Disaster Relief Fund
Dept. of Homeland Security – FEMA
Wildfire-Specific Spending: No
Wildfire Activities Funded: “Recovery”
Authorization:
P.L. 100-707
U.S.C: 42 U.S.C. §5121
340,877
TOTAL APPROPRIATIONS (IN MIL)
FY2017 – FY2025
Description
The Disaster Relief Fund (DRF) is the primary source of funding for the federal government’s domestic disaster relief programs. The DRF is activated when a state governor requests a major disaster declaration and the president declares a disaster, which makes state, tribal, territorial, and local governments eligible for a variety of assistance programs funded under it.Additional Program Notes & TCS Insights
The Administrator of FEMA is required to produce a monthly report detailing DRF activities by state and event, a summary of funding for catastrophic events, and an estimate of when the funds will be depleted. Given the increasing demands on the DRF, accurate cost estimation is crucial to ensure sufficient funding for disaster response and recovery.Appropriations
| Regular | Supplemental | IIJA | IRA | |
| FY2015 | 7,033,464,000 | — | — | — |
| FY2016 | 7,374,693,000 | — | — | — |
| FY2017 | 7,328,515,000 | 7,400,000,000 | — | — |
| FY2018 | 7,900,720,000 | 42,170,000,000 | — | — |
| FY2019 | 12,558,000,000 | — | — | — |
| FY2020 | 17,863,259,000 | 45,000,000,000 | — | — |
| FY2021 | 17,142,000,000 | 52,000,000,000 | — | — |
| FY2022 | 18,799,000,000 | — | — | — |
| FY2023 | 19,945,000,000 | 5,000,000,000 | — | |
| FY2024 | 20,261,000,000 | 16,000,000,000 | — | |
| FY2025 | 22,510,000,000 | 29,000,000,000 | — | |
| FY2026 | Not Available | — |
Last Updated: March 20, 2026
Received Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) Funding: No
Received Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) Funding: No
Appropriations Notes
Appropriations for FY2020 and FY2021 may include some outlays related to COVID-19 pandemic response.Additional TCS Resources
Paying the Price of Climate ChangeDisaster Relief Fund: A Better Path Forward for Disaster Spending