119th Congress · introduced in the House · Mar 21, 2025
Don’t Penalize Victims Act
Official title from Congress.gov
Latest action (Mar 21, 2025): Referred to the Subcommittee on Economic Development, Public Buildings, and Emergency Management.
View on Congress.govPolicy area: Emergency Management
Congressional Research Service summary, version: Introduced in House (Mar 21, 2025)
Don’t Penalize Victims Act
This bill enables persons receiving funds from a federal disaster assistance program to also receive funds for that same purpose from any other source except for another federal program or insurance.
Under current law, federal agencies providing financial assistance for losses resulting from a major disaster or emergency are prohibited from allowing recipients to receive other funds for that same purpose from any other source. Persons seeking federal disaster assistance must report the availability or receipt of duplicative funds and federal agencies will reduce the amount of disaster assistance accordingly to prevent a duplication of benefits.
The bill narrows the duplication restriction to apply only to funds from other federal programs or insurance, so federal agencies providing disaster assistance may allow recipients to also receive funds for that same purpose from any other sources (e.g., charitable gifts, legal claims).
Includes amendment, cloture, and procedural votes. Each is labeled with its exact question; only a passage question is a vote to pass the bill.
No recorded roll calls on this bill in coverage.
Referred to the Subcommittee on Economic Development, Public Buildings, and Emergency Management.
Referred to the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure.
Introduced in House
Introduced in House
Actions from Congress.gov, newest first.
LD-2 reports whose issue descriptions explicitly cite this bill (bill type and number validated against Congress.gov records). A citation does not establish the client's position or any contact with a member.
Loading lobbying reportsCoverage: reports for 2025 onward, posted Jan 1, 2025 through Oct 23, 2026.
3 citations.
GO FUND ME · lobbying firm or registrant: VAN SCOYOC ASSOCIATES
2026 Q3 report (Jul 1, 2026 – Sep 30, 2026) · posted Oct 20, 2026 · issue area: Disaster Planning/Emergencies
$20,000
Paid to lobbying firm
Disaster relief policy related issues H.R.2254, Don't Penalize Victims Act, Disaster relief related issues H.R.4669, FEMA Act of 2025, Disaster relief issues
Congress inferred from the report year; bill number and the title cited with it match Congress.gov records, and the bill predates the report. The amount is lobbying spending for every issue on this report, not this bill alone, and none of it is paid to any member of Congress. View filing
GO FUND ME · lobbying firm or registrant: VAN SCOYOC ASSOCIATES
2026 Q2 report (Apr 1, 2026 – Jun 30, 2026) · posted Jul 21, 2026 · issue area: Disaster Planning/Emergencies
$30,000
Paid to lobbying firm
Disaster relief policy related issues H.R.2254, Don't Penalize Victims Act, Disaster relief related issues Monitor H.R.4669, FEMA Act of 2025, Disaster relief issues
Congress inferred from the report year; bill number and the title cited with it match Congress.gov records, and the bill predates the report. The amount is lobbying spending for every issue on this report, not this bill alone, and none of it is paid to any member of Congress. View filing
GO FUND ME · lobbying firm or registrant: VAN SCOYOC ASSOCIATES
2026 Q1 report (Jan 1, 2026 – Mar 31, 2026) · posted Apr 17, 2026 · issue area: Disaster Planning/Emergencies
$30,000
Paid to lobbying firm
Disaster relief policy related issues H.R.2254, Don't Penalize Victims Act, Disaster relief related issues
Congress inferred from the report year; bill number and the title cited with it match Congress.gov records, and the bill predates the report. The amount is lobbying spending for every issue on this report, not this bill alone, and none of it is paid to any member of Congress. View filing