Rep. Greg Steube Urges Committee Consideration of his Legislation, The Clean Up DEBRIS Act in Wake of Florida’s Hurricanes
Steube Bill Mandates FEMA Provide Debris Removal Assistance to Privately Owned Communities After Major Disasters
WASHINGTON — U.S. Representative Greg Steube (R-Fla.) is urging the U.S. House Committee on Transportation & Infrastructure to expeditiously consider his legislation, the Clean Up DEBRIS Act.
The legislation mandates that FEMA provide debris removal assistance to privately owned communities after major disasters, making common interest communities, such as housing cooperatives, condominiums, and mobile homes that are a part of an association, eligible for the same assistance from FEMA as other homeowners.
“Hurricane Milton hitting Florida on the heels of Hurricane Helene demonstrated how debris is a life-threatening issue in Florida, and that is exactly why we must prioritize swift debris removal after a storm,” said Rep. Steube. “My legislation, the Clean Up DEBRIS Act, will ensure FEMA provides debris removal assistance to privately owned communities in the aftermath of all major disasters without the need for waivers or special approval. This bill will provide a swift correction to a long, burdensome, government process that communities shouldn’t be forced to navigate during storm recovery.”
In his letter, Rep. Steube writes, “It is unfair for some communities to receive assistance while many others are denied relief. These complexities also make it hard for local governments to act, uncertain of if or how much their relief efforts will be reimbursed. In times of crisis in major disasters, it is vital to public safety that municipalities can act without fear of overburdensome government regulations.”
In the wake of Hurricane Ian, Rep. Steube worked diligently to secure several policy waivers from FEMA to help commercial mobile home and manufactured housing parks get the federal assistance they needed to recover.
Rep. Steube introduced the legislation in October of 2023 to fix the bureaucratic red tape that his office and counties in his district were forced to navigate with FEMA in the aftermath of Hurricane Ian.
The bill awaits action by the Committee, and after three more hurricanes hit Florida’s 17th Congressional district in the last few months alone, the need for this legislation is even greater.
