After being passed by the US House of Representatives nearly a year ago, Representative Gregory Steube’s (R-FL) Federal Disaster Tax Relief Act has been passed by the US Senate.
Representative Steube had been actively lobbying the Senate to pass the Tax Relief Act, which aims to provide tax advantages to those affected by certain recent natural disasters.
Last August, Steube led 78 other legislators to demand Senate leadership bring the respective relief bill to the senate floor for a vote after it passed the House 382-7.
The Federal Disaster Tax Relief Act would prevent Americans who suffered losses due to federally designated natural disasters from paying taxes on federal aid received to recover from the same.
Such natural disasters include Hurricanes Ian, Idalia, Nicole, Fiona, Debby, Helene, and Milton.
The act would also allow Americans who faced losses from eligible disasters to claim such losses without itemizing such deductions for tax purposes. Moreover, such losses would not have to exceed 10% of a claimant’s adjusted gross income, as is currently the case, to qualify.
Steube ecstatically announced the bill’s senate passage via X.
“I’m thrilled to announce the U.S. Senate passed my Disaster Tax Relief legislation to provide LONG-AWAITED tax relief for Americans harmed by hurricanes, wildfires, floods, tornadoes, and the OH train derailment,” said Steube. “The tax relief will cover your expenses from Hurricanes Ian, Milton, Helene, Debby, Idalia, & Nicole.”
Steube’s bill is also historical, as it passed the House following a discharge petition.
A discharge petition is a legislative mechanism that, if supported by a majority of the House, calls for a floor vote on a bill without passing it through committees.
Steube’s successful discharge petition marks only the third such petition in the 21st century.
Before the Tax Relief bill’s passage, Steube had actively advocated for expanded federal support towards Americans adversely impacted by federal disasters.
In October 2023, for example, Steube drafted the Clean Up Disasters and Emergencies with Better Recovery and Immediate Support (DEBRIS) Act to aid private communities’ disaster recovery efforts.
