The MALDEN Act (Making Aid for Local Disasters Equal Now Act) amends federal disaster relief laws to improve assistance for rural areas affected by disasters, particularly wildfires. The bill requires the federal government to work with state and tribal emergency management agencies to help rural communities develop recovery plans, including guidance on preventing secondary disasters like flooding and mudslides that often follow wildfires. The legislation also ensures that when individual rural residents are denied disaster assistance, federal case workers will be made available to help them navigate the process. The bill applies to disaster declarations under the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act and aims to address what sponsors view as unequal treatment of rural areas in federal disaster response.
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