ASFPM Weighs in on FEMA Review Council Final Report
ASFPM recently submitted comments on the FEMA Review Council’s Final Report, offering recommendations on NFIP reform, hazard mitigation, state and local capacity, disaster assistance, and FEMA workforce needs.
In its 9-page comment letter, ASFPM states that it supports efforts to improve FEMA’s effectiveness, reduce disaster losses, strengthen resilience, and ensure responsible stewardship of taxpayer resources. At the same time, the association emphasizes that meaningful reform must be grounded in how these programs operate in practice and informed by the experience of the professionals who implement them every day.
Among its recommendations, ASFPM urges policymakers to focus on:
- Completing the nation’s flood hazard mapping needs;
- Modernizing NFIP minimum standards;
- Addressing NFIP legacy debt;
- Strengthening flood insurance affordability and participation;
- Preserving the state-led nature of hazard mitigation programs;
- Building state capability through dedicated capacity programs;
- Authorizing CAP-SSSE and Cooperating Technical Partners;
- Establishing a hazard mitigation capability program modeled after CAP-SSSE;
- Improving mitigation project delivery through streamlined processes and adequate staffing; and
- Ensuring FEMA maintains and supports the workforce and technical expertise necessary to fulfill its mission.
ASFPM’s comments were among 148 submissions received during the public comment period, which closed June 8. The letter builds on a May 18 ASFPM analysis examining the strengths and shortcomings of the Review Council’s recommendations.