The Disaster Declaration Transparency Act of 2026 allows Congress to override a presidential decision to deny a major disaster declaration requested by a state governor. Under current law, the President has sole authority to approve or reject such requests, but this bill creates a new process: if the President refuses a disaster declaration that contradicts the Federal Emergency Management Agency's recommendation or deviates from established precedent, the President must notify Congress within 24 hours with a written explanation. Either chamber of Congress can then introduce a joint resolution within 14 days to force the disaster declaration, which follows expedited procedures designed to bypass normal committee delays and reach a floor vote quickly. In the House, the resolution receives only four hours of debate and cannot be amended, while the Senate limits debate to ten hours and waives the filibuster rule. The bill affects state governors and disaster victims by giving Congress a legislative check on presidential disaster decisions, though it requires passage by both chambers and would likely still be subject to presidential veto.