H.R. 7029 — REAADI for Disasters Act

This section states congressional findings on the vulnerability of individuals with disabilities (over 70 million adults) and older adults (over 54 million age 65 or older) during disasters—including higher death rates, evacuation challenges, shelter inaccessibility, and greater property damage—and on recent disaster scale, such as nearly 400 hurricane-related emergencies from 2000-2024 causing at least 1,442 deaths, $182.7 billion in 2022 weather damages, 27 billion-dollar disasters in 2024, 108 declarations in 2024 with over 4 million aid applicants, and 90 major disasters in 2022 affecting over 54 million people (including over 16 million with disabilities). The section expresses the sense of Congress that such individuals should receive disaster support ensuring service access and community return; recovery and mitigation should use universal design; they should access general population shelters and services; they should get accessible information (e.g., American Sign Language, Braille, plain language, captions); and they must be included as stakeholders and decisionmakers in all disaster phases.

This section states the purposes of the Act, which are to (1) improve the inclusion of individuals with disabilities and older adults in disaster preparation, response, recovery, and mitigation; (2) ensure such individuals are free from discrimination based on disability or age in disaster-related programs and activities; (3) ensure compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, Rehabilitation Act of 1973, and other disability laws during all phases of disasters; (4) improve coordination among disability and older adult communities (including multiply marginalized BIPOC and LGBTQ+ communities), government agencies, centers for independent living, voluntary organizations active in disasters (VOADs), and other nongovernmental organizations in disaster activities; (5) improve outcomes for all disaster-affected individuals and increase community resilience; (6) establish dedicated federal funding for capacity-building and rapid response to support federal, state (including territorial), Tribal, and local entities and human services organizations in addressing the needs of at-risk individuals before, during, and after disasters; and (7) enact federal standards of care and civil rights protections for older adults and people with disabilities applicable to disasters and public health emergencies.

This section establishes definitions for terms used in the Act, including (1) "access and functional needs" (i.e., individuals with a disability, older adults, limited English proficiency, or limited access to transportation or financial resources for disaster preparation, response, recovery, or mitigation); (2) "at-risk individuals" (as defined in 42 U.S.C. 300hh–1(b)(4)(B), including older individuals, individuals with disabilities, children, and related families); (3) "civil rights" (i.e., existing legal rights to be free from discrimination on the basis of disability or age); (4) "covered individual" (i.e., individuals with disabilities, older adults, or access and functional needs); (5) "disability" (as defined in 42 U.S.C. 12102); (6) "disability inclusive emergency management experience" (i.e., demonstrated leadership and expertise in disability-inclusive disaster initiatives ensuring civil rights); (7) "disaster" (i.e., emergency or major disaster under 42 U.S.C. 5122 causing severe damage, deaths, or injuries); (8) "disproportionately affected" (i.e., protected groups like individuals with disabilities or older adults excessively harmed by disasters); (9) "human services" (i.e., post-disaster aid programs such as preparedness training, case management, behavioral health support, accessible housing, and evacuation assistance); (10) "older adult" (as defined in 42 U.S.C. 3002); and (11) "State" (including the 50 states, District of Columbia, territories, and Indian Tribal governments).

This section amends Section 615 of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act by adding subsection (a) to define terms including "access and functional needs" (i.e., individuals with disabilities, older adults age 50 or older, limited English proficiency, or limited transportation or financial resources for disaster preparation, response, recovery, or mitigation); "center for independent living" (i.e., consumer-controlled, community-based, cross-disability nonprofit agencies that provide independent living core services to individuals with significant disabilities, as defined in section 702 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973); "covered recipient" (i.e., non-individual or household recipients of Stafford Act funds for covered disaster-related uses); "covered use of funds" (i.e., disaster preparation, response, recovery, or mitigation); "individual with a disability" (per the Americans with Disabilities Act); and "visitability standards" (i.e., standards for Type C visitable units under ICC A117.1-2009 or successor). The section further requires covered recipients to (1) establish advisory committees including individuals with disabilities, older adults, and others with access and functional needs to oversee fund use; (2) use funds in compliance with the Rehabilitation Act and ADA; (3) contract with centers for independent living to provide services such as hazard preparation, personal assistance during response and recovery, accessible emergency shelters and media (including American Sign Language), and other needs; (4) ensure nongovernmental contractors comply with disability laws; (5) make communications available in community languages including sign languages; (6) ensure accessibility of facilities, services, notifications, and emergency shelters; and (7) apply visitability standards to constructed or prepared dwelling units. (Thus, the amendments promote equitable access to Stafford Act disaster funds—administered primarily by FEMA—for vulnerable populations previously underserved in disaster response.)

This section authorizes the Secretary of Health and Human Services to award competitive grants to eligible entities to establish centers providing training, technical assistance, and research to enhance the engagement and civil rights protections of covered individuals (i.e., individuals with disabilities and older adults) across all phases of disaster preparation, response, recovery, and mitigation. Eligible entities must include an institution of higher education (as defined in 20 U.S.C. 1001(a)) or nongovernmental organization focused on serving covered individuals; demonstrate experience in relevant training, technical assistance, and research; incorporate covered individuals in leadership; and establish an advisory council with at least 51% covered individual membership. Grants range from $2.5 million to $10 million for five-year periods, with at least two awards per HHS's 10 federal regions (at least one per region limited to training and technical assistance). Awards are renewable through open competition, and applications must detail the applicant's experience supporting covered individuals and collaborating with government agencies during disasters.

This section establishes in the general fund of the Treasury the Disaster Human Services Emergency Fund, administered by the Secretary of Health and Human Services and available until expended, to address immediate human services needs of at-risk individuals during declared major disasters or public health emergencies (as defined under the Stafford Act, 42 U.S.C. 5170 and 5191) or potential such events. (Thus, the fund supports coordination among federal, state, tribal, local, and private entities; grants, contracts, or cooperative agreements with eligible entities—i.e., state/local governments, Indian tribes or tribal organizations, and nonprofits—for services such as person-centered case management, application assistance, community living support to avoid institutionalization, accessible emergency shelters, and legal aid; and departmental administrative costs including staff and IT.) It authorizes appropriations of $100 million for each of FY2026 through 2030 and requires the Secretary to prioritize and expedite funding for preparation, response, and recovery projects.

This section authorizes the Secretary to award grants, contracts, or cooperative agreements to eligible entities—state or local government agencies, Indian Tribes or Tribal organizations, or nonprofits—for disaster and public health emergency preparedness activities (i.e., partnership development, mitigation and response capacity-building for human service agencies, and dedicated staffing), with priority for those supporting at-risk individuals. It reserves up to 3% of funds for administration and authorizes appropriations of $300 million for each of FY2026 through FY2030.

This section directs the Secretary to award competitive grants, contracts, or cooperative agreements to eligible entities for projects of national significance that create opportunities for individuals with disabilities and older adults to contribute to disaster preparation, response, recovery, and mitigation; support development of inclusive State, local, Tribal, and territorial policies; and fund research on disaster effects, evidence-based practices, strategies to reduce harm, civil rights protections, inter-entity collaboration, and related efforts. Eligible entities must focus on serving individuals with disabilities or older adults (with a cross-disability focus if applicable), demonstrate relevant experience, include covered individuals in leadership, and establish an advisory council with at least 51% covered individual membership. Awards must total not less than four, range from $2.5 million to $10 million each, and last three to five years.

This section requires states and local governmental entities to develop crisis standards of care for implementation during disasters or public health emergencies pursuant to nondiscrimination requirements under Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (29 U.S.C. 794; i.e., prohibiting exclusion from or discrimination in federally assisted programs solely due to disability) and Section 1557 of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (42 U.S.C. 18116). In developing and implementing such standards, they must comply with (1) guidance issued by HHS's Office for Civil Rights entitled "Bulletin: Civil Rights, HIPAA, and the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19)" dated March 28, 2020, and related best practices; and (2) requirements to (A) prohibit discriminatory policies affecting covered individuals or children; (B) maintain civil rights protections without suspension or waiver; (C) reflect the dignity, equity, worth, and equal treatment rights of all patients under federal civil rights laws; (D) provide clear standards applicable to scarce resource stewardship, including withholding or withdrawing critical care, that reflect patient values, wishes, and interests (especially covered individuals and children); (E) partner with and engage community and provider stakeholders, particularly for covered individuals and children; (F) use ethical and clinical planning for equitable resource allocation and protections for covered individuals and children; (G) develop specific response measures for covered individuals and children; and (H) eliminate use of class, race, ethnicity, neighborhood, disability, and age in care access decisions.

This section revises the National Advisory Committee on Individuals with Disabilities and Disasters (i.e., provides advice and recommendations to the HHS Secretary on integrating access and functional needs of individuals with disabilities into all federal emergency preparedness and response planning) by (1) increasing total membership to 45 (from 17), adding 11 representatives from the disability community with specified diversity criteria and 1 representative each from 14 specified entities (e.g., state, tribal, territorial, and local emergency management agencies; disability organizations; and others), and incorporating the Secretary of Transportation and the Director of Disability Policy for the Domestic Policy Council; (2) adding definitions for key terms such as "access and functional needs" and "individuals with disabilities" by reference to the REAADI for Disasters Act; (3) authorizing appropriations of $500,000 for each of FY2026 through FY2029; and (4) extending the committee's termination date to four years after enactment of the REAADI for Disasters Act (from September 30, 2025) and the deadline for filling vacancies to two years after enactment (from October 1, 2022).

This section establishes the Disability and Disaster Preparedness Advisory Committee to review covered settlement agreements—entered into by the United States from January 1, 2005, through the first December 31 after enactment and related to potential violations of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 or Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 in connection with disaster preparation, response, recovery, or mitigation. The Attorney General appoints members within 60 days, including Department of Justice employees and at least three non-federal disability rights advocates who are individuals with disabilities and have disability-inclusive emergency management experience; members serve for the committee's life, with the committee electing a chairperson and vice chairperson (at least one from non-federal advocates). The committee must (1) review each covered settlement agreement and relevant annual reports to congressional committees; (2) submit a report with findings and recommendations within one year to specified congressional committees, federal officials (including the Attorneys General, Secretaries of Education, Homeland Security, Health and Human Services, and Transportation), and the President via the Director of Disability Policy; and (3) provide comments under section 13(b)(2). The committee may hold hearings, obtain information from federal agencies (including a report from the Chief of the Disability Rights Section), and use postal services; non-federal members receive compensation at the daily equivalent of Level IV of the Executive Schedule under 5 U.S.C. 5315, plus authorized travel expenses.

This section directs the Comptroller General of the United States to begin, not later than 60 days after enactment, an investigation of Federal agencies' compliance since January 1, 2005, with the Americans with Disabilities Act (42 U.S.C. 12101 et seq.) and Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (29 U.S.C. 701 et seq.) in expending funds for disaster preparedness, response, recovery, and mitigation—including whether and how such funds ensured accessibility of services and supports for individuals with disabilities and older adults. Not later than one year after enactment, the Comptroller General must issue a report on the investigation with remediation recommendations for any misexpenditures identified, after obtaining comments and recommendations—including on additional interview sources—from the National Advisory Committee on Individuals with Disabilities and Disasters (42 U.S.C. 300hh–10d), the Disability and Disaster Preparedness Advisory Committee (established under section 12(b)), and any other agency deemed appropriate by the Secretary of Health and Human Services.