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Federal Actions

Last Updated: May 7, 2026

Current Status:

May 7, 2026 | FEMA Review Council Approves Final Report

The FEMA Review Council approved its final report during its final public hearing on May 7, 2026. In it, the council makes recommendations, proposing a major shift toward a “locally executed, state managed, federally supported" disaster model that would significantly reduce FEMA's operational role and restructure it into a smaller coordination‑focused agency. 

The report calls for increased state and local responsibility, higher cost shares, streamlined processes, and keeping FEMA within DHS, though these recommendations are not yet approved by the administration. If adopted, the changes could substantially impact emergency management workloads, underscoring the need for continued engagement and capacity-building at the local level.
May 6, 2026 | FEMA Review Council Public Meeting Link

The FEMA Review Council will hold a public meeting on Thursday, May 7, 2026, 8 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. PST. OEM is tracking the final report and will send out a survey a few weeks after it is released to collect and consolidate recommendations for next steps in Oregon.

The meeting agenda includes: Remarks from Senior leadership; Remarks and updates from Council leadership; A presentation of the draft final report from the Final Report Subcommittee; A presentation of a summary of public comments made to the Council; Council deliberations; A public vote on the draft final report.

Submitting Comments to the Committee
If you wish to submit comments ahead of time, email them to FEMAreviewcouncil@hq.dhs.gov. All submissions received must include the words “Department of Homeland Security” and “DHS-2026-0067” in the subject line of the message. Comments received will be posted without alteration at Regulations.gov, including any personal information provided. You may wish to review the Privacy and Security Notice found via a link on the homepage of Regulations.gov.

April 30, 2026 | FEMA Implements Immediate Needs Funding During Lapse in Appropriations 

FEMA has activated Immediate Needs Funding (INF) due to the Disaster Relief Fund (DRF) falling below the $3 billion threshold during the ongoing lapse in federal appropriations. Under INF, FEMA can only fund lifesaving, life‑sustaining, and critical ongoing disaster operations until normal funding is restored. 

This action limits FEMA’s ability to make non‑urgent recovery obligations and affects several grant programs. See the press release for a list of what remains funded and what funds are paused under INF. 

Note About the BRIC Application Deadline 

Although Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities (BRIC) is on the INF “not funded” list, FEMA historically maintains application deadlines unless the federal funding lapse extends past the deadline itself. At this time, the July 26 BRIC application deadline remains unchanged. 

Note About Obligated Funds 

Public Assistance funds that are already obligated currently remain available for drawdown, though access depends on continued system functionality through FEMA GO and PARS. 

If you have any questions about the status of your funding, email: 

April 28, 2026 | Next FEMA Review Council Public Meeting Announced

The FEMA Review Council will hold a public meeting on Thursday, May 7, 2026, 8 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. PST. OEM is tracking the final report and will send out a survey a few weeks after it is released to collect and consolidate recommendations for next steps in Oregon.

Registration to attend the meeting is required and must be received via email no later than 2 p.m. PST on Wednesday, May 6, 2026. You can register to attend by providing your full legal name and email address to the DFO Patrick Powers via email to FEMAreviewcouncil@hq.dhs.gov.

The meeting agenda includes: Remarks from Senior leadership; Remarks and updates from Council leadership; A presentation of the draft final report from the Final Report Subcommittee; A presentation of a summary of public comments made to the Council; Council deliberations; A public vote on the draft final report.

Submitting Comments to the Committee
If you wish to submit comments ahead of time, email them to FEMAreviewcouncil@hq.dhs.gov. All submissions received must include the words “Department of Homeland Security” and “DHS-2026-0067” in the subject line of the message. Comments received will be posted without alteration at Regulations.gov, including any personal information provided. You may wish to review the Privacy and Security Notice found via a link on the homepage of Regulations.gov.

April 27, 2026 | Clarification on Flood and Hazard Mitigation Grant Dollars in Oregon

FEMA Region 10 issued a news release on April 23 stating that nearly $21 million had been approved to support flood‑mitigation projects in Oregon and Washington. The projects listed for Oregon align with the state’s Flood Mitigation Assistance (FMA) FY2023 subapplications. 

We want to clarify that, while these Oregon projects are actively moving through FEMA’s review process, they have not yet been officially awarded. FEMA has indicated progress toward potential approval, but the State of Oregon has not received formal notice of award or acceptance for any FMA FY2023 projects at this time. 

Once FEMA completes its review and issues official award notifications, we will provide an update and share next steps with our partners and the public. 

In addition to the April 23 release, FEMA issued a separate release today, April 24, that the last two Hazard Mitigation Program Grants, totally 7.5 million, have been released from form Defense Secretary Noem’s enhanced review queue. 

If you have any questions about the status of Oregon’s mitigation applications, please contact the Oregon Department of Emergency Management’s Mitigation Program team at oem.hazardmitigation@oem.oregon.gov. 

Previous 2026 Updates:

According to news reports, Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin has rescinded a rule requiring his office to personally approve all department expenditures over $100,000, ending a policy implemented by former Secretary Kristi Noem, whom President Donald Trump dismissed in March.

The decision is Mullin's first major policy change since taking office last week. Effects are unlikely to be fully felt until the ongoing DHS shutdown ends.

A DHS spokesperson confirmed the rescission to The Associated Press, saying Mullin “re‑evaluated the contract processes to make sure DHS is serving the American taxpayer efficiently." CBS News first reported the decision. 

We will share official word of this change when we receive it.​

Edited on 3/6/25 at 8 a.m. to reflect new information from DHS about former Secretary Noem.

The U.S. Committee on Homeland Security and Government Affairs has released its Minority Staff Report on FEMA looking at the Department of Homeland Security enhanced review process for grants that exceed $100,000.

The Department of Homeland Security announced that Kristi Noem will be stepping down as DHS Secretary to fill a newly created position, special envoy for the Shield ​of the Americas – Western Hemisphere. 

The Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee announced that the Nomination Hearing for MarkWayne Mullin to be DHS Secretary will be held at 9:30 a.m. (EST), or 6:30 a.m. (PST), on Wednesday, March 18, 2026. 

Watch a recording of the hearing on the committee's webpage.

NOTE: Published hearing transcripts contain all witness testimony, the question-and-answer portion of the hearing, and any other material requested of the witness by the committee. It may take several months, or even years, for a hearing to be published. Unlike most other congressional documents, hearings are not available from the Senate or House Document Rooms. You may be able to locate a hearing from the Government Publishing Office's govinfo website, from the committee website, or from a federal depository library. For more tips, read the guide How to find committee hearings.​

​On March 24, 2026 the Oregon Department of Emergency Management (OEM) provided an update on the status of Oregon's Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities (BRIC) program applications following new information issued by the Federal Emergency Management Agency on March 18, 2026.

Following that update, the OEM Mitigation Team announced an updated BRIC Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) for Fiscal Years 2024 and 2025 Hazard Mitigation Assistance Building Resilient Infrastructure in Communities (BRIC). You can read more about that on the Hazard Mitigation Assistance webpage.​

Edited at 2:14 p.m. to reflect new information from FEMA about the HMGP 4562 POP extension.

FEMA has approved Oregon’s request for a period of performance (POP) extension for HMGP 4562. The new POP end date is September 14, 2028. Mitigation Representatives will continue working directly with subrecipients to outline next steps for their projects and support progress toward maximizing eligible federal reimbursement.

FEMA Region 10 reported Wednesday, Feb. 25 that $25 million in obligated projects for Oregon were released from the S1 enhanced review queue. On Thursday, Feb. 27, 17 Public Assistance (PA) obligations moved out of the S1 queue across the following disasters: DR4258 (1), DR4296 (1), DR4562 (6), DR4768 (4), DR4854 (2) and DR4881 (3). These grants total about $6.88 million. The PA Recovery team will notify subrecipients as awards are issued.  

Region 10 also confirmed approval of the HMGP‑4499 period of performance (POP) extension to Aug. 4, 2029. Several Hazard Mitigation obligations also moved out of S1. The state has requested obligation amounts, a complete list, and a status update on the HMGP DR4562 period of performance. Further updates will be provided as information becomes available. 


Gov. Tina Kotek submitted a letter to Department of Homeland Security Director Kristi Noem about the cascading effects of the enhanced review process for FEMA payments exceeding $100,000 and its impact on Oregon.​

Department of Homeland Security and FEMA announced Friday, Jan. 23, 2026, they are further extending the award acceptance deadlines for the following grant programs: the Fiscal Year 2025 Homeland Security Grant (HSGP) Program and Emergency Management Performance Grant (EMPG) Program awards. The new deadline to accept is February 27, 2026.. 

READ ORIGINAL Bulletin.


​December 29, 2025 | FY26 DHS Appropriations Package Released

Congressional appropriators released final negotiated text for several FY26 spending bills—including Defense, Labor–HHS, Transportation–HUD, and notably the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). Advancing these bills positions Congress to complete all 12 FY26 appropriations measures and avoid a year-long continuing resolution for DHS. Floor votes are expected within 10 days, ahead of the January 30 deadline. 

The National Emergency Managers Association shared a more detailed break down of the proposed funding in their January 21,2026 newsletter.

  • Text including three-bill minibus can be found here.
  • The joint explanatory statement front matter can be found here.

December 29, 2025 | Oregon District Court Blocks FEMA Grant Policy Changes

On December 29 a federal court in Oregon ruled that recent changes to two Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) grant programs did not follow required procedures. The court said FEMA's new rules—such as requiring states to certify population counts excluding certain individuals for Emergency Management Performance Grant (EMPG) funding and shortening Homeland Security Grant Program (HSGP) periods from three years to one—were not properly implemented. 

The ruling stops FEMA from enforcing the population certification requirement for 2025 EMPG awards and from rejecting EMPG and HSGP funding requests for expenses within the previously established multi-year periods.

December 11, 2025 | DHS Canceled FEMA Review Council Mee​​​ting - Report Still Pending

The Department of Homeland Security canceled the FEMA Review Council – Public Meeting, which was scheduled for today, Dec. 11, at 10 a.m. PST. DHS where they were supposed to announce their final report findings. DHS staff advised that “more information will follow when available." OEM staff is preparing a questionnaire to gather your feedback about the report once it is approved. Your input will be shared at an executive-level workshop in Washington, D.C., in January. Both the report and questionnaire will be posted here when they are available.

December 11, 2025 | Oregon Department of Justice Announced BRIC Lawsuit Win

Attorney General Dan Rayfield and a coalition of 20 states today won their lawsuit against the Trump Administration over its unlawful attempt to shut down the Federal Emergency Management Agency's (FEMA) bipartisan Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities (BRIC) program, designed to protect communities from natural disasters before they strike. OEM staff is working to clarify next steps and will provide updates when they are available. 

READ MORE . . .

April 28, 2025 | Presidential Executive Order titled Protectin​​g American Communities from Criminal Aliens

The White House issued a Presidential Executive Order titled Protecting American Communities from Criminal Aliens. Section 3 of the order outlines potential consequences for jurisdictions designated as "sanctuary jurisdictions," including possible suspension or termination of certain federal funding and possible legal enforcement actions by the U.S. Department of Justice and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. On May 29, 2025 DHS released a list of sanctuary jurisdictions (as of June 1, the list has been taken down).

At this time, the Oregon Department of Emergency Management (OEM) is monitoring federal guidance and awaiting further clarification on how this order may impact federal funding streams relevant to emergency management activities in Oregon.

Oregon Governor Tina Kotek has been clear that state sanctuary laws do not obstruct the immigration efforts which are the responsibility of the federal government. OEM Leadership is working with Governor Kotek and legal experts to assess any impact that federal changes have on Oregon and will publish any specific guidance or information pertaining to Oregon once we receive it.

OEM remains committed to working with local, state, Tribal, and federal partners to ensure continued access to critical resources that support emergency preparedness, response, recovery and mitigation across all communities in Oregon.

Oct. 25, 2025 | Notice of Funding Opportunities (NOFO) Liti​​​gation Update

Oregon Department of Emergency Management (OEM) has received notice that the Notice of Funding Opportunities (NOFOs) for the FY25 FEMA Emergency Management Performance Grant, Homeland Security Grant Program (HSGP) and the Nonprofit Security Grant Program (NSGP) are being published. OEM is closely reviewing these NOFOs and will be sharing additional information and applications this week.

Key Updates:

  • DHS Terms and Conditions Litigation: FEMA represented to the Court that they are still evaluating whether the immigration conditions will apply to the EMPG and HSGP grant programs. OEM is working with DOJ to determine if the published NOFO contains terms OEM is eligible to accept. Nevertheless, we strongly encourage jurisdictions to independently review the current terms and conditions to assess implications.
  • Timing Impact: Delays in the federal announcement of these grants will reduce the amount of time applicants have to submit their applications.
  • Eligibility Requirements:  Each NOFO carries with it unique eligibility requirements which requires close applicant review.

Action Items:

  • Prepare Early: given the delays, OEM will implement significantly shortened application windows. We strongly recommend reviewing and updating your prior-year application materials to ensure timely submission when OEM is able to open the application process.
  • Complete the NIMS Assessment: to establish your jurisdiction's eligibility to receive grant funds. 

If you have questions or concerns, please reach out to the grant coordinator listed on the specific grant's information page: OEM Grants.

April 24, 202​​​5 | Federal Funding Freeze

The federal funding freeze that impacted $171 million in subrecipient payments and administrative costs FEMA owed the Oregon Department of Emergency Management ended this week. Over the past 10 days, those funds have been received in full, with the largest payments arriving on Friday, April 18, and Monday, April 21. In addition to this good news from about the funding freeze, we also received additional clarification about the BRIC grant cancellation, and you can read more about that below and in this press release .

April 4, 202​​​5 | BRIC Update

Additionally on April 4, 2025, FEMA released BRIC-related information following a First Circuit (RI) decision granting the State's Motion for Enforcement of a previously issued federal preliminary injunction—a matter joined by the State of Oregon. The court ordered FEMA to “immediately cease the challenged manual review process" and to “comply immediately with the plain text of the preliminary injunction order not to pause or otherwise impede the disbursements of appropriated federal funds to the states." 

On April 16, FEMA issued an updated advisory detailing what the end of the BRIC program will mean. 

 OEM is awaiting further guidance from FEMA regarding compliance with this order. In the meantime, OEM will continue processing reimbursement requests so that payments may be expeditiously made once the freeze is lifted.

September 24​​​​​​​​, 2025 | United States District Court Decision

On September 24, 2025, the United States District Court for the District of Rhode Island found that the contested terms and conditions for FEMA grants “are arbitrary and capricious and thus invalid under the APA and are also a violation of the conditions attached to the Spending Clause and thus unconstitutional." Read More on the Oregon Department of Justice's page.


The U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit has scheduled oral argument in the ongoing appeal concerning the Office of Management and Budget's funding freeze. The hearing will take place Tuesday, Nov. 18, 2025, at 2 p.m. (EST) is 11 a.m. (PST). Members of the public may listen to the live audio of oral argument here or may attend oral arguments in-person. 

To access audio recordings of the Court's oral arguments held within the past 30 days, click here. A disk copy of a recording may be obtained by submitting a request in writing to the Clerk with a check in the amount of $34.​


Past Federal Related Executive Orders and Memos


For most questions, reach out to your designated grant-specific OEM point of contact, or visit the OEM grants page to locate grant-specific staff emails.

For questions about Major Disaster Declarations or FEMA Public Assistance Program projects email: oem.pa-recovery@oem.oregon.gov.


We are hearing reports that some grant subrecipients may be receiving requests from the federal government to amend already-executed, valid grant agreements. Some of these amendment requests may ask you to “certify” that your organization will comply with all Presidential Executive Orders or to “certify” that you will not use funds for any DEI-related activities. Since your organization is a sub-recipient of federal funds, you may receive such requests directly, either through your funding/contract portal, via email, or through another means. Some of these requests have been accompanied by warnings that federal funds may be withdrawn or frozen if you fail to comply.

On March 6, 2025, a United States District Court entered an injunction order regarding the OMB Memo​. The Court Order states: “The Agency Defendants are enjoined from pausing, freezing, blocking, canceling, suspending, terminating, or otherwise impeding the disbursement of appropriated federal funds to the States under awarded grants, executed contracts, or other executed financial obligations based on the OMB Directive, including funding freezes dictated, described, or implied by Executive Orders issued by the President before rescission of the OMB Directive or any other materially similar order, memorandum, directive, policy, or practice under which the federal government imposes or applies a categorical pause or freeze of funding appropriated by Congress.”

If your agency is asked to certify or amend anything grant related, we advise diligence and caution. We also strongly recommend that you consult with your legal counsel prior to responding to any such requests. As you know, OEM cannot provide you with any legal advice or policy guidance on this or other matters and at this time we have no verifiable information about potential funding freezes that may affect your organization, however we remain your partners in emergency management efforts.

The Role of Federal Funding in Emergency Management

Federal funding plays a crucial role in state-level emergency management by providing cost share financial support that helps local jurisdictions prepare for, respond to, and recover from disasters. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is the primary agency responsible for this support. 

FEMA awards grants for local and state emergency preparedness and hazard mitigation projects that are managed by OEM and they reimburse local and state agencies (and some nonprofits) for the costs of disaster response and recovery in presidentially declared disasters. 

Federal funding is used to ensure that state and local jurisdictions are able to stay financially solvent after a large disaster. It also enables local and state governments to provide resources and fund projects needed to manage, prepare for, respond to and recover from emergencies while effectively supporting their communities in times of crisis.

FEMA Review Council

An Executive Order Establishing the Council to Assess the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) was issued on Friday, January 24, 2025. According to the executive order, the council will solicit public comment and is directed to hold its first public meeting within 90 days of when the order was signed. The council is directed to submit its report to the president within 180 days of that first public meeting. Members of the public who would like to participate in the public comment process can track upcoming public meetings and comment periods on the FEMA website events page.  

The latest order, Achieving Efficiency Through State and Local Preparedness (March 19), primarily sets deadlines for federal agencies to report back to the executive branch. As with all the executive orders, we are analyzing its implications and preparing accordingly. We remain committed to advocating for our mission, securing necessary resources, and ensuring continuity for staff and partners.  

Inclusion, Diversity, Equity and Accessibility (IDEA)

The Oregon Department of Emergency Management (OEM) is monitoring the impact of federal DEI actions on Oregon. We take a whole community approach that ensures our preparedness, response, recovery and mitigation programs are accessible to every individual, in service of our mission to ensure that all Oregonians are supported in times of disaster. At OEM, Inclusion, Diversity, Equity and Accessibility are not only core values that shape our agency's operations but also a strategic approach to fulfilling our mission and ensuring compliance with federal law. This commitment remains unwavering.

Read more about the Department of Justice’s Multi-State Guidance Concerning Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility Employment Initiative for more insight on this matter.