After a disaster strikes, the cost to replace a host of lost documents would be free of charge under a bipartisan bill introduced on April 7 by U.S. Rep. John Curtis (R-UT).
“When a wildfire destroys a home, the last thing that a family should worry about is paying fees to replace their federal documents, such as passports or citizenship forms that have been destroyed,” said Rep. Curtis, who cosponsored the Replacing Essential Passports and Licenses After Certain Emergencies (REPLACE) Act, H.R. 7476, with fellow Bipartisan Wildfire Caucus Co-Chair Rep. Joe Neguse (D-CO), the bill’s sponsor.
If enacted, H.R. 7476 would amend the Disaster Recovery Reform Act of 2018 to require the president to automatically waive certain critical document fees for individuals and households affected by major disasters for which assistance is provided under the Individuals and Households Program, according to the text of the bill.
“Currently, states must request these waivers after a disaster, adding another hurdle for families, and delaying the replacement of lost forms needed for countless activities and approval processes,” Rep. Curtis said. “The REPLACE Act would automatically waive these fees for households and individuals already receiving federal disaster assistance, giving those affected by home or business loss one less thing to worry about in their time of need.”
Under the bill, the waiver would apply to passport and/or visa forms; Permanent Resident Card replacement forms; Declaration of Intention forms; naturalization/citizenship document forms; employment authorization forms; and biometric service fees, according to a bill summary provided by Rep. Curtis’ staff.
“From passports to birth certificates, the fees for replacing all that was lost can quickly become overwhelming,” said Rep. Neguse. “We must continue to be present for our healing communities, and this bill is a small way we can show our support on the federal level.”
H.R. 7476 has been referred for consideration to the U.S. House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee.