WASHINGTON – The U.S. House Tuesday passed a bill intended to prevent flood and other disaster victims from being forced to pay back federal relief funds disbursed in error.
The legislation, from Missouri Republican Rep. Sam Graves, was in response to the 2019 story of a Holt County man who was told he owed the Federal Emergency Management Agency $12,400 after it was determined that he did not qualify for the aid — despite the destruction of his home by a flood.
The Star reported that Larry Whetsel of Craig, Missouri, was expected to return the money because the flooding occurred in March of 2019. Missouri was only approved for federal disaster assistance for flooding from late April through early July of that year.
Graves’ legislation requires FEMA to waive debts for assistance approved by the agency in error.
“Disaster victims need to know they can use relief money to rebuild their homes and their lives without the fear that FEMA will come back weeks, months, or even years later demanding those funds back through no fault of their own,” Graves said in a statement. “This bill gives disaster victims the confidence they need to get back on their feet, while holding FEMA accountable for their own mistakes.”
Graves first introduced the legislation in 2020. It passed the House Tuesday by a voice voice.
The bill requires Senate approval before it can be signed into law. Ohio Republican Sen. Rob Portman and Michigan Democratic Sen. Gary Peters have introduced companion legislation, a sign that the legislation is likely to find bipartisan support in the Senate.
While the legislation was inspired by Whetsel’s situation, it’ll only apply to future cases. He said he was fortunate that he hadn’t spent any of the money before FEMA asked for it returned.
“I was glad to see them pass it, but it’s a little late to do me any good,” Whetsel said Tuesday evening.
