Rep. Greg Steube Introduces Legislation to Prioritize Qualifications and Expedite Project Approval
U.S. Representative Greg Steube (R-FL) today introduced the Streamlining FEMA Procurement Procedures Act, a bill designed to cut through federal red tape and accelerate recovery efforts following natural disasters.
The legislation aims to empower local governments by enabling them to utilize a more flexible procurement method and by increasing the limit for expedited project approvals.
The bill addresses key conflicts between federal and state regulations. Currently, while the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) provides funding for disaster rebuilding, it often requires local governments to prioritize the lowest price when selecting a contractor.
This approach clashes with the laws of several states, including Florida, which mandate that qualifications be the primary factor for certain projects led by a Construction Manager at Risk (CMAR). A CMAR is a professional who oversees a construction project from start to finish.
This conflict has led to the cancellation or significant delay of essential rebuilding projects because qualified contractors couldn’t be hired under FEMA’s rigid pricing requirements. Steube’s bill would fix this issue by allowing local governments to use a qualifications-based CMAR procurement method, ensuring that experienced and capable professionals can be hired swiftly.
The legislation also targets a major bottleneck in FEMA’s approval process: the “simplified procedure” threshold. Under current rules, projects seeking expedited approval are limited to a maximum of $1 million. According to Steube, this low limit forces communities to choose between receiving inadequate funding quickly or enduring a long wait for full project approval from Washington. The new bill proposes to raise this threshold to $3 million, giving local communities the resources they need to rebuild more quickly and efficiently.
“The last thing survivors of natural disasters want to hear is that the federal government is standing in the way of their neighborhood rebuilding,” Rep. Steube said in a statement. “My bill ensures FEMA is fully equipped to meet urgent needs on the local level in a swift and flexible manner.”
The National Association of Counties has expressed its support for the proposed act.
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