ASFPM Submits Recommendations to Strengthen FEMA
ASFPM submitted comments yesterday to the FEMA Review Council in response to its Request for Information aimed at identifying potential programmatic and organizational improvements to the federal agency. Drawing on our decades of experience in floodplain management and hazard mitigation, ASFPM emphasized the importance of a strong, focused FEMA to the nation’s overall disaster resilience. ASFPM has worked closely with FEMA since the agency’s inception and has supported many of the reforms that have strengthened its capabilities over time.
Key points from ASFPM’s comments include:
- FEMA plays a critical role in making communities, and the nation, more resilient. Its work across all four phases of disaster management—preparedness, response, recovery, and mitigation—has helped protect lives, property, and local economies.
- Eliminating FEMA would undermine decades of progress in disaster management. ASFPM strongly opposes any proposal to dissolve or eliminate the agency.
- Restoring FEMA’s independence as a Cabinet-level agency would improve accountability, streamline operations, and allow the Administrator to advocate more directly for the urgent needs of disaster survivors.
- The National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) must remain intact and housed within FEMA. Its four pillars—floodplain mapping, flood insurance, regulations, and mitigation—are foundational to national flood risk management and directly support FEMA’s broader mission.
- Incentivizing state leadership in hazard mitigation is essential. ASFPM supports restructuring mitigation programs to reward proactive state investments—such as maintaining complementary state programs, adopting resilient building codes, and advancing mitigation planning. Tools like a Public Assistance Disaster deductible and state allocations of BRIC funds could accelerate project delivery, simplify administration, and build long-term capacity. These changes should be phased in thoughtfully to give states time to prepare.
In short, ASFPM urged the Review Council to keep FEMA but fix what’s broken.
We stressed the importance of strengthening FEMA’s capacity and leadership at a time when natural disasters are becoming more frequent and severe. Continued investment in FEMA’s core hazard mitigation and resilience programs remains one of the most cost-effective strategies the federal government can pursue to reduce disaster costs, support state and local governments, and protect communities nationwide.
NRDC produced a summary of the 4,661 public comments posted to the regulations.gov docket as of May 12. Of those comments, 98% expressed support for FEMA. By the close of the comment period on May 15, more than 13,000 comments had been submitted.
