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HR 2254 119th Congress House Emergency Management

Don’t Penalize Victims Act

Introduced: March 21, 2025 Introduced by: Friedman, Laura Democratic · California See on congress.gov
 Everywhere this bill has been 3 steps
Introduced
In committee
Reported out
Passed House
Passed Senate
To President
Became law
Mar 21, 2025
Referred to the Subcommittee on Economic Development, Public Buildings, and Emergency Management.
Mar 21, 2025
Referred to the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure.
Mar 21, 2025
Introduced in House
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 Plain-English summary Congressional Research Service

Don’t Penalize Victims Act

This bill enables persons receiving funds from a federal disaster assistance program to also receive funds for that same purpose from any other source except for another federal program or insurance.

Under current law, federal agencies providing financial assistance for losses resulting from a major disaster or emergency are prohibited from allowing recipients to receive other funds for that same purpose from any other source. Persons seeking federal disaster assistance must report the availability or receipt of duplicative funds and federal agencies will reduce the amount of disaster assistance accordingly to prevent a duplication of benefits.

The bill narrows the duplication restriction to apply only to funds from other federal programs or insurance, so federal agencies providing disaster assistance may allow recipients to also receive funds for that same purpose from any other sources (e.g., charitable gifts, legal claims).

What's happening now March 21, 2025

Referred to the Subcommittee on Economic Development, Public Buildings, and Emergency Management.

 Related & companion bills 1
 Bill text 1 version

Source documents hosted by congress.gov.

 Committees of jurisdiction 2
 Lobbying activity 1

Registered lobbyists who named this bill in their disclosure filings. Source: federal Lobbying Disclosure Act filings.

Cite this page click to expand
APA
U.S. Congress. (2026). H.R. 2254: Don’t Penalize Victims Act. 119th Congress. Open America. https://openamerica.io/bill/119-HR-2254/
MLA
"H.R. 2254: Don’t Penalize Victims Act." 119th Congress, 2026, Open America, https://openamerica.io/bill/119-HR-2254/.
Bluebook (legal)
H.R. 2254, 119th Cong. (2026), https://openamerica.io/bill/119-HR-2254/.
Markdown link
[H.R. 2254: Don’t Penalize Victims Act](https://openamerica.io/bill/119-HR-2254/)
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