S. 4433: Disaster Declaration Transparency Act of 2026

This bill, known as the Disaster Declaration Transparency Act of 2026, proposes a new process for the U.S. Congress to reverse a decision made by the President not to declare a major disaster after a request from a state's Governor. The key points of the bill include:

Notification Requirement

If a Governor requests a major disaster declaration and the President declines, the President must notify both the Speaker of the House of Representatives and the President of the Senate with a written explanation within 24 hours. This explanation must clarify whether the refusal contradicts the recommendation of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) or established precedent.

Congressional Reversal Process

The bill establishes a process for Congress to respond to a President's refusal:

• A joint resolution can be introduced in either the House or the Senate within 14 days of receiving the President's refusal notification.
• This resolution will state that the President must declare a major disaster for the specified incident.
• Important procedures ensure that the resolution is quickly reviewed and voted on, including:
• If a committee does not report on the resolution within 2 days, it must be discharged and placed on the calendar.
• No amendments can be made to the resolution.
• Debate time is limited to 4 hours in the House and 10 hours in the Senate, with specific rules on how this debate is managed.

Consideration and Voting

The bill outlines specific procedures for how the resolutions are handled in both chambers of Congress:

• In the House, a motion to proceed with consideration is not debatable and cannot be blocked by points of order.
• The Senate must also follow strict timelines and cannot amend the resolution when voting on it.
• If a joint resolution passes in one chamber and a similar one is received from the other, specific rules apply to ensure the process is streamlined.

Implementation of New Rules

The procedures created by this bill are positioned as part of each chamber's rules, allowing them to supersede any conflicting rules already in place.

General Remarks

The bill seeks to enhance transparency and accountability regarding disaster declarations, ensuring that Congress has a mechanism to challenge presidential decisions within a specific time frame.

Relevant Companies

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