View Rule

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) published an interim final rule (IFR) amending its regulations governing the Individual Assistance program to increase equity by simplifying processes, removing barriers to entry, and increasing eligibility for certain types of assistance under the program.

FEMA sought input on regulatory changes to the Individuals and Households Program (IHP) through a Request for Information (RFI), published on April 22, 2021, seeking public input on its programs, regulations, collections of information, and policies to ensure they effectively achieve FEMA’s mission in a manner that furthers the goals of advancing equity for all, including those in underserved communities; bolstering resilience from the impacts of climate change, particularly for those disproportionately impacted by climate change; and environmental justice. 

FEMA held public meetings and extended the comment period on the RFI to ensure all interested parties had sufficient opportunity to provide comments. See "Request for Information on FEMA Programs, Regulations, and Policies; Public Meetings; Extension of Comment Period,” 86 FR 30326, June 7, 2021.  All relevant comments received in response to the RFI, including those received during the public meetings, have been posted to the public rulemaking docket on the Federal eRulemaking portal at https://www.regulations.gov/document/FEMA-2021-0011-0001/comment. 

Commenters raised equitable concerns that FEMA addresses in this IFR, such as by removing the requirement to apply to the U.S. Small Business Administration for a loan before receipt of some types of Other Needs Assistance, amending FEMA’s habitability standards, increasing assistance for essential tools, simplifying its appeal process, and removing documentation requirements for late registrations. 

During the public comment period, FEMA completed many interviews with media outlets to reach the general public to inform them of the IFR changes; held multiple podcasts to socialize the IFR with the general public; and met with the American Association of Retired Persons (AARP), American Property Casualty Insurance Association (APCIA), American Red Cross, American Institute of Servicing and Legal Executives, Big City Emergency Managers (BCEM), Catholic Charities, Center for Disaster Philanthropy (CDP), Central Recovery and Reconstruction Office of Puerto Rico (COR3), CERF+ Craft Emergency Relief Fund, Georgetown University’s McCourt School of Public Policy, Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government, International Association of Emergency Managers (IAEM), International City/County Management Association (ICMA), Mennonite Disaster Services (MDS), Missouri’s State Emergency Management Agencies (SEMA), National Association of Counties (NACo), National Association of Regional Councils (NARC), National Coalition for Arts Preparedness (NCAPER), National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL), National Emergency Management Association (NEMA), National Endowment of the Arts (NEA), National Governors Association (NGA), National Low Income Housing Coalition (NLIHC), National Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster (NVOAD), National Waterways Conference, New Jersey Office of Emergency Management (NJOEM), New York State Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services (DHSES), Reinsurance Association of America (RAA), The Salvation Army, State emergency management agencies, Western Governors Association (WGA), Virgin Islands Territorial Emergency Management Agency (VITEMA), and Voluntary Organization Information System for Engagement (VOISE) and informed them of the IFR changes. On February 12, 2024 at the National Congress of American Indians and on February 27, 2024 and March 27, 2024, FEMA held Tribal consultation listening sessions. FEMA is considering this public input to determine whether further changes to FEMA’s IHP regulations are needed.