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FEMA proposed to substantively revise the "Estimated cost of the assistance" disaster declaration factor that FEMA uses to review a Governor’s request for a major disaster under the Public Assistance Program. FEMA proposed revisions to this factor to more accurately assess the disaster response capabilities of the 50 States, the District of Columbia, and the U.S. territories (States), and to respond to the direction of Congress in the Disaster Recovery Reform Act of 2018, which requires FEMA to review its disaster declaration factors and update them via rulemaking, as appropriate.

Overall Description of Deadline: The Disaster Recovery Reform Act of 2018 (DRRA) (10/5/18) requires the Administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to review and initiate a rulemaking to update the factors considered when evaluating a Governor's request for a major disaster declaration, including reviewing how FEMA estimates the cost of major disaster assistance, and consider other impacts on the capacity of a jurisdiction to respond to disasters.