Congressmen Carter, Steube Reintroduce the Clean Up DEBRIS Act
WASHINGTON, D.C. – This week, Congressman Troy A. Carter, Sr. (D-LA), Co-Chair of the Bipartisan Congressional Flood Resilience Caucus and the Bipartisan Congressional Disaster Preparedness & Recovery Caucus, and Congressman Greg Steube (R-FL) reintroduced the Clean Up Disasters and Emergencies with Better Recovery and Immediate Support Act (Clean Up DEBRIS Act). This bill would allow common interest communities, condominiums, and other private housing cooperatives to receive debris removal assistance from the federal government, ensuring all families are afforded the same critical services after a natural disaster or emergency.
“Storms don’t discriminate based on race, gender, political party, or how much money you make — and everyone deserves the same opportunity to recover when a natural disaster strikes," said Rep. Carter. “The Clean Up DEBRIS Act fixes a long-overdue inequity that left thousands of our neighbors paying out of pocket just to remove a tree from their front porch or clear debris that threatened their safety. This bill is about fairness, public safety, and making sure communities can get back on their feet quickly before the next storm comes. I’m proud to lead this effort, and I’m fighting to ensure every Louisiana family gets the disaster relief they deserve.”
Under current federal law, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) may deny debris removal assistance to certain types of residential property owners by refusing to reimburse local governments for performing critical debris services on those properties. Condominiums, manufactured home parks, co-ops, and common interest communities are most often excluded from these vital services, leaving residents subject to special assessments levied by homeowners associations to cover costs that FEMA refuses.
“When a natural disaster strikes, debris and wreckage affect the public health and safety of all Americans. Back-to-back disasters pose a significant threat as vegetative and construction debris become projectiles in subsequent storms,” said Rep. Steube. “Unfortunately, FEMA and its policy guidelines have arbitrarily determined that only some homeowners may receive help in removing debris, while condominiums, multifamily properties, and manufactured homeowners are left to foot the bill themselves. That is why I am introducing the Clean Up DEBRIS Act. This bill will close this unfair gap in disaster relief and bring lifesaving services to all residential property owners.
"The bipartisan Clean Up DEBRIS Act would bring long-overdue clarity and fairness to FEMA’s debris removal policies, helping counties protect public health and accelerate community recovery. By establishing clear statutory authority for reimbursing debris removal, this bill addresses a longstanding source of confusion and costly delays for local governments. Counties appreciate Congressman Steube and Carter's leadership on this critical issue, and we look forward to working with our congressional champions to advance this much-needed reform,” said Matthew Chase, Executive Director of the National Association of Counties.
Background:
The Bipartisan Congressional Disaster Preparedness & Recovery Caucus works across the aisle to advance legislation and policies that provide efficient, equitable relief for disaster survivors and promote measures that pave the path for impacted communities to make a full recovery. They also advocate for disaster preparedness measures and programs that help save lives, while readying America’s communities for the disasters ahead.
The Bipartisan Flood Resilience Caucus will use proactive strategies and policy tools to protect residents, including the more than 40 million Americans who live in communities at high risk of severe flood damage. Extreme flooding ruins homes and property, uproots lives, and leaves a devastating impact. Pre-disaster strategies to educate and alert the public, as well as investments in both traditional and green flood control infrastructure, are critical to avert the post-disaster devastation so many communities face.
Read the full bill text here.
###