Trump Council Approves FEMA Shift to States

A council of 12 disaster experts appointed by President Trump approved a report Thursday recommending sweeping changes to the Federal Emergency Management Agency, shifting greater responsibility for disaster preparedness and response to states, tribes, and territories.

The FEMA Review Council, which held a public meeting with nearly 6,000 virtual attendees, proposed raising the threshold for federal disaster declarations by more than 50 percent. Under current rules, governors request declarations when a disaster exceeds state capacity, based on a formula weighing damage against population and other factors. The new approach would use predefined metrics, such as storm intensity or rainfall amounts, known as parametric triggers, potentially disqualifying dozens of past events. The report states that if applied retroactively from 2012 to 2025, 29 declarations worth $1.5 billion would not have qualified.

To speed recovery, the council suggested providing states lump-sum payments within 30 days of a disaster, rather than reimbursing costs after projects are completed. Excess funds would support future preparedness, while shortfalls could prompt additional presidential requests. For...