Disasters are increasing in frequency and intensity – wildfires, hurricanes, floods and severe storms are devastating more communities each year. Yet survivors often face confusing paperwork, long delays, and inequitable access to aid. Faith-based partners, such as the United Church of Christ, aim to fill the gap between what the federal government can provide and what makes people “whole” again. This gap is widening. The UCC is committed to living into our vision, “United in Christ’s love, a just world for all”.  

There are currently two pieces of legislation that are crucial to the work that we do in disaster response. 

FEMA Act of 2025 (H.R. 4669) takes long-overdue steps to strengthen and modernize federal disaster management 

• Elevates FEMA to a cabinet-level independent agency, restoring accountability to the president. This improves coordination, speeds decision-making, and ensures that FEMA’s mission to serve survivors remains its central focus without being conflated with the mission of the broader Department of Homeland Security 
• Simplifies disaster aid applications through a universal assistance form: clarifies duplication-of-benefits rules. This makes aid more accessible to low-income families, seniors and others often excluded by complex systems. 
• Streamlines funding for pre- and post-disaster mitigation and creates incentives for proactive projects. This helps communities build back stronger, reduce long-term suffering and build resiliency toward future disasters.  
• Creates a public dashboard to track aid delivery and requires Government Accountability Office (GAO) oversight of FEMA operations and reforms. This builds trust and accountability – values we hold as faith-based partners in disaster response. 
   

Reforming Disaster Recovery Act – this is included in the ROAD To Housing Act (S. 2651) and recently passed the Senate as part of the National Defense Authorization Act.  

• Increase federal response transparency with community partners.  
• Raise commitments to long-term resiliency  after reconstruction 
• Permanently authorize the Community Development Block Grant disaster relief program (CDBG-DR) into formal law, which provides crucial support for long-term recovery and revitalization. This funding is used to address a wide range of recovery activities including housing, small businesses, infrastructure and economic assistance, especially in low-income areas.   
   

The Bible reminds us in 2 Corinthians 8:14, “Your abundance at the present time should supply their need, so that their abundance may supply your need, that there may be fairness.” After disasters occur, these communities need our support. By effectively supporting communities after disasters occur, we are helping to build more resilient communities.  

Bureaucratic slowdowns harm disaster survivors and their ability to become “whole again”. Necessary reforms, like the Reforming Disaster Recovery Act (S. 2651), and the FEMA Act of 2025 (H.R. 4669), will allow communities to recover quicker with more reliable support.  

Tell Congress to support disaster recovery through these two disaster-related bills to provide support for disaster-impacted communities across the country.