The record

LegislationLegislation· Dec 2025
S 861 Passed Senate — in House

Sponsored by Gary C. Peters (D)

Disaster Assistance Simplification Act

Requires FEMA to build a single application system for federal disaster assistance programs.

Tradeoff

Streamlines disaster aid applications and data sharing among federal agencies. Requires FEMA to meet data security and privacy standards before launching the system.

What's in it

See official bill text

Costs $25 million over 2026-2031 to upgrade the federal disaster assistance website.

The $25 million is the federal cost to redesign and operate an improved disaster assistance website; the policy's real impact is on disaster victims and businesses who will have easier access to multiple federal assistance programs through a single application process.

S. 861, Disaster Assistance Simplification Act · Apr 2026

Passed the Senate by on December 16, 2025 — now in the House.

  1. Senate

    Introduced

    (Mar 5, 2025)

  2. Senate

    Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs(Mar 5, 2025)

  3. Senate

    The Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs voted to send it to the floor

    Reported(Jul 30, 2025)

  4. Senate

    Passage of the bill

    Passed by (Dec 16, 2025)

    No individual votes were recorded.

  5. House

    Received from the Senate

    Received(Dec 17, 2025)