Trump-appointed Panel Pushes State-Driven Overhaul of FEMA

A Trump-appointed FEMA Review Council proposes a sweeping redesign that would shrink FEMA's federal role, shift disaster preparedness and recovery toward states, tribes, and territories, redefine how federal aid is triggered, and move more funds directly to states. Key ideas include direct state payments within 30 days of a disaster, limiting long-term survivor housing aid to uninhabitable homes with a one-time payout, letting states run housing programs under federal standards, and moving most flood insurance from the National Flood Insurance Program to the private market. The plan envisions renaming and restructuring FEMA into a leaner, transformed agency, but would require congressional action and faces concerns about capacity to fill gaps and potential displacement.