Dear Neighbor,

I am delighted to share the news with you that my first original bill, H.R. 2548, the Hazard Eligibility and Local Projects (HELP) Act passed the House of Representatives today. With support from our Houston delegation and members from across the country, the bill passed the House by a vote of 409 to 7.

I am proud of this bill and all it represents—bipartisan, common-sense, meaningful legislation born of a partnership with our community in Houston that will benefit all Americans.

Representatives Pete Olson (TX-22), G.K. Butterfield (NC-01), and Mark Meadows (NC-11) joined me as original co-sponsors of the HELP Act to help municipalities and local agencies expedite certain disaster mitigation projects by removing unnecessary delays and streamlining the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) Hazard Mitigation Grant Program.  Now that the bill has passed the House, it is on the way to the United States Senate.

What does it do? The HELP Act will allow certain eligible disaster mitigation projects to begin without the risk of losing potential federal funds.  It changes the current law’s one-size-fits-all approach to project applications and funding that frequently delays mitigation work.

This original legislation developed out of my conversations with officials in the City of Houston, Harris County, and Harris County Flood Control District about the real impediments to disaster recovery after Hurricane Harvey.

My colleagues on the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee spoke about how the HELP Act would help communities across the country recover from natural disasters when the bill passed our committee in June. You can watch that discussion here.

Yesterday, I spoke on the House floor to share the importance of this bipartisan bill with all of my House of Representatives colleagues.  You can watch my speech here.

I will keep you updated on this bill as it goes through the legislative process. And I will keep you updated on the legislation that matters to our community as I serve as your voice in Washington.

As always, if you have any comments, concerns, or questions, please call my Washington office at 202-225-2571 or my Houston office at 713-353-8680. I am honored and proud to represent you.

With best wishes,

Congresswoman Lizzie Fletcher