Direct Property Acquisitions Act
The Direct Property Acquisitions Act would create a FEMA-administered pilot program allowing certain local governments (called “covered communities”) to apply directly to the FEMA Administrator for hazard-mitigation funds to buy properties and demolish or relocate structures damaged or at risk in disasters. The idea is to speed up property acquisition and mitigation by reducing some steps in the usual process, while keeping state involvement limited. Participating communities would be carefully selected (with input from their state), limited in number (no more than two per FEMA region and no more than one per state within a region), and could participate for up to 48 months. The program would run for up to eight years from selection and would be subject to annual congressional reporting to assess whether it should continue, expand, or end. Funding would be provided as needed to run the pilot.
Key Points
- 1Establishment of a FEMA-wide pilot program that lets covered communities apply directly to the FEMA Administrator for hazard mitigation assistance to acquire properties and demolish or relocate structures under the Stafford Act (section 404(b)).
- 2Eligibility and selection rules: a “covered community” must be capable of meeting federal/state requirements with limited state assistance and receive positive feedback from the state; FEMA region constraints cap participation to not more than 2 local governments per region and not more than 1 per state within a region; FEMA must consult with the state and provide written justification for selection decisions.
- 3Scope and timeframe: participation is limited to property acquisition and structure demolition or relocation for hazard mitigation; each community can participate for up to 48 months; the program is designed as a pilot, not a permanent change.
- 4Oversight and evaluation: the Administrator must submit an annual report detailing characteristics of participating communities, whether the process was expedited, potential problems with direct applications, and input from communities, states, and other factors; the report must analyze whether the pilot should be permanent, ended, or extended.
- 5Termination and funding: the pilot must end no later than eight years after selections are made; funding is authorized as necessary to run the pilot.
- 6Administrative details: a Federal Register notice within one year of enactment will outline requirements for local governments seeking to participate; the program is overseen by Congress (specifically the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee and the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee).