Reducing Red Tape for Rebuilding Act

S. 5276, the Reducing Red Tape for Rebuilding Act, would amend the Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act's rules on reimbursing base and overtime wages for extra hires brought on after a federally declared disaster. Under the revised language, wages for staff conducting substantial damage determinations would be eligible for reimbursement for 180 days after a major disaster is declared, while wages for other work needed to implement and enforce adopted building codes would be eligible for up to two years, starting from a date chosen by the recipient of the federal disaster assistance funds.

The change affects state, local, and tribal governments (and other entities that receive Stafford Act disaster assistance) responsible for inspecting damaged buildings and enforcing building codes after a disaster. By lengthening and adjusting the reimbursement window for code-enforcement staffing, it gives these recipients more flexibility in timing when that longer-term work occurs relative to the disaster declaration.

The bill was introduced in the Senate on August 6, 2026, by Senator Adam Schiff, with Senator Joni Ernst as a cosponsor, and was read twice and referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs. It would need to be approved by that committee, then pass the full Senate and House, and be signed by the President before becoming law; no further action has occurred yet.

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