HR 3347119th CongressIntroduced

Sovereign States Emergency Management Act

Introduced: May 13, 2025

Economy & TaxesInfrastructure

Standard Summary

Comprehensive overview in 1-2 paragraphs

This bill, titled the Sovereign States Emergency Management Act, proposes to abolish the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) two years after enactment and transfer its functions to the President. In place of FEMA, it creates a new disaster relief system funded through a federally administered block grant program to states. The Treasury would distribute grants to states based on a formula that considers population, historical disaster frequency/severity, geographic risk, and economic need. States would use the funds for preparedness, response, recovery, and mitigation, subject to annual state emergency management plans approved by a federal official. The act includes reporting, auditing, and anti-duplication provisions and would terminate four years after the initial rule establishing the grant formula is issued. The bill also extends the definition of “State” to include U.S. territories and related jurisdictions.

Key Points

1Abolishment of FEMA: FEMA would be abolished two years after enactment, with its functions transferred to the President; unobligated FEMA funds would go to the general fund and then be used to support the new program.
2Block grant program: A new disaster relief block grant program would be established and administered by the Secretary of the Treasury, with grants allocated to each state according to a legislated formula.
3Grant formula and use: The allocation formula must consider population, 20-year disaster history, geographic risk factors, and per-capita income. States may use funds for preparedness training/equipment, response and recovery operations, and mitigation projects, with up to 5% for administrative costs.
4State plans and accountability: States must submit annual emergency management plans for approval and provide end-of-year reports detailing fund use, outcomes, and plan compliance.
5Oversight and termination: The program requires annual audits, with 10% of funds allotted for administration and 10% for audit costs; the program would terminate four years after the rule establishing the grant formula is issued.
6Definitions and scope: “State” includes the 50 states plus D.C., Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam, American Samoa, and the Northern Mariana Islands; terms like “emergency” and “natural disaster” are defined for the purposes of the program.

Impact Areas

Primary group/area affected- States and their emergency management agencies that would receive and administer the disaster relief block grants; local governments and tribal authorities participating in planning and deployment under state plans.Secondary group/area affected- Federal apparatus and personnel formerly handling FEMA programs (functions would be transferred to the President), as well as residents of states/territories who rely on disaster aid and mitigation investments.- Taxpayers, since funds would be disbursed as general-fund dollars and require federal oversight through audits and reporting.Additional impacts- Administrative burden and overhead: up to 20% of program funds allocated for administration and audits, potentially reducing net grant resources available for on-the-ground disaster preparedness, response, or mitigation.- Timelines and process changes: annual state plans and end-of-year reporting introduce new compliance requirements; reliance on a Treasury-administered formula may shift how quickly aid can be deployed compared with existing FEMA processes.- Accountability and duplication: explicit prohibition on duplicative federal assistance and mandatory annual audits aim to improve accountability but also add compliance complexity for states.- Sunset/term: the program is designed to terminate four years after the formula-rule is issued, creating a finite, time-limited Federal role unless renewed.

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