The UNITY Act directs the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to study and improve disaster response and recovery efforts in noncontiguous U.S. communities—such as Alaska, Hawaii, and U.S. territories—which face unique challenges in receiving federal aid and emergency services. FEMA must examine its hiring and retention practices in these areas within six months and then revise relevant policies to address staffing shortages, while the Government Accountability Office will conduct a broader 18-month study comparing disaster response effectiveness between noncontiguous and mainland communities, with particular attention to recovery from Super Typhoon Yutu. Additionally, FEMA must establish a pilot program within one year to test new technology for rapid damage assessments in remote noncontiguous communities, prioritizing the most geographically isolated areas and reporting on results by 2028. The pilot program will run through September 30, 2030, with no specific funding amount identified in the legislation.
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