H.R. 2914 would expand the types of documentation individuals and households affected by disasters may use to qualify for housing and other assistance provided by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). The legislation also would require FEMA to retroactively provide assistance to households that were denied such assistance in disasters beginning in 2017 if they meet the new documentation requirements. Approving previously denied applications would increase spending from FEMA’s Disaster Relief Fund, which is classified as direct spending. CBO used information from the agency about the number of households that would be affected (about 19,600) and the average levels of assistance in recent years (about $2,800 per household), and expects that about half of the eligible households would reapply for assistance within the 6-month time period allowed by the bill. CBO estimates that enacting the legislation would increase direct spending by $27 million over the 2021-2030 period.
