I
119th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. R. 10486
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
September 17, 2026
Mr. Bell (for himself, Mr. Hurd of Colorado, Mr. Moskowitz, Mr. Carter of Louisiana, Mr. Bishop, Mr. Mfume, Mr. Sherman, Mr. Fields, Ms. Budzinski, Ms. Wasserman Schultz, Mr. Menefee, Mr. Garcia of California, Mr. Johnson of Georgia, Mr. Subramanyam, Mr. Mrvan, Ms. Lois Frankel of Florida, Ms. Tokuda, Mr. Soto, Mr. Krishnamoorthi, Mr. Sorensen, and Mr. Riley of New York) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, and in addition to the Committees on Science, Space, and Technology, and Financial Services, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned
A BILL
To provide for the continuation of FEMA operations during a lapse in appropriations, and for other purposes.
Short title
This Act may be cited as the Relief Without Delay Act
.
Continuation of FEMA operations during a lapse in appropriations
Notwithstanding any other provision of law, in the event of a lapse in appropriations, the Administrator of FEMA shall—
continue all disaster relief, recovery, and mitigation operations funded through the Disaster Relief Fund;
obligate and disburse Disaster Relief Fund balances for all existing and future disaster declarations, including individual and public assistance under sections 403, 406, 407, 408, and 502 of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5170b, 5172, 5173, 5174, and 5192); and
maintain personnel and contract support necessary to ensure uninterrupted processing of claims and payments.
Use of Disaster Relief Fund
Availability
All unobligated balances in the Disaster Relief Fund shall remain available to the Administrator of FEMA for expenditure during a lapse in appropriations.
Prohibition on diversion
No funds from the Disaster Relief Fund may be withheld, sequestered, or reprogrammed during a lapse in appropriations, except as necessary to comply with section 1341 of title 31, United States Code (commonly referred to as the Anti-Deficiency Act
).
Exception from government shutdown restrictions
For purposes of section 1341 of title 31, United States Code (commonly referred to as the Anti-Deficiency Act
), operations of FEMA authorized under this Act shall be considered essential to protect human life and property, and therefore exempt from shutdown restrictions.
Reporting on Disaster Relief Fund obligations and disbursements
Reporting
Not later than 60 days after the date of enactment of this Act, and monthly thereafter, the Administrator of FEMA shall submit to the appropriate committees of Congress a report on the status of all projects and activities funded through the Disaster Relief Fund.
Contents of report
Each monthly report under subsection (a) shall include, with respect to the preceding month—
the total unobligated balance of the Disaster Relief Fund;
the total amount of Disaster Relief Fund funds obligated;
the total amount of Disaster Relief Fund funds disbursed;
a breakdown by disaster declaration (major disaster or emergency), including—
the name and date of each declaration;
the States, territories, or tribal areas affected;
the total funds obligated to date;
the total funds disbursed to date; and
the percentage of obligated funds that have been disbursed;
a list of all public assistance projects submitted for approval and obligation;
a list of all projects that have been approved for obligation;
a list of all funds for projects that have been disbursed;
a list of all projects for which obligation decisions remain pending for more than 180 days; and
any funds withheld, deferred, or reprogrammed for future use, with an explanation of the reason and estimated disbursement timeline.
Public availability
The Administrator shall make each report required under this section publicly available on the website of the Federal Emergency Management Agency not later than 10 days after the submission of each report.
Standardization of reporting
Not later than 90 days after the date of enactment of this Act, the Administrator shall establish a uniform reporting template for Disaster Relief Fund obligation and disbursement data, consistent with Federal open data standards, and update such data on a rolling monthly basis.
Definitions
In this section:
Obligation
The term obligation means a legally binding commitment by the Federal Emergency Management Agency to make payments under specific disaster recovery programs or projects.
Appropriate committees of Congress
The term appropriate committees of Congress means the Committees on Appropriations and Transportation and Infrastructure of the House of Representatives and the Committees on Appropriations and Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs of the Senate.
Unmet needs assessment required
The Secretary of Housing and Urban Development shall, not later than 60 days after a the President declares a major disaster under the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act and quarterly thereafter—
use Federal disaster and housing data available to the Secretary to—
evaluate damage to housing and infrastructure in the area impacted by the disaster; and
identify shortages in affordable housing and broader economic recovery needs; and
submit to the Congress a report about the analysis conducted under paragraph (1) that identifies any unmet needs in the area impacted by the disaster that could be addressed using amounts appropriated for Community Development Block Grant Disaster Recovery and other related Federal disaster programs.
National tornado detection and warning improvement plan
In general
The Administrator of NOAA, in coordination with the Administrator of FEMA, shall establish a program to improve tornado detection, forecasting, and warning capabilities.
Program elements
The program established under subsection (a) shall include—
investment in next-generation radar, satellite, and sensor technologies;
development of advanced forecasting models, including the use of artificial intelligence and machine learning;
expansion of localized, impact-based warning systems;
improvements to warning systems; and
integration of Federal forecasting capabilities into State and local emergency management systems.
Community tornado resilience grant program
Establishment
The Administrator of FEMA shall establish a program to award grants to State and local emergency management agencies to support tornado preparedness and resilience in high-risk areas.
Eligible uses
Grants awarded under this section may be used for—
construction or retrofitting of community storm shelters, including shelters located in schools, mobile home communities, and other high-risk locations;
installation or modernization of warning systems;
deployment of backup power for warning systems;
development of local emergency preparedness plans and public education initiatives; and
other projects determined appropriate by the Administrator to enhance tornado resilience.
Priority
In awarding grants under this section, the Administrator shall prioritize—
communities with high tornado risk;
underserved and low-income communities; and
communities with limited access to existing warning systems or shelters.
Interagency coordination
The Administrator of NOAA and the Administrator of FEMA shall coordinate with State, local, Tribal, and territorial governments to improve tornado preparedness and response, including by—
data sharing and integration of forecasting systems;
joint planning for emergency response; and
support for public education and outreach campaigns.
Report to Congress
In general
Upon implementation of this Act, the Administrator of NOAA, in coordination with the Administrator of FEMA, shall submit to the appropriate congressional committees a report on such implementation.
Contents
The report required under subsection (a) shall include a description of—
any improvements in tornado detection and forecasting capabilities;
the status of upgrades to warning systems;
grants awarded under section 8, and how such grants have been used to support tornado preparedness and resilience;
any remaining gaps in tornado preparedness and resilience; and
any recommendations for further legislative or administrative action.
Appropriate congressional committees defined
In this section, the term appropriate congressional committees means—
the Committees on Transportation and Infrastructure, Science, Space, and Technology, and Appropriations of the House of Representatives; and
the Committees on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs, Commerce, Science, and Transportation, and Appropriations of the Senate.
Definitions
In this Act:
Disaster Relief Fund
The term Disaster Relief Fund means the fund established under section 102(4) of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5122(4)).
FEMA
The term FEMA means the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
High-risk area
The term high-risk area means a geographic area identified by the Administrator, in coordination with NOAA, as having a high frequency or elevated risk of tornado activity.
NOAA
The term NOAA means the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.