With Hurricane Idalia impacting Florida this week, U.S. Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla., said he will introduce a disaster relief package in the days to come.
Scott offered some of the details of his “Federal Disaster Responsibility Act” which he will introduce next week when the U.S. Senate reconvenes.
“I will be introducing a bill, the Federal Disaster Responsibility Act, that combines the Disaster Relief Fund Replenishment Act, Hurricane Tax Relief Act, Block Grant Assistance Act, and other essential provisions, to make sure that the immediate needs for FEMA’s Disaster Relief Fund are fully funded and Florida’s military bases, families and growers impacted by disasters have the federal support they need and deserve. Unfortunately, while I’ve spent the months leading up to this storm fighting to make sure the federal government shows up, President Biden and politicians in Washington have been playing games with FEMA’s Disaster Relief Fund and insisting that this critical domestic aid be tied to foreign aid for Ukraine. We’ve had enough with Washington playing politics and demand that Congress does what’s right for American families, starting with ensuring our federal government has all the resources it needs to show up after disasters, now and in the future. The moment the Senate reconvenes next week I will be introducing this bill and demanding an immediate vote. Floridians are doing their part and getting ready, and I will not allow Washington to continue playing games with disaster aid and the lives of those needing our help,” Scott said.
The package will include the “Disaster Relief Fund Replenishment Act” which U.S. Rep. Jared Moskowitz, D-Fla., and U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., are championing. The bill ensures the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) “has sufficient resources to continue ongoing disaster response and is prepared for unforeseen major disasters such as hurricanes, wildfires, and other events.” Scott is co-sponsoring Rubio’s proposal and noted his package will include at least $12.5 billion for FEMA.
Scott’s package also includes his effort to reform block grants. At the end of January, Scott and U.S. Rep. Scott Franklin, R-Fla., brought out the “Block Grant Assistance Act,” with Rubio and U.S. Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, D-Fla., co-sponsoring it.
“This bill will provide the Agriculture Secretary needed authority to provide block grants to the state of Florida to assist producers affected by the two hurricanes,” Franklin’s office noted.
“The Florida citrus industry is synonymous with the Sunshine State and the backbone of many of our rural communities,” said Franklin when he introduced it. “Between an extreme hurricane season and ongoing issues such as citrus greening, our resilient citrus growers continue to navigate significant challenges. It’s critical that we provide immediate support so Americans can continue to enjoy the staples our domestic citrus industry provides.”
“The loss and devastation caused by Hurricanes Ian and Nicole has forever changed communities across our state and the lives of so many Florida families and businesses,” said Scott. “Folks in the Sunshine State are still picking up the pieces, and I’ve continued to work closely with USDA, FEMA and SBA to ensure they remain a top priority during this time of recovery. As we work to get the citrus and agriculture community back on their feet, I won’t stop fighting to make sure that the federal government keeps showing up. Our Block Grant Assistance Act is a step in the right direction to ensure Florida’s agriculture industry gets the help they need.”
“A Florida citrus comeback cannot be waylaid by hurricanes and greening, so I’m proud to help ensure that our U.S. Department of Agriculture has the back of growers and processors as they rebuild, replant and revive the harvests that fuel America’s breakfast table,” said Wasserman Schultz.
Since the end of January, two dozen other House members, all from Florida, lined up behind the bill which also has the support of some leaders of Florida’s agriculture community, including Florida Citrus Mutual, the Florida Fruit and Vegetable Association and Florida Agriculture Commissioner Wilton Simpson.
Scott’s package also includes his and U.S. Rep. Byron Donalds’, R-Fla., proposal to provide “enhanced disaster loss tax relief to those affected by Hurricane Ian, Nicole, and Fiona, which impacted Florida and Puerto Rico in 2022.”
Scott and Donald introduced the “Hurricane Tax Relief Act (HTR Act)” back in March with Rubio and U.S. Reps. Gus Bilirakis, R-Fla., Mario Diaz-Balart, R-Fla., Franklin, Jenniffer González-Colón, R-PR, and Bill Posey, R-Fla., backing it.
The proposal modifies “the deduction for personal casualty losses in the hurricane disaster area to eliminate (1) the requirement for losses to exceed 10 percent of adjusted gross income to qualify for the deduction and (2) the requirement to itemize” and “mirrors what has been done for previous hurricanes and natural disasters, and previous legislation enacting these provisions has been put into law recently as 2020.”
Back in March, supporters of the proposal offered their reasons for backing it.
“The last thing families should have to worry about as they recover from devastating storms like Ian, Nicole and Fiona is a big tax bill,” said Scott. “In years past, Congress has worked to make sure that families can get the disaster loss tax relief they deserve following hurricanes, and this good bill follows that precedent. Communities in Florida and Puerto Rico have shown incredible strength in the days, week and months following these storms, and it is critical that we continue to make sure the federal government is working with state and local officials to get resources to those in need. I’m thankful for my colleagues, Senator Rubio and Representatives Donalds, González-Colón, Posey and Franklin, for their support of this bill that will help so many still recovering from these storms.”
“One of the many flaws of the recent omnibus, which was drafted behind closed doors, is that it did not provide common sense tax relief for families, businesses, and communities that were impacted by hurricanes,” said Rubio. “I am pleased to introduce this measure to provide much-needed support for Floridians.”
“As the congressman representing ground zero of Hurricane Ian’s impact, it has been my utmost priority to restore our community and ensure the federal government is working to help, not hold up our recovery efforts,” said Donalds. “I am proud to work with Senator Rick Scott on this commonsense and collaborative approach to providing critical and enhanced disaster loss tax relief to those impacted by Hurricane Ian and other natural disasters in 2022. This bill provides much-needed and focused financial assistance that will undoubtedly alleviate the economic burden of many in my district and throughout Florida and Puerto Rico.”
Since Scott and Donalds introduced the proposal it hasn’t garnered much momentum in either chamber, though U.S. Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, R-Fla., threw her support behind the bill towards the end of March.
Scott’s office noted the package will also “commit necessary funds and resources to Florida’s military installations to fully rebuild and recover from hurricane damage.”
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