Steube Introduces Clean Up DEBRIS Act to assist in Post-Disaster Recovery

Washington, D.C.- U.S. Representative Greg Steube (R-Fl) floored the Clean Up Disasters and Emergencies with Better Recovery and Immediate Support (DEBRIS) Act to aid private communities’ disaster recovery efforts. 

According to Steube’s office, the DEBRIS Act would mandate the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) include common interest communities in federal assistance available for other homeowners. 

Common interest communities are characterized as housing cooperatives, condominiums, and mobile homes that are a part of an association.

Steube’s bill follows major hurricane Ian, which ravaged Florida’s northwest gulf coast, specially impacting common interest communities. 

“After Hurricane Ian, our mobile home parks, condos, co-ops, and HOAs were left to deal with excessive debris throughout their communities through no fault of their own,” said Representative Steube. 

“I introduced the Clean Up DEBRIS Act to 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,” further explained Steube. 

Earlier this month, Steube also filed a bill to expand exemptions for income tax obligations on federal funds received by Americans impacted by natural disasters. 

As currently written, Rep. Steube’s bill would grant exemptions for individuals recovering from Wildfires and the East Palestine Trail derailment, but he’s been lobbying to include recipients of hurricane Ian recovery funds. 

Steube’s congressional district runs along Florida’s west coast and his constituents have consequently been on the front lines of major Hurricane landfalls in Florida.

“ My office spent countless hours advocating to FEMA on behalf of communities in my district as we worked through reimbursement issues surrounding debris removal,” underscored Steube.

Citing previous legislative victories, Steube also explained how “last year, we were able to secure several policy waivers from FEMA to help our commercial mobile home and manufactured housing parks get the federal assistance they needed to recover from Ian.”