I 
119TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 3759 
To provide for streamlined cost exemptions for public assistance projects 
by the Federal Emergency Management Agency, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JUNE 5, 2025 
Mr. DUNN of Florida introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure 
A BILL 
To provide for streamlined cost exemptions for public assist-
ance projects by the Federal Emergency Management 
Agency, and for other purposes. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Streamlined FEMA 
Cost Exemption Act’’. 
SEC. 2. RECOUPMENT OF CERTAIN ASSISTANCE PROHIB-
ITED. 
Section 705(a)(1) of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster 
Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 
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5205(a)(1)) is amended by striking ‘‘3 years’’ and insert-
ing ‘‘2 years’’. 
SEC. 3. RESTORATION OF WAIVER AUTHORITY. 
(a) AUTHORITY.—Section 312(b) of the Robert T. 
Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act 
(42 U.S.C. 5155(b)) is amended by adding at the end the 
following: 
‘‘(4) WAIVER OF GENERAL PROHIBITION.— 
‘‘(A) IN
GENERAL.—The President may 
waive the general prohibition provided in sub-
section (a) upon request of a Governor on be-
half of the State or on behalf of a person, busi-
ness concern, or any other entity suffering 
losses as a result of a major disaster or emer-
gency, if the President finds such waiver is in 
the public interest and will not result in waste, 
fraud, or abuse. In making this decision, the 
President may consider the following: 
‘‘(i) The recommendations of the Ad-
ministrator of the Federal Emergency 
Management Agency made in consultation 
with the Federal agency or agencies ad-
ministering the duplicative program. 
‘‘(ii) If a waiver is granted, the assist-
ance to be funded is cost effective. 
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‘‘(iii) Equity and good conscience. 
‘‘(iv) Other matters of public policy 
considered appropriate by the President. 
‘‘(B) GRANT OR DENIAL OF WAIVER.—A 
request under subparagraph (A) shall be grant-
ed or denied not later than 45 days after sub-
mission of such request. 
‘‘(C) PROHIBITION
ON
DETERMINATION 
THAT
LOAN
IS
A
DUPLICATION.—Notwith-
standing subsection (c), in carrying out sub-
paragraph (A), the President may not deter-
mine that a loan is a duplication of assistance, 
provided that all Federal assistance is used to-
ward a loss suffered as a result of the major 
disaster or emergency.’’. 
(b) LIMITATION.—This subsection, including the 
amendment made by subsection (a), shall not be construed 
to apply to section 406 or 408 of the Robert T. Stafford 
Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 
5172, 5174). 
(c) APPLICABILITY.—The amendment made by sub-
section (a) shall apply to any major disaster or emergency 
declared by the President under section 401 or 501, re-
spectively, of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and 
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Emergency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5170, 5191) on or 
after the date of enactment of this Act. 
SEC. 4. WAIVER OF CERTAIN RECOUPMENT OF FUNDS. 
Title VII of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief 
and Emergency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5121 et seq.) 
is amended by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘SEC. 707. WAIVER OF CERTAIN RECOUPMENT OF FUNDS. 
‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—Notwithstanding subchapter IV 
of chapter 33 of title 31, United States Code, the Adminis-
trator may waive recoupment of funds provided for a cov-
ered project that— 
‘‘(1) are otherwise eligible to be recouped by a 
provision of this Act; and 
‘‘(2) that exceed the total cost of a covered 
project by not greater than 5 percent. 
‘‘(b) COVERED PROJECT .—In this section, the term 
‘covered project’ means a project for which financial as-
sistance was provided under section 403, 406, 407, 428, 
or 502.’’. 
SEC. 5. ACCEPTABLE ERROR RATIO. 
Title VII of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief 
and Emergency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5121 et seq.) 
is further amended by adding at the end the following: 
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‘‘SEC. 708. ACCEPTABLE ERROR RATIO. 
‘‘(a) ESTABLISHMENT.—Notwithstanding subchapter 
IV of chapter 33 of title 31, United States Code, the Ad-
ministrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agen-
cy shall develop and establish an acceptable error ratio for 
allocations during eligibility negotiations relating to finan-
cial assistance provided under this Act. 
‘‘(b) USE OF FUNDS.—The Administrator shall en-
sure that any amount provided under this Act that the 
Administrator considers to be within the error ratio estab-
lished under subsection (a) is used for an eligible purpose 
for which the assistance is provided.’’. 
Æ 
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