recovery.
▶ 0:45:13These reforms will help keep the agency squarely focused on its core disaster mission. So, I want to thank the chairman and the ranking member very much as well as my colleagues on both sides of the aisle who have contributed to this package. It's practical, bipartisan, and eliminates burdensome red tape for disaster victims. All reforms that are much needed. Mr. Chairman, I yield back.
▶ 0:45:37Mr. Hoffman.
▶ 0:45:38Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I want to thank you for the bipartisan work that's gone into this bill. I'm especially grateful for section 103, which requires FEMA to consider challenges facing rural and economically distressed communities when determining disaster declarations and aid because uh I have communities that have been burned by the FEMA process.
▶ 0:46:00Places like uh Rioell and Junction City in my district have been devastated by disasters but not qualified for FEMA assistance because of rigid federal standards that fail to reflect the realities of rural life. In fact, I have entire communities that could be totally wiped out by a natural disaster and never have any hope of qualifying for federal disaster relief because of the threshold uh for that assistance.
▶ 0:46:27So by directing the FEMA administrator to explicitly weigh these needs when recommending disaster declarations, this bill takes an important step forward for ensuring that rural communities like those I represent are not overlooked in a time of crisis. So I get the importance of all of this and the urgency of helping communities recover quickly.
▶ 0:46:48Uh, but I'm also ranking member of the House Natural Resources Committee and I have concerns with a provision in this bill regarding environmental review statutes that are in the Natural Resource Committee's jurisdiction. I do appreciate the committee's work to resolve our concerns regarding the Endangered Species Act provisions.
▶ 0:47:07Uh, I understand the intent here is to take some of the flexibility that Congress provided in the FAST act of 2015 for projects and extend that to certain types of disaster recovery work. I may not agree with that approach in every detail, but I see the logic. I understand where the bill is trying to go. The problem is the bill goes much further than the FAST act ever did. It doesn't just streamline.
▶ 0:47:33It creates a sweeping waiver that declares entire categories of activity to not be major federal actions under the law, effectively creating a broad waiver under NEPA. And let me be clear, the FAST act did not do that. It sought to accelerate NEPA, not eliminate it. And this bill would simply sidestep this very important law. So, that's a profound shift and it's one that could impact the long-term safety and sustainability of the communities that we say we're trying to help.
▶ 0:48:04Uh, so look, I of course share the goal of cutting red tape. We want disaster stricken families to be able to rebuild faster. There are ways to do that. Uh, that also ensure that in uh recovery is durable, resilient, and sustainable that we rebuild once. These are things that NEPA helps to ensure. So, I look forward to continuing to work with the committee on this as the bill advances. This is a problem that can be fixed. Uh, and I hope it will. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
▶ 0:48:34Yield back.
▶ 0:48:36Mr. Westerman. Thank you, Chairman Grace. Thank you, Chairman or Ranking Member Larson, for the the work that you've put into this bill. Uh we all know that we need an emergency management uh system that is nimble and more effective that meets the needs of those who need disaster relief but also is mindful of the uh of the taxpayers and to one of the provisions in here ranking member uh Huffman from the natural resources committee was talking about the
▶ 0:49:06permitting reform issues and those are um issues that are under the jurisdiction of the natural resources and I applaud you for uh the the changes to those. And there is one provision uh on the Endangered Species Act that we have concerns with the uh with that actually being executable the way it's written in the ANS. Again, that's something that's fixable.
▶ 0:49:31Uh and we look forward to uh to working with you as we move move forward on the bill. Um, I'm I'm going to support the bill as it is, but just want some assurances we can work on those issues as we move forward.
▶ 0:49:45Yeah, absolutely. Bruce,
▶ 0:49:47thank you. I yield back.
▶ 0:49:51M Freriedman,
▶ 0:49:54thank you very much. Uh, when I was elected to Congress, people said to me, "How could you possibly get anything done in this partisan environment?" The day after I was elected, the terrible fires broke out in Los Angeles. Uh I flew home to absolute devastation and and fear and I've been working with uh all of my colleagues from Los Angeles to support the victims um many of whom are still waiting for uh relief and still displaced from their homes.
▶ 0:50:21Um when I found out that FEMA was double was counting charity that was given to victims as part of their income and deducting that from their uh amount that they were receiving. I immediately got support across the aisle um from my colleagues um on this committee uh and Representative Eel um immediately signed on to co-author the don't penalize victims act which I introduced just uh weeks later as my first bill in Congress.
▶ 0:50:51And I want to thank all the members of this committee and particularly chair Graves and uh ranking member Larson for their understanding of the importance of this measure to victims uh who were seeing the charity that their churches that their friends are raising to them be counted as income and deducted from the amount they were getting from FEMA. Uh that provision is now part of this bill. And it may not seem like a a lot, but to victims it is a lot to them.
▶ 0:51:17So, I want to thank you uh everyone on this committee for making that a part of this bill and I'm very happy to support today and it does show that we can when we work together get a lot done in Congress. So, thank you.
▶ 0:51:39Thank you, Mr. Chairman. August 29th, 2005 is when Katrina hit South Mississippi and just total Just last week, I was all across my district in Mississippi, uh, talking with folks that have lived through it, looking at some of their recovery efforts, which are still ongoing after 20 years.
▶ 0:52:02Visiting all the local cities on the Mississippi Gulf Coast and across my district, I was struck how many people detailed how FEMA has changed from its vital role in the recovery efforts following Katrina. To put it frankly, nobody trusts FEMA. And why should we? More than 20 years after Katrina, many people on the Mississippi Gulf Coast are still battling with FEMA. It's not just Beluxy, Gulfport, Bay, St.
▶ 0:52:28Louis or Hattisburg and more also are waiting for cases to be resolved and this is unacceptable. I mean it's been 20 years now and there's no reason every single mayor across the district should be facing some of the same failures and challenges because of FEMA's bureaucratic ways of doing business. I've seen firsthand over a million over a year and a half.
▶ 0:52:53I called the administrator for region 4 about these projects. After six months of follow-ups and no progress, I requested another follow-up call and he basically told me the same thing that he said on the first call. For one year this October, my staff has had a monthly standing call with FEMA with little to no progress being made. And that's what FEMA counts on.
▶ 0:53:20They count on you forgetting about it or your staff leaving or members losing their seat or just not being around. They they count on you giving up and just quitting. Well, I can tell you that's not going to happen. We're not going to forget and we're going to keep moving forward. I want to thank the chairman along with Webster and all the other folks that have worked so hard on this package.
▶ 0:53:40HR4669 is second monumental piece of legislation we have passed in a bipartisan fashion and I believe the American people are grateful for that. This reform package would make necessary changes to FEMA which streamline processes for our folks back home and more importantly ensures the direct responsibility falls on one single agency. As a sheriff and a police officer I have worked many storms including Katrina and Michael.
▶ 0:54:10I've shoveled five feet of muddy water out of my house. And let me tell you something, there ain't nothing easy about it. Living, surviving, and picking up pieces after these storms led me to author several pieces of legislation to fix FEMA. Five of which are included in this package. I want to thank the chairman, committee, and the staff for all their assistance, which includes many additional positive, vital, and necessary reforms beyond those I've listed.
▶ 0:54:36I look forward to working the floor on this path at the end of the year and get us through hurricane season. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I yield
▶ 0:54:44Mr. Titus.
▶ 0:54:48Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Thank you and the ranking member and the committees for uh your good work on this bill that I support. I've been very critical of of FEMA under this administration and uh its mismanagement I believe of disaster preparedness and this bill just shows that there's a better and bipartisan way to move forward towards reform.
▶ 0:55:11I'm also very pleased and thankful that the committee included several provisions that I offered to give survivors a better deal in the wake of natural disasters. First, it includes, as the ranking member mentioned, the Disaster Survivors Fairness Act. This legislation I was pleased to co-lead with Representative Chuck Edwards. It streamlines disaster assistance by creating that universal application.
▶ 0:55:37Uh the package also includes the Promoting Resilience Buildings Act that also legislation that I co-led with Representative Edwards. I'm especially pleased that the final package provides uh provisions based on an amendment that I offered during the markup last Congress to establish a program for resilient retrofits to homes.
▶ 0:55:58And finally, the package includes provisions for my bart bipartisan extreme weather and heat modernization act, which I've been working on with the subcommittee ranking member, Mr. Stanton, for quite a while. While extreme heat certainly impacts our districts in the southwest, the provisions direct FEMA to convene an advisory panel to study incident periods for disaster that are slow onset and non-ontiguous.
▶ 0:56:26This describes the non-traditional disasters like extreme heat that are really a current threat to our constituents lives and livelihoods. Extreme heat causes more deaths than tornadoes and hurricanes put together in any given year. And so this bill modernizes the brick program and allows communities in Nevada and anywhere to be able to use federal funds to address the risk of extreme heat to our lives and our livelihoods.
▶ 0:56:57The package in order to do that creates an advisory panel of experts to review applications from states under the brick program. As this bill is implemented, I'd like to work with the chairman and others to be sure that on that advisory panel are appointed some members who are experts in extreme heat, not just in the more traditional kinds of disasters because that's how they will understand the problem.
▶ 0:57:26Help with the applications can speak directly to the impacts of extreme heat. if states are going to use this funding for projects to mitigate those hazards, it only makes sense that the advisory panel would include experts on these types of disasters. So, I look forward to working with you to ensure that that's the case.
▶ 0:57:47Finally, I'd also another issue that I want to follow as we do the implementation of the bill has to do with FEMA's urban area security initiative. Those are UASI grant programs. We've already seen efforts under the Trump administration to delay or completely cancel this federal grant program. It helps communities like Las Vegas, anywhere there's a big event, mitigate and respond to terrorist attacks.
▶ 0:58:16Uh thanks to my pressure, a FEMA and DHS finally began the process of implementing these grants just this summer. Under the FEMA act, UASI will move completely to the Department of Homeland Security without any input for FEMA. So, as the bill is implemented, I hope we can work together to be sure there are no further delays or attempts to cancel this vital program once it moves to DHS.
▶ 0:58:44So with that with those provisions and that kind of admonition to continue to work as it's implemented uh on those two issues, I'm pleased to support the bill and I yield back.
▶ 0:58:57Miss King Hands.
▶ 0:59:00I first of all want to thank the chairman and ranking member for all the hard work that's been put into HR 4669. And I wanted to highlight section 419 which is especially important for my district, the Northern Mariana Islands. Section 419 recognizes the unique disaster response and recovery challenges facing non-ontiguous communities like ours by requiring FEMA to study its recruitment and retention strategies, improve opportunities for local staffing, and address the severe workforce shortages that too often
▶ 0:59:30delay recovery. This section also calls for a GAO review that will use the experience of super typhoon U2, which devastated Saipan Antinian in 2018, as a case study. That storm left lasting damage, much of which remains today. And the lessons learned from our recovery will help FEMA strengthen its disaster response, not just in the Marianas, but in Alaska, Hawaii, the other territories, and across all remote US communities.
▶ 0:59:58By ensuring FEMA has the people and tools in place before the next disaster strike, this bill gives my constituents confidence that our government will be ready when they need it the most. I urge my colleagues to support this critical provision. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. And I yield back,
▶ 1:00:15Miss McDonald. RIP.
▶ 1:00:27August recess was a little too long. Sorry, I forgot where the button was. Uh, thank you, Chairman Graves and Ricking Member Larson for your bipartisan leadership on these really needed reforms in FEMA. You know, it's it's a recurring theme. We absolutely have to improve our disaster preparedness and response. The current process is too long and far too challenging for our communities to navigate in the midst of a disaster. When this committee held a hearing on FEMA reforms in March, the current administration was threatening to eliminate FEMA altogether.
▶ 1:00:58Abandoning our communities when they experienced a national disaster wasn't a solution then and it's not a solution now. So, I notice all of us are using this phrase. I have firsthand experience with the challenges presented by the burdensome FEMA process during and after the 2020 Midland floods which saw waters reach 35 ft resulting in $200 million in damages to homes, businesses, and communities where families have lived for Over five
▶ 1:01:28years later, we are still waiting for the full reimbursements from FEMA. So, in May, I led a bipartisan letter with Congressman Molinar to Secretary Gnome expressing the need for these overdue reimbursements to be completed. Since our May letter, I am pleased to report that we have secured over a million dollars in reimbursements for my community. However, across Midland County, we are still waiting on nearly $2 million. Small sum for the federal government. Enormous amount of money in my community.
▶ 1:01:57So, we're going to continue to work with FEMA officials to unlock every last dollar in federal a federal aid. So, the package we're considering today also includes my bipartisan rapid disaster relief act, which expedites reimbursement timeline for debris removal and emergency protective measures.
▶ 1:02:14This bill directly addresses the reimbursement delays my community has experienced by requiring FEMA to disperse funds for emergency emergency work 120 days after confirming 90% of the associated costs, ensuring timely reimbursement for those communities so desperately in need. In short, we're getting the bureaucracy out of the way when there is a common sense, easy path forward.
▶ 1:02:38So, I'm really happy to have helped worked on this bipartisan package to make meaningful reforms that will streamline and strengthen our disaster recovery process. The FEMA's ACT new funding upfront system further addresses the delays in the current funding system by providing accelerated repair, restoration, and replacement for damaged facilities.
▶ 1:02:58This bill further streamlines disaster relief by removing duplicative steps during the application process and developing a universal assistance application, drastically improving the ease of navigating the FEMA disaster assistance process. I look forward to voting in favor of this important legislation. And I yield back.
▶ 1:03:17Mr. Figures.
▶ 1:03:21Thank you, Mr. Chairman. um and thank you for your work along with uh ranking member Larson um on such an important matter here. I also want to give a special thanks to ranking member Larson for taking the time to come down to Alabama second congressional district a few weeks ago to see some of the priorities that we have uh going on there. Uh this FEMA reform is something that's deeply personal uh to myself and to my district that I represent.
▶ 1:03:44uh having grown up on the Gulf Coast, uh I don't think there's a member other than probably Congressman Eel on this committee who's actually experienced more hurricanes uh than myself throughout my lifetime. And so having gone through uh so many disasters, uh very well aware of the changes that need to be made to FEMA, uh my hometown of Mobile, Alabama was the infamous location where um the then president uh told the FEMA director during response operations to Hurricane Katrina that he was doing a heck of a job.
▶ 1:04:12Um, and so FEMA and its reputation rings a little bit differently down on the Gulf Coast, uh, because of what happened 20 years ago with Hurricane Katrina. Uh, as many members have mentioned, that recovery is still ongoing. Uh, so thank you, uh, for the work that everybody has done in a bipartisan fashion on this bill today. Uh, I want to highlight the building resilient infrastructure and communities act, which I was, uh, very grateful to be able to, uh, introduce with my colleague, Representative Ed Edwards from North Carolina.
▶ 1:04:38Uh I'm very grateful that this is being uh incorporated into the broader FEMA reform act that we're taking up today. This this piece is about making sure that disaster relief gets to people in places when they need it most, especially in those rural uh and economically uh distressed areas and communities uh that I have a lot of uh in my district. And for states like Alabama, this reform is critical. When storms hit, people can't wait months and in some cases years for relief.
▶ 1:05:02They need FEMA to be there to respond quickly, to respond efficiently, uh, and to be there and be equipped and ready to provide, uh, support quickly. Under this, under the reforms under this bill, uh, funding will no longer be distributed through a comp fully competitive process that disadvantages many rural areas. Instead, we will use a more equitable approach that ensures every state has a guaranteed share while also prioritizing funding for the state's most vulnerable to natural disasters, uh, which is a very common sense approach.
▶ 1:05:29Uh this is about protecting lives and safeguarding critical infrastructure and helping families bounce back faster when disaster strikes. I urge my colleagues uh to support this bill out of committee here today and I look forward to seeing it passed on the House floor. Thank you and I yield back.
▶ 1:05:42Mr. Chairman Mindy.
▶ 1:05:47Uh thank you Chairman Graves and uh Ranking Member Lawson. Thank you for your work and for others uh on this committee and other committees that have worked to put together this very very important bill. Uh it's not easy to find bipartisanship in the uh in the American government, but here it is in this committee. So shout out to all who were involved in it.
▶ 1:06:08Um there's been some question whether FEMA would even surprise uh survive considering what the uh president has said about FEMA and its future. Nevertheless, here we are. And this bill will go a long way towards advancing priorities that I have been pushing for years, making sure that those affected by disasters can get timely assistance to rebuild and small committee communities would not be left behind.
▶ 1:06:35The FEMA Act does what I've been calling for since I was California's first elected insurance commissioner in the early 90s. that is to get ahead of the disaster uh and to encourage states to prepare for the disaster both in the public infrastructure and in individual homes. Uh if that happens, lives will be saved, money will be saved, and communities will be able to recover much more quickly.
▶ 1:07:01The bill does incorporate the smart act smart act which I co-led with representative Pesahana. Uh, this bill would require FEMA to study the cost benefits of disaster mitigation, demonstrating how it is effective to invest in resiliency before disaster hits. And also, the bill allows FEMA to be engaged not only in that process, but in funding some of it.
▶ 1:07:25Uh, the FEMA act does ensure that individuals, families, and states can rebuild faster, smarter, and stronger. and it reduces red tape and enables communities to recover in a way that increases the resiliency. Uh it also allows public agencies to build to a new standard, not exactly what was in the ground uh in the previous infrastructure, but rather to rebuild for the future.
▶ 1:07:50So this is this kind of practical bipartisan action by Congress should be taken and it is being done in a bipartisan way. So I strongly support the passage of the bill. Thank you so very much uh for the work and for the suggestions that I and others on this committee have made with the introduction of bill. Thank you chairman
▶ 1:08:12Anyone else wish to be heard? Seeing no one, we are now concerning the bill for amendments and I'd call up the manager's amendment. Please designate
▶ 1:08:22a manager's amendment to HR 4669 offered by Chairman Graves. Without objection, the amendment will be considered as read. I quickly recognize myself for a few minutes to speak. This manager's amendment incorporates some additional improvements to the ANS recommended by members and stakeholders and makes other technical and conforming changes. This amendment includes language to improve our nation's response to fast-moving disasters and requires an examination of the effectiveness of mitigation investments on key roadways.
▶ 1:08:52The amendment also includes changes that ensure that the review of mitigation benefits uh in the bill considers best practices and innovation. I want to thank ranking member Larson uh for working with us on uh on all of these changes. I would urge support of the manager's amendment and with that yield back and recognize Mr. Larson.
▶ 1:09:13Thank you, Mr. Chair, um for offering the manager's amendment to the FEMA act. I am very pleased to support it. This amendment includes several technical fixes and bipartisan requests that we have agreed to. The manager's amendment includes a key provision from represent Gillan that would require the FEMA administrator to submit a report to Congress the need for major flood resiliency investments. I want to thank Representative McGillan for that contribution.
▶ 1:09:38Again, I want to thank Chair Graves, Representative Webster, Ranking Member Stanton, and everyone here for your work to include member priorities. I urge the support of the manager's amendment um and uh um support its adoption that I yield back.
▶ 1:09:56Miss Gillan. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I am proud to support the incredible bipartisan effort uh we see here today to reform FEMA and to support the bill and the manager's amendment which includes my amendment to require the FEMA administrator to study and issue recommendations to Congress on the need for vital flood resiliency investments on our major roads. Mr.
▶ 1:10:21Chairman, in my district on the southshore of Long Island, flooding continues to be a serious threat to many of the residents. We can still remember the devastation that we witnessed in the aftermath of Superstorm Sandy. And now we face rising sea levels and stronger, more frequent storms. And we must provide our coastal communities like those in the fourth congressional district with the federal resources needed to enhance our resiliency and to protect our residents and their property.
▶ 1:10:49Just recently, we witnessed the consequences of these coastal storms on our key roads. In July, torrential storms led to severe flooding and prompted closures of several major travel corridors across the region, including Long Island Expressway and the Cross Island Parkway, the Metobrook Parkway, and the WTO Parkway. The Clear View Expressway in Queens was completely flooded with multiple vehicles totally submerged and others stranded.
▶ 1:11:17And just last month, Hurricane Erin hit the east coast and shut down Long Island beaches and roads all along the Southshore. This flooding on our major roads doesn't just disrupt disrupt traffic flow. It also interferes with emergency response along our critical evacuation routes. I am committed to doing everything I can in Congress to ensure that Nassau County receives its fair share of resiliency flooding and keep New Yorkers safe.
▶ 1:11:41I'm glad that New York State recently allocated $10 million to Nassau County to deliver drainage upgrades and floor flood mitigation improvements along the Metobrook and Wasau State Parkways to major evacuation routes for Long Islanders in cases of emergencies. And I'm working with our local village of Freeport to secure community project funding to protect the community from nuisance flooding.
▶ 1:12:03But much more can and must be done, not only for Freeport, but for the five towns, Leo Beach, Long Beach, and Atlantic Beach, and communities across the Southshore. My amendment requires the FEMA administrator to report to Congress on the national need for major flood resiliency investments to safeguard key travel corridors and issue recommendations to Congress to reduce flooding and secure our roadways in the future.
▶ 1:12:27I'm so grateful to Chairman Graves and Ranking Member Larson for including my amendment in the bipartisan manager amendment and I look forward to working together with FEMA and the Department of Transportation on this important issue. Mr. Chairman, in closing, I encourage all of my colleagues to support me and support the manager's amendment and the underlying legislation. Thank you so much and I yield back.
▶ 1:12:49Thank you, Miss Poe.
▶ 1:12:53Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, I'm proud to lend my support today to the fixing manage emergency management for America's Americans or FEMA act. The ninth district of New Jersey is no stranger to natural disasters and many residents remember well the destruction and the loss of life caused by storms and hurricanes like Irene, Sandy,
▶ 1:13:23and And just two weeks ago, over 200,000 residents in our district lost water for up to a week because a pipe ruptured. Our residents in Patterson, Prospect Park, Hden, and North Hen scrambled to get access to water. For everyone, it was a catastrophe for a few days.
▶ 1:13:54It was While families and towns had to buy bottled water and businesses were forced to close, the extent of the damage wasn't enough to quality for to qualify for an emergency declaration which helps make federal funding available. But the people of our community and North Jersey deserves to be made whole.
▶ 1:14:20So, I want to thank Chairman Graves and ranking member Larson for including my water crisis prevention act in the FEMA act, which this committee is advancing today. My common sense bill requires a study into preventing and responding to water infrastructure failures like water main breaks.
▶ 1:14:43It will examine funding available to states, localities, Americans, and small businesses both with and without a formal emergency declaration. It also examines how the federal government can better work with states to identify areas most at risk of water crisis and how Congress can get funding to these communities faster.
▶ 1:15:10We cannot stick our head in the our heads in the sand. To prevent future catastro catastrophes, we must prioritize infrastructure updates for communities like those in our district and other dependence on pipes from the 19th century. So when disaster strikes, we can respond quickly and help families and small businesses make up for their losses.
▶ 1:15:38I encourage all of my colleagues to join me in support of this bill. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I yield back.
▶ 1:15:45Thank you, Mr. President.
▶ 1:15:48Thank you, Mr. Chairman. This legislation is long overdue, and I commend Chairman Graves, Ranking Member Larson, and the Emergency Management Subcommittee for their thoughtful work in advancing this legislation. Uh, responding to disasters is personal to me. In my previous life in power restoration, we worked to restore power after major storms. We have sent linemen to states like Florida after major hurricanes. Nor Eastern Pennsylvania has experienced our fair share of disasters, particularly flooding.
▶ 1:16:16When I was 11, I had to sandbag my grandparents house. You never forget the smell of flood mud. Uh this legislation will ensure that northeastern Pennsylvania and other hard-hit communities will be properly supported in mitigation and rebuilding efforts. It puts states in the driver's seats by promoting mitigation efforts and allowing states to create pre-approved project mitigation lists. It also ensures more consistent and predictable funding streams through a new formula program.
▶ 1:16:42It will also allow states, counties, and localities to combine different mitigation dollars for larger scale innovative projects for mitigation projects across jurisdictions. Importantly for my my district, it ensures that mitigation projects already approved by FEMA, but that didn't receive funding shall be considered a pre-approved project. Uh in northeastern Pennsylvania, three projects to buy out properties in a flood plane in Scranton and rebuild flood levies in Exit and Durier had their funding canled.
▶ 1:17:11This legislation ensures those projects will be pre pre-approved and eligible for funding to protect our local communities. And it clarifies that electric utilities are eligible for mitigation projects, which I will encourage grid hardening and power restoration. I'm proud that my legislation, the study, mitigation, and reporting transparency uh act is included in the base tax of the FEMA reform act. It would require FEMA to conduct a study to evaluate the effectiveness, long-term cost savings, and strategic impact of its hazard mitigation activities across the US.
▶ 1:17:39This legislation also supports disaster victims by creating a single streamlined application for assistance and providing states with flexibility to provide the best emergency housing for victims. Now, we know that we can't control mother nature, but we can control how we prepare for, and respond to mother nature. This legislation will go a long way in supporting our communities before, during, and after natural disasters. I encourage my colleagues to vote yes on this bill as well as the amendment. Thank you, and I yield back. Gentleman yields. Miss Hoy.
▶ 1:18:10Thank you, Mr. Chair and uh, Rank Member Larson. I represent a community ravaged by wildfires and extreme weather. In 2024 alone, Oregon lost 1.9 million acres to wildfire. This package of bills will fundamentally improve disaster relief for the constituents I represent.
▶ 1:18:30And I want to thank my colleagues on both sides of the aisle for working together to develop this package because we need to do better for disaster relief in the face of extreme weather that we're experiencing due to climate change. Including in included in this package are multiple bills that deal with the minutia of disaster response. But as we well know, that is what matters in the middle of an emergency.
▶ 1:18:54For example, after a disaster hits, public power utility companies cannot access federal funds that to enable them to make long-term resilient infrastructure improvements. Instead, they're forced to rebuild in the same insufficient ways, which are not a good use of taxpayer resources, and they keep lives and home in danger. I'm grateful that the power act that Mr.
▶ 1:19:19Adel and I put forward is included in this package which will allow our public power infrastructure to be rebuilt for resilience, cuts red tape, and allows communities to get back on their feet faster. Now, we can disagree on the role of government, but one thing is clear. Disaster response is something local communities cannot do on their own, and natural disasters do not differentiate between red or blue areas.
▶ 1:19:43When wildfires, ice storms rip through my district, my communities do not have the resources or expertise to rebuild on their own. For them to restart their lives, they need FEMA's help. We can all agree that we can and should work together to ensure that FEMA is um is efficient and responding, but my residents are still waiting on reimbursements from the Labor Day fires of 2020.
▶ 1:20:12reimbursements that they were approved for. These delays aren't unique to Oregon and they're just a few examples of the growing delays that we're seeing in FEMA's response uh nationwide under both Republican and Democratic administrations. Now, before 911, FEMA was a standalone cabinet level agency dedicated solely to disaster response. After being folded into the Department of Homeland Security, it became buried in layers of bureaucracy.
▶ 1:20:41DHS's sprawling mission, cyber security, counterterrorism, immigration enforcement, transportation security, and more, has left FEMA less able to act with the speed and agility communities need. And within DHS, FEMA is inevitably exposed to the same political pressures that shape the department's other work. Restoring FEMA's independence will help insulate disaster relief from those pressures.
▶ 1:21:11Giving FEMA back its independence is a simple first step to rebuilding a culture of accountability and making FEMA an agency that first and foremost serves disaster victims. We need to ensure that FEMA operates in a nonpartisan way that it has the funding, the staff, and the resources to respond uh in the way that America's in needs it to. I strongly urge my colleagues to support the manager's amendment and the underlying bill.
▶ 1:21:40I want to thank everyone for working together on this very, very important legislation and I yield back.
▶ 1:21:47Gentlemen yields. Mr. Van Drew. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I rise today in strong support of HR 4669, the FEMA Act.
▶ 1:22:15For coastal communities like mine in southern New Jersey, this bill is the difference between play playing catchup and getting a or getting ahead of the storm. The FEMA Act makes pre- disaster mitigation a predictable formula program so communities can plan multi-year beach and dune projects. This is vital for areas like mine.
▶ 1:22:40I would let it would let states pre-approve priorities for fast action after storms, also extremely important, and allow them to combine multiple funding streams with upfront federal payments. important as well. Our people shouldn't have to bear all the costs that happen locally to them. It also cuts red tape by expediting permits and reviews for coastal repairs.
▶ 1:23:08And it rewards states that invest in resilience. And this is also important with up to an 85% federal cost share, which is a major boost for expensive and they're very expensive shoreline projects in southern New Jersey alone. And in coastal communities nationwide, healthy beaches and strong dunes are our first line of defense against devastating major storms. It's called public safety. It's a real issue.
▶ 1:23:38This bill will provide stable funding, faster approvals, and smarter financing, meaning shovels in the sand before the next storm, not after another storm. preventing disaster, preventing problems. Mr. Chairman, I thank you for this time and I yield back.
▶ 1:23:57Gentleman yields. Are there any further speakers on this amendment? Seeing none, other amendments to the amendment. Seeing none, the question is on the amendment. All those in favor signify by saying I.
▶ 1:24:08I. All those opposed signify by saying nay. The eyes have it. The amendment is agreed to. For what purposes, Miss Norton seek
▶ 1:24:27Mr. Chairman, I have an amendment at the desk. The
▶ 1:24:30clerk will designate the amendment.
▶ 1:24:32An amendment to the amendment in the nature of a substitute to HR 4669 offered by Miss Norton of the District of Columbia number 068.
▶ 1:24:40Without objection, amendment will be considered as read. Miss Norton is recognized for five minutes to speak on her amendment. My amendment would direct the administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agencies to submit to Congress a plan to supply emergency drinking water to the nation's capital region during any period the Ptoac River becomes unusable as a source of drinking water for the region.
▶ 1:25:10The PTOAC River is the only source of drinking water for the District of Columbia. The US Army Corps of Engineers which supplies the drinking water for DC has only one day of backup water supply if the Ptoomeac River becomes unusable which could happen at any moment whether through man-made or natural events.
▶ 1:25:36It would pose a significant risk to the residents of the nation's capital, the operations of the federal government, national security, and the region's economy. Congress has authorized and partially funded an Army Corps study to identify secondary drinking water source and additional drinking water storage in the National Capital Region. However, any solution is years away.
▶ 1:26:06At a hearing this committee held in in July, I asked the acting administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency what steps the agency has taken to prepare to respond to the PTOIC River becoming unusable for drinking water. The administrator responded that he would have to look into it.
▶ 1:26:32Since then, the agency has offered no plan and suggested that planning and mitigation efforts occur locally. That is unacceptable given that the federal government is responsible for supplying DC's drinking water.
▶ 1:26:51While I will withdraw this amendment, I hope the committee will continue to work with me to prepare for the possibility of the Ptoic River becoming unusable for drinking water. Thank you.
▶ 1:27:07Without objection, an amendment is
▶ 1:27:09Mr. Chairman, for purposes, Mr. Carson, seek
▶ 1:27:14Thank you, sir. I have an amendment at the desk.
▶ 1:27:16Clerk will designate the amendment. An amendment to the amendment in the nature of a substitute to HR4669 offered by Mr. Carson of Indiana number 039 revision one.
▶ 1:27:26Without objection, the amendment will be considered as read. Mr. Carson to recognize for five minutes to speak on his amendment.
▶ 1:27:31Thank you, Chairman. First, I want to commend Chairman Graves, Ranking Member Larson, Subcommittee Chair Webster, and Ranking Member Stanton for your hard work in producing this bipartisan FEMA reform bill. I support these efforts to strengthen and revitalize FEMA instead of the short short-sighted and misguided attempts to dismantle FEMA. Today's bill is going to help our constituents save lives. My amendment is very simple.
▶ 1:27:57It helps to ensure that all members of Congress are notified about all FEMA grants to our communities. Traditionally, information about new grants is provided to the public and to members of Congress. Unfortunately, in recent months, a disturbing practice has developed. FEMA has issued press releases that broadly announce grant awards, but they have refused to provide details about the grants to members of Congress, sometimes claiming security concerns. This is unacceptable.
▶ 1:28:27If an agency is dispersing grant awards from funds Congress has appropriated, the members of Congress should be provided the details about those grants, who gets them, where the funds will be spent, and how much. Traditionally, we receive this information as a part of our congressional responsibilities, and we should not need to mandate transparency and accountability.
▶ 1:28:49But if FEMA fails to provide this information, my amendment codifies the traditional notifications to Congress and ensures that all members of Congress will get the details about FEMA grants. I hope you will all join us in supporting this amendment today. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I yield back the balance of my time.
▶ 1:29:06Gentlemen yields to any other members wish to be recognized on the amendment. Uh Mr. Webster.
▶ 1:29:13Thank you, Chairman. Uh, I appreciate uh, Representative Carson's uh, revising this amendment to align himself with future role of FEMA and uh, I support this amendment. I think it's a good idea. Transparency is great.
▶ 1:29:27Thank you, sir. Bipartisanship. Thank
▶ 1:29:29Gentleman yields. Any other members wish to be heard?
▶ 1:29:37Thank you, chairman. Um, I just want to express my gratitude and support for the bipartisan work happening on this, but also to thank my colleague Andre Carson. One of the challenges that I consistently hear about is that people are just losing faith in our institutions and our ability to actually do the work. When we're transparent, when we let members of Congress know where the money is going and why, we're able to communicate that to the people that we represent. So, I thank Andre Carson for bringing this forward and I urge all my colleagues to support it. I yield back, sir.
▶ 1:30:07Gentleman yields. Any further requests to be recognized? If not, I'll recognize myself. On behalf of the chairman who supports this amendment, I'd like to thank Representative Carson for working to clarify this amendment. This ch amendment will improve the transparency of FEMA's grant programs, and I encourage my colleagues to support it. With that, I yield back. Are there any other further speakers? Seeing none, the question is on the amendment. All those in favor signify by saying I.
▶ 1:30:35I. All those opposed? Nay. The eyes have it and the amendment is agreed to. Are there any other amendments to the amendment in the nature of a substitute to a HR 4669? Hearing none, the questions on the adoption of the amendment in the nature of a substitute to HR 4669 is amendment amended. All those in favor signify by saying I. I.
▶ 1:31:03All those opposed signify by saying nay. In the opinion of the chair, the eyes have it. The amendment in the nature of the substitute is adopted. Question is now on adoption of favor reporting of HR 4669 is amended. All those in favor signify by saying I.
▶ 1:31:17I. All those opposed by saying nay. In the opinion of the chair, the eyes have it and HR 4669 is amendment.
▶ 1:31:25Recorded vote.
▶ 1:31:27Gentleman has requested a recorded vote. Um, as previously announced, pursuant to committee rule 6F, further proceedings on the question are postponed. Our next item for consideration is HR561, the counter UAS Authority Security, Safety, and Reauthorization Act.
▶ 1:31:53I ask unanimous consent to discharge the subcommittee on aviation from further consideration of AR561. Without objection, so ordered. I now call up the bill for consideration. Without objection, the first reading of the bill is dispensed with. The bill is now considered as read and open for amendment at any point. I now recognize myself to offer an amendment in the nature of a substitute. The clerk will designate the amendment.
▶ 1:32:14An amendment in the nature of a substitute to HR5061 offered by Mr. Crawford on behalf of Chairman Graves.
▶ 1:32:21Without objection, the amendment in the nature of a substitute shall be considered as read and shall be considered as base text for the purposes of further amendment. and I recognize myself for five minutes for a statement. This Congress transportation infrastructure committee has worked diligently and deliberately with the committee on homeland security and the judiciary committee to produce the bipartisan legislation that's before us today.
▶ 1:32:40The Counter UAS Security Safety and Reauthorization Act reauthorizes reforms and reasonably expands the existing counter unmanned aircraft uh authorities of the Department of Homeland Security, Department of Justice, Department of Transportation, and the Federal Aviation Administration. As new entrance continue to integrate into the National Airspace System, it's imperative that federal agencies are equipped with the necessary technology to handle unlawful, malicious, and even potentially dangerous UAS operations.
▶ 1:33:07This legislation represents countless hours of work, negotiations, and good faith efforts by all parties to produce this comprehensive package. Specifically, the legislation improves consultation requirements amongst agencies, establishes standards for counter UAS training programs, and establishes the first ever counter UAS mitigation state law enforcement pilot program.
▶ 1:33:25Furthermore, recognizing the United States is set to host large international events such as the FIFA World Cup in the 2028 Summer Olympics, the legislation establishes a special program to ensure state and local law enforcement agencies have the necessary tools to maintain the safety and security of those events from credible threats posed by UAS. Perhaps most important to the work of this committee, the legislation addresses counter UAS detection and mitigation efforts in the airport environment or maintaining aviation safety is non-negotiable.
▶ 1:33:53We must continue to support and foster new aviation technologies. The future of American aviation depends on it. However, it is critical to ensure that appropriate guardrails are put in place to ensure the safety of the American people in the air and on the ground. Many in this room may remember last Congress when the committee considered and favorably reported HR8610. The bill before us today, while similar in nature, builds upon that framework and reflects continued discussions and input from members.
▶ 1:34:18This is just the start of the process in reauthorizing and expanding counter UAS authorities and I look forward to continuing to work with my colleagues and the administration as the process continues. I want to thank the other committees of jurisdiction for the bipartisan collaboration that went into this bill. I urge my colleagues to support this legislation. Yield back the balance of my time. I now recognize Mr. Larson for 5 minutes for a statement on the bill.
▶ 1:34:39Thank you, Mr. Chair. I support HR5061, the CounterUS Authority Security Safety and Reauthorization Act. It's one thing to put bipartisan legislation out of this committee. It's quite another thing to put bipartisan legislation out of three committees out of this committee.
▶ 1:34:58And so congratulations uh to this committee, the staff and the members for working together on this agreement to reauthorize and reform the Department of Homeland Security's and Department of Justice's counter UAS detection and mitigation authorities.
▶ 1:35:13We end up being the primary committee on this because we regulate the airspace and the use of these counter um UAS um uh tools um can potentially interfere in the inner space uh in the uh in the airspace. So that's why this legislation uh is coming out of this committee.
▶ 1:35:33But so this legislation allows for the safe expansion of detection and mitigation authorities to eligible non-federal entities and continues to ensure the integrity of the US airspace. As drones continue to appear in our skies, Congress must ensure that the appropriate authorities and resources are in place to address safety and security risks that these uh drones uh pose um to in the airspace.
▶ 1:36:00So for nearly three years, this committee along with the House Committees on Homeland Security and Judiciary have worked to develop a comprehensive approach to the scalable integration of counter UAS detection and mitigation technologies and ensure the safety of the flying public and of course people on the ground.
▶ 1:36:16Consideration of this bill comes at a critical time as a current counter US authorities for DHS and DOJ are set to expire in October and we may have to extend those um limited authorities uh certainly before this bill heads to the White House. The uh the ANS uh to 5061 strikes the right balance between numerous aviation safety, national security and civil liberties concerns related to counter US activities.
▶ 1:36:44Notably, the bill extends the DHS and DOJ's counter US authorities and grants new authorities to the FA through October 1st, 2030. It establishes an FA office to better manage the AY's counter US effort, UAS efforts and improve inter agency coordination. It directs DHS, DOJ, and FA to establish requirements for counter UAS system training and pre-eployment activities to ensure these technologies are safe to use and the people that are using them are safe to use them.
▶ 1:37:13It allows state, local, tribal, or territorial law enforcement agencies to partner with eligible entities to deploy UAS detection capabilities at certain sites like critical infrastructure and sporting events, major sporting events. It establishes a counter UAS mitigation pilot program for eligible participants to deploy approved systems to disable or disrupt unauthorized drones over covered sites and events.
▶ 1:37:37creates a necessary framework to provide detection and mitigation authorities for large, medium, and cargo airports across the country from drone threats and ensures privacy protections as well as various reporting and accountability requirements among other key reforms. This bipartisan tricom legislation paves the way for responsible, safe, and sustainable expansion of counter US authorities to address the ever evolving US airspace.
▶ 1:38:01Furthermore, approving this bill now allows our committee to begin discussions with the Senate to develop a bipartisan biccameal counter UAS reauthorization bill. It should be noted there is no other bill in Congress that has bipartisan support and support among all the various committees of jurisdiction other than this bill. And I can say that for sure because as you know we share jurisdiction on pipeline safety with another committee where we get our stuff done and they don't.
▶ 1:38:29And so congratulations again to the staff, to the committee members here for the great work. My thanks to Chair Graves, Homeland Security Chair Garbino, Ranking Member Thompson, Judiciary Committee u uh ranking member um Rascin and Committee Chair Jordan over at Judiciary and everyone st all these committee staff for their hard work in getting this done. Encourage my colleagues support HR5061.
▶ 1:38:55look forward to working with our colleagues and key stakeholders uh in the future to prevent these authorities from lapsing in the future. That yield
▶ 1:39:03Gentleman yields. Mr. Stalber. Thank you, Mr. Chairman and ranking member. I want to speak on the underlying bill HR5061 of the Counter UAS Authority Security Safety and Reauthorization Act. I greatly appreciate that this legislation expands counter unmanned aircraft systems authorities. Drones are quickly becoming one of the most dangerous threats to American safety and security.
▶ 1:39:27Criminals and adversaries are you are utilizing these drones to spy on critical infrastructure and smuggle contraband. We need to give law enforcement the tools to detect, identify, and mitigate these threats. While I am pleased that a pilot program is being implemented to grant state and local law enforcement these authorities, I am concerned, however, that the scope of this program is too narrow.
▶ 1:39:55Nearly every law enforcement organization has recognized this issue as a top priority. And with just 40 pilots out of more than 18,000 law enforcement agencies nationwide, we are leaving many areas of our nation exposed. Mr. Mr. Chairman, Ranking Member Larson, I recognize that building agreement and consensus on this le legislation has been no small feat.
▶ 1:40:22I am not offering an amendment today to change the size of the pilot program, but I do ask that we work together to see if we can be more responsive to this moment as the work continues through the Would that be agreeable to you both?
▶ 1:40:40Absolutely. Yes. Thank you and I yield
▶ 1:40:44Gentleman yields. There any further speakers wish to be recognized? Seeing none, we're now considering the bill for amendments. I have manager amendment at the desk. Clerk will designate the amendment.
▶ 1:40:56A manager's amendment to HR a manager's amendment to the amendment in the nature of a substitute to HR5061 offered by Mr. Crawford. On behalf of Chairman Graves,
▶ 1:41:05without objection, amendment will be considered as read. I recognize myself for five minutes to speak on the amendment. The manager's amendment contains technical edits as well as minor policy changes to the underlying bill that have been made at the request of members and stakeholders and with concurrence from other committees of jurisdiction. The amendment includes small hub airports in the definition of covered airport. Clarifies how public safety agencies may participate in the FAA's voluntary verified drone operator program established in the legislation without facing additional requirements.
▶ 1:41:32allows law enforcement agencies that will be providing counter UAS protection at the World Cup to provide counter UAS protection at other sporting events in the interim. Better defines the role of airport police departments in responding to drones and clarifies that a provision relating to drone safety statements only applies to consumer oriented drones. I urge all members to support the manager's amendment and I yield back. Mr. Larson.
▶ 1:41:53Thank you, Mr. Chair. Support the manager's amendment to ANS of HR5061. Uh notably, this amendment clarifies certain state and local law enforcement authorized to provide counter US protections for large multinational events like the uh 2026 World Cup and the 2028 Olympics that they can prepare for such events by training at other covered events.
▶ 1:42:15It uh helps public safety organizations through participating in the bill's voluntary verified DR dr dr dr dr dr dr dr dr dr dr dr dr dr dr dr dr dr dr dr dr dr dr dr dr dr dr drone operator program helps small hub airports uh that they should be considered as covered airports and it includes the bill's requirement for an electronic safety statement that applies to small consumer drones. Again, my thanks Chair Graves, the leadership of the Homeland Security and Judiciary Committees and their staffs for their very diligent work. I encourage everyone to support the manager's amendment and yield back.
▶ 1:42:41Gentlemen yields. Mr. Nails. Not loud enough, Tim.
▶ 1:42:52I'm proud to support the County UAS Authority Security, Safety, and Reauthorization Act, which represents a bipartisan solution authored by the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, Homeland Security, and As a former sheriff, empowering law enforcement with the tools and capabilities necessary to address the challenges they face is of great importance to me. That's exactly why the first hearing that I led as chairman of the aviation subcommittee was on counter UAS.
▶ 1:43:22And during that hearing, we heard testimony from a variety of witnesses, each bringing their unique insights to the conversation. My takeaways from that hearing was that there was more work to be done. The domestic market for small UAS only continues to grow and for good reasons. Whether inspecting infrastructure, delivering life-saving medical equipment, fighting wildfires, or many other uses, drones offer a cost-effective and safe alternative to traditional aviation.
▶ 1:43:52In many instances, the staggering growth that we've seen and will continue to see in the UAS industry underscores the need for a robust and effective counter UAS framework that ensures necessary protections are in place to safeguard Americans from credible threats posed by unlawful UAS operations.
▶ 1:44:13As a member representing the great state of Texas, I've heard countless times from owners and operators of chemical plants and oil refineries about the need for a comprehensive counter UAS framework. Today, I'm proud to tell you that this legislation represents a significant step forward in securing the national airspace system while maintaining America's gold standard in aviation safety.
▶ 1:44:36I'd like to briefly highlight two sections that will provide immediate relief to owners and operators of covered sites, including critical infrastructure. First, section five grants the Department of Homeland Security the authority to authorize the acquisition, deployment, and operation of an approved counter UAS system by law enforcement on behalf of a covered site. This will put advanced detection systems in the hands of law enforcement agencies and critical infrastructure operators across the country.
▶ 1:45:06representing a significant step forward in protecting facilities from errant drones. Second, section six stands up a counter UAS mitigation pilot program where selected state law enforcement agencies may operate and approve counterus mitigation system at up to four covered sites while also providing coverage in an unlimited number of covered events such as a sporting event or concert.
▶ 1:45:33This pilot program represents the first time the first time these authorities have been delegated beyond the federal level. While I continue to work with my colleagues to further expand and permanently codify the pilot program, this bipartisan proposal before us today is an important step in the right direction and represents a robust and comprehensive counter UAS framework that I am proud to support. In closing, I urge my colleagues to support this bill and I yield back.
▶ 1:46:02Any other members wish to be heard on the Seeing none, are there any amendments to the amendment? Seeing none, the question is on the amendment. All those in favor signify by saying I.
▶ 1:46:17All oppose signify by saying nay. The eyes have it. The amendment is agreed
▶ 1:46:28What purpose, Mr. Burchett?
▶ 1:46:30Mr. Chairman, I have an amendment at the
▶ 1:46:32Please designate
▶ 1:46:33an amendment to the amendment in the nature of a substitute to HR5061 offered by Mr. Burchett of Tennessee number 083.
▶ 1:46:41Without objection, the amendment would be considered as read. Mr. Burchett recognized for 5 minutes.
▶ 1:46:46Am I re I can't hear you. I'm sorry, Mr. Mr. Chairman. I have an inner ear problem and I can't hear. Um my wife says it's very subjective, but I'm telling you right now it's a medical issue. Uh, this is about drones that fly over our property with cameras, surveillance technology. They can intrude on our private space and they can capture images or data without consent.
▶ 1:47:09Um, if you have a wife and a daughter who maybe like to lay out in the backyard, this ought to be of concern to you because this is a this is becoming a reality. Property owners should have the authority to defend their airspace from unauthorized drones, especially when these devices are used maliciously, like for stalking or trespassing. Sometimes they're scouting you out if they're going to rob your property or do something else.
▶ 1:47:36I believe you ought to be able to take down these drones in a controlled, safe manner over your own property, and it should not be criminalized. It should not be compared to, say, shooting down a an airplane or something like that. This amendment would simply allow an individual to shoot down a drone with a legally obtained shotgun, not a rifle, but a shotgun um that they believe is flying less than 200 feet above their property. And that would be subject to the state laws on the discharge of a firearm.
▶ 1:48:05So, if it says you can't fire it, then it doesn't apply to you. But where I live in Tennessee, I live on a little farm and we're allowed to hunt and um this would be allowed. It also requires the individual that that takes down the drone to report the registration number to the FAA within 60 days if the registration number is identifiable. And finally, it allows the um that after you shoot the drone down that you return it to the owner.
▶ 1:48:31And I urge my colleagues to support this common sense amendment that protects Americans privacy. And I yield back.
▶ 1:48:42Mr. Larson.
▶ 1:48:43Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Chair. Uh, sure. Thanks for the uh for recognizing me. Um, I'm going to oppose Mr. Burchett's amendment. Um, and uh, first off, this bill that we put together is u is been well negotiated, long time negotiated. Uh, it is um put together so that we can support it as a whole.
▶ 1:49:07Uh with regards to the specifics of the amendment, um my arguments against it have nothing to do with uh ownership of guns at all. Um it does have to do with the fact that we have law enforcement to contact if the circumstance the the Mr. Burchets described is happening. Uh we don't really know how we're going to how you would enforce um someone's eyewitness account of what 200 feet is.
▶ 1:49:37um in order to comply with this law. Uh it says the amendment requires people to comply with state laws. I'm not familiar with everyone's state law. I'm not even familiar with my own state's law on this, but I also know that um it is very possible that in my state there are uh cities that are not rural where the perhaps the discharge of firearm is okay and I don't want them discharging a firearm up in the air uh in urban or suburban areas.
▶ 1:50:06So, it's not necessarily applies only to rural areas. It could apply to suburban suburban and rural areas as well. So, there's just a lot of problems with this amendment um as it's written. And so, I would hope that we uh can vote this down. Uh I think it undermines the tri committee agreement that we have. It would jeopardize a path forward. I certainly respect Mr. Burchett.
▶ 1:50:27Um I may be one of the few people on this committee who do um but uh certainly respect him and ask folks to uh vote against this amendment with that. I yield back.
▶ 1:50:37Clean up on aisle two. I think I've been I think I've been cut and I will say this. I've I've checked and drones do taste a whole lot like chicken if you were wondering. But no, I would say am I allowed to talk right now? I'm sorry, Mr. Chairman. Am I can I respond to his what he said?
▶ 1:50:54Is that all right? Okay. All right. I will say, listen, if you can, you know, at 200 feet, if you can knock a bird down at 200 feet with a shotgun, you're you're you're doing pretty good. There there is a a limit on a on a shotgun on how far it would go. And I dare say 200 feet is is probably out of the range. Maybe some of my one of my Texans back here on the back row could hit a hit hit something at 200 feet with a 12 gauge, but it's it's highly unlikely that it would carry that far. Thank you, Mr.
▶ 1:51:24Chairman. I recognize myself real quick. Unfortunately, I do understand the amendment. Unfortunately, I have to oppose it just simply because of the crossjurisdictional issues that we have. We were not able to reach an agreement um with the other committees of jurisdiction uh to uh uh to clear this amendment. So, as a result, um I have to oppose it and uh with that is any Mr. May I speak? Mr. Chairman, um I I want to say thank Mr.
▶ 1:51:54Burchett for offering the amendment. Um, I think this is a property rights issue and and I do I think you thoughtfully addressed it with a with a shotgun. Anybody that's ever fired a shotgun knows that that uh they they only go very short distances. And um and in fact I have I have in bird hunting I have hit birds at 200 feet and they and it does nothing to them because by then the momentum is is gone.
▶ 1:52:24So I think it's a thoughtful way of addressing it if it's if it's really being a nuisance on your property. Um, the other thing that I would say is that this is skating where the puck is going because I think that we need to pay attention to what's happening and how warfare has changed and terrorism will be changing when it comes to drones.
▶ 1:52:44When you look at what you happened in Ukraine where they where they just parked a semi-truck next to an airfield in Russia and took out an entire airfield with with just a few hundred drones that cost, you know, less than a few less than a thousand bucks. We need to be paying attention to that and we need to not only defend our airspace over over federal land, but we need to let our citizens defend their own properties. And that's why I'll support the the amendment.
▶ 1:53:13Does anyone else wish to be heard on the amendment? Seeing none, the question is on the amendment. All those in favor signify by saying I. All oppose signify by saying nay. Any of the chair, the naysay have it. Chairman, I request a roll call vote.
▶ 1:53:30Gentlemen request a vote on the amendment as previously announced pursuant to committee rule 6F. Further proceedings on the question are on HR 4669 as amended. A recorded vote is requested. Members will record their votes using the electronic system.
▶ 1:54:00Open the board and the chairman intends to vote I
▶ 1:54:07Yep. This is the FEMA bill for everybody's information.
▶ 1:54:12Ranking will vote yes. I'm writing it right now.
▶ 1:54:29So, we'll do that.
▶ 1:59:29counter. Next,
▶ 1:59:31have all members been recorded who wish to be recorded?
▶ 1:59:36Do any members wish to change their vote? Hearing none, close the board and announce the
▶ 1:59:48Mr. Chairman, on that vote, there are 57 yays and three nays.
▶ 1:59:52A vote of 57 yays and three nays. The bill as amended is agreed to and order favorably reported to the House. Without objection, the motion to reconsider is laid on the table. The committee previously postponed consideration of HR561 first amendment 83 offered by Mr. Burchett to the amendment in the nature of a substitute. A recorded vote was requested. It's a recorded vote still
▶ 2:00:21Mr. Burch
▶ 2:00:21Mr. Burch is a recorded vote still requested.
▶ 2:00:26Recorded vote is still requested. The chair intends to vote no.
▶ 2:00:30Ranking to vote no. Open to board. Just ask everyone.
▶ 2:01:17You want to close the court?
▶ 2:01:24We don't want to.
▶ 2:01:27So that we don't
▶ 2:01:31Has everybody been recorded who wishes to be recorded? Does anybody wish to change their vote?
▶ 2:01:40Seeing no one, close the board. Announce
▶ 2:01:49Mr. Chairman, on that vote, there are 26 yays and 34 nazs.
▶ 2:01:53It's not agreed.
▶ 2:01:53I voted 26 yays. 34 nazs. The amendment is not agreed to. We will now move the passage of the amendment in the nature of substitute to HR5061 as amended. All those in favor signify by saying I.
▶ 2:02:08All oppose signify by saying nay. The eyes have it. The amendment the nature of a substitute is agreed to. We'll now vote on favorably reporting of HR 5061 as amended. All those in favor signify by saying I.
▶ 2:02:24All oppose signify by saying nay. The eyes have it.
▶ 2:02:29Call for a recorded vote.
▶ 2:02:35Request recorded vote has been requested as previously. Well, we don't have to. We can just move to it.
▶ 2:02:43Open the board.
▶ 2:02:47I intend to vote yes.
▶ 2:02:50Ranking will vote yes.
▶ 2:02:52Thank you.
▶ 2:03:24and favorably Has everyone voted to wish to be
▶ 2:03:32Is anyone wish to change their vote?
▶ 2:03:44Close the board. Announce the total.
▶ 2:03:48Mr. Chairman, on that vote, there are 60 yays and zero nazs. My vote is 60 yays and zero nazs. The bill is agreed to and favorably reported to the house. Thank you all for participating in today's markup. I'd ask unanimous consent that each measure ordered reported today be reported as a single amendment in the nature of a substitute incorporating any amendments adopted. Without objection, that is so ordered.
▶ 2:04:11I'd ask unanimous consent that the staff be authorized to make all necessary technical clarifying and conforming changes to each of the measures ordered reported today to reflect the actions of the committee. Without objection, that is so ordered. Pursuant to House Rule 22, clause one, I'd ask unanimous consent, the chairman or his designate be authorized to offer such no motions as may be necessary in the House to go to conference with the Senate on the legislation adopted today or any similar measure. Without objection, that is so ordered.
▶ 2:04:35I'd ask unanimous consent that the chairman after consultation with the ranking member have authority to strike or revise any provision of the measures ordered reported today that would cause a sequential referral to another committee or would cause the bill to be subject to a budget act or rule 21 Cutco point of order. Without objection, that is so ordered. In pursuant to House Rule 11, clause 2L, I ask unanimous consent that all members of the committee have at least two calendar days in which to follow any supplemental minority additional or desending views on the legislation adopted today. Without objection, that is ordered.
▶ 2:05:05Pursuant to rule six, the rules of the committee on transportation. I note the presence of a quorum for actions. All actions taken on committee business today. And with that, the committee on transportation infrastructure has completed its business and the committee stands
▶ 2:06:51I'm running.