WASHINGTON, D.C. – Earlier this month, following the devastating landfall of major Category 3 Hurricane Idalia, Senator Rick Scott introduced his Federal Disaster Responsibility Act to provide emergency relief for natural disasters, deliver support to America’s growers and ranchers and authorize tax cuts for disaster losses. Senator Marco Rubio joined as a cosponsor of the bill and Congresswoman Kat Cammack is leading the companion legislation in the House of Representatives.

Senator Scott’s proposal has been endorsed by Florida Commissioner of Agriculture and Consumer Services Wilton Simpson, the Florida Association of Counties, and the Florida Sheriffs Association.

Florida Commissioner of Agriculture and Consumer Services Wilton Simpson said, “Florida’s agriculture community suffered more than a billion dollars in damage and losses during last year’s hurricane season, and they are now recovering from the devastating impacts of Hurricane Idalia. I applaud Senator Scott, Senator Rubio, and Representative Cammack for bringing forward this critical piece of legislation that puts hardworking Americans first. The Federal Disaster Responsibility Act will ensure the final passage of the Block Grant Assistance Act, which will give the support and relief needed for our agricultural industry to recover from devastating natural disasters. It will also secure an expanded version of the Hurricane Tax Relief Act, that will provide disaster-loss tax relief to families impacted by hurricanes.”

Florida Sheriffs Association President and Nassau County Sheriff Bill Leeper said, “Senator Rick Scott and Florida’s leaders are commonly the first to act when it comes to responding to natural disasters because they know the impact of the devastation all too well. The Federal Disaster Responsibility Act will ensure that we are addressing disaster relief and recovery efforts so that essential resources are available to respond, recover, and rebuild.”

In a letter from the Florida Association of Counties, President Bill Truex wrote, “On behalf of the Florida Association of Counties representing Florida’s elected county commissioners, I am writing in support of the Federal Disaster Responsibility Act, which you and Senator Rubio have introduced in the U.S. Senate. We understand that Congresswoman Kat Cammack recently introduced the companion measure (H.R. 5343) in the U.S. House of Representatives…

“The substance and timing of the proposed legislation is critical to Florida. It ensures storm victims receive disaster relief. Additionally, the $16.5 billion included in the bill, which exceeds the Biden Administration’s request by $500 million, guarantees resources will be available for continued hurricane response, recovery, and rebuilding activities in our affected local communities. Moreover, in light of the agriculture losses from Hurricane Ian – estimated at $1.03 billion by the University of Florida – this legislation provides needed relief to a critical sector of Florida’s economy.

“In addition, we appreciate the language in Section 5 that limits the application of mandatory easements for shore protection projects when storm rehabilitation efforts are required. This important modification will ensure coastal communities, not only Florida but around the nation, can restore beaches ravaged by natural disasters with federal participation, move projects forward without delay, and provide needed protection before the next disaster.”

Following the landfall of Hurricane Idalia, Senator Scott met with President Biden and urged him to support the passage of his Federal Disaster Responsibility Act. In both his meeting with President Biden, and in a letter to Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, Senator Scott has been clear that the Senate should not play games with disaster relief funds and believes that helping Americans should not be contingent on aid for foreign causes.

Senator Scott’s Federal Disaster Responsibility Act includes:

• Fully funding the immediate needs of FEMA’s Disaster Relief Fund with at least $16.5 billion to ensure the federal government can uphold its obligation to quickly deploy emergency funding and resources to communities and Americans impacted by natural disasters. This exceeds what the Biden administration has said is needed to respond to recent disasters, including those in Florida and Hawaii.
• Ensuring final passage of the bipartisan Block Grant Assistance Act which provides needed authority for the U.S. Department of Agriculture to issue block grants to Florida’s citrus growers, Georgia’s peach growers and all U.S. agriculture producers devastated by natural disasters in 2022.
• Securing final passage of an expanded version of the Hurricane Tax Relief Act, which takes care of Americans impacted by disasters by providing disaster-loss tax relief to families who have been impacted by qualified disasters for purposes of enhanced disaster casualty loss tax relief. This would apply across the nation and include relief for taxpayers in Hawaii, California, Illinois, Florida and others. This bill modifies the deduction for personal casualty losses in the hurricane disaster areas, waiving the requirements for impacted taxpayers to itemize deductions and to have losses that exceed 10% of adjusted gross income. Congress previously extended this tax relief for hurricanes Irma, Wilma, Dorian, and Michael, amongst others.
• Committing necessary funds and resources to Florida’s military installations to fully rebuild and recover from hurricane damage.

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