Restoring Access to Mountain Homes Act

House Bill

H.R. 760

119th Congress

Restoring Access to Mountain Homes Act

In Committee

Introduced:Jan 28, 2025

Primary Sponsor

Chuck Edwards

Representative

Republican

NC-11

Cosponsors

3

Quick Stats

Policy Area

Emergency Management

Summary

This bill authorizes FEMA to provide Public Assistance grants to North Carolina governments for repairing private roads and bridges damaged by Tropical Storm Helene when those roads are the sole access to homes or essential services. Costs are eligible regardless of pre-existing condition.

Latest Action

Referred to the Subcommittee on Economic Development, Public Buildings, and Emergency Management.

SponsorChuck Edwards (R-NC)

Introduced1/28/2025

StatusReferred to the Subcommittee on Economic Development, Public Buildings, and Emergency Management.

ChamberHouse

Data from Congress.gov

See this page through your district lens

Enter ZIP to personalize representatives and vote context.

Stay on top of this issue

Subscribe for weekly bill and representative updates.

Vote Prediction

Restoring Access to Mountain Homes Act

This bill authorizes FEMA to provide Public Assistance grants to North Carolina governments for repairing private roads and bridges damaged by Tropical Storm Helene when those roads are the sole access to homes or essential services. Costs are eligible regardl

Community Breakdown

Pass

0%

Fail

0%

0 predictions

This bill authorizes FEMA to provide Public Assistance grants to North Carolina governments for repairing private roads and bridges damaged by Tropical Storm Helene when those roads are the sole access to homes or essential services. Costs are eligible regardless of pre-existing condition.

Bill Number: 760
Sponsor: Chuck Edwards (R-NC)
Introduced: 1/28/2025
Status: Referred to the Subcommittee on Economic Development, Public Buildings, and Emergency Management.
Policy Area: Emergency Management

Data from Congress.gov

AI-generated summary

Fact Sheet

Title: Restoring Access to Mountain Homes Act
Bill Number: 760
Sponsor: Chuck Edwards (R-NC)
Status: Referred to the Subcommittee on Economic Development, Public Buildings, and Emergency Management.
Introduced: 1/28/2025
Summary: This bill authorizes FEMA to provide Public Assistance grants to North Carolina governments for repairing private roads and bridges damaged by Tropical Storm Helene when those roads are the sole access to homes or essential services. Costs are eligible regardless of pre-existing condition.

Data from Congress.gov

AI Summary

Plain-English explanation of this bill

This bill authorizes FEMA to provide Public Assistance grants to North Carolina governments for repairing private roads and bridges damaged by Tropical Storm Helene when those roads are the sole access to homes or essential services. Costs are eligible regardless of pre-existing condition.

Last updated: 1/6/2026

Official Summary

Congressional Research Service summary

Restoring Access to Mountain Homes ActThis bill authorizes the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to provide Public Assistance (PA) grant funding, under certain conditions, to reimburse government entities covered under the major disaster declaration for North Carolina relating to Tropical Storm Helene for the costs of repairing, replacing, or restoring private roads and bridges damaged by Helene.Under current law, the PA program provides grants for repairing disaster damage to infrastructure owned or legally maintained by government entities (or certain nonprofits). The bill authorizes PA funding for permanent repair work on privately owned and maintained roads and bridges significantly damaged by Helene in North Carolina, as costs incurred by state, tribal, or local governments for such work are eligible for reimbursement.   Also, under current law, the costs of repairing damage that existed before the disaster are generally ineligible for PA. The bill makes the repair, replacement, or restoration costs eligible for reimbursement under PA regardless of pre-existing condition.Additionally, the bill contains criteria and conditions for reimbursement, including that to be eligible a road or bridge must be used as the sole means of accessing primary residences or essential community services. Reimbursement is under PA’s alternative procedures, and the bill requires FEMA to determine eligible costs based on estimates prepared by engineers.Recipients of funds from FEMA’s Individuals and Households Program (IHP) before the bill’s enactment may use IHP funds for repairs eligible under the bill without those costs counting against their maximum amount of IHP assistance.

Key Points

Main provisions of the bill

Authorizes FEMA grants for private road repairs in North Carolina
Applies to Tropical Storm Helene damage
Covers roads that are sole access to primary residences
Eligible regardless of pre-existing damage condition
Reimburses state, tribal, and local government repair costs

How This Impacts Americans

Potential effects on citizens and communities

North Carolina residents isolated by Helene damage to private roads would regain access to their homes. Local governments could be reimbursed for repairing private roads that are the only way to reach homes and essential services.

Policy Areas

Primary Policy Area

Emergency Management

Scope & Jurisdiction

Jurisdiction Level

federal

Congressional Session

119th Congress

Citation Reference

760, 119th Congress (2025). "Restoring Access to Mountain Homes Act". Source: Voter's Right Platform. https://votersright.org/bills/118-hr-760

Public Opinions

Community submissions related to this bill.

Share your opinion

No public opinions yet. Be the first to submit one for this bill.

Related Bills in Emergency Management

HJRES 91

Relating to a national emergency by the President on April 2, 2025.

Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR H1529)

HR 2364

Helene Small Business Recovery Act

Referred to the Subcommittee on Economic Development, Public Buildings, and Emergency Management.

HR 2250

National Landslide Preparedness Act Reauthorization Act of 2025

Ordered to be Reported in the Nature of a Substitute by Unanimous Consent.

S 1052

A bill to amend the John D. Dingell, Jr. Conservation, Management, and Recreation Act to reauthorize the National Volcano Early Warning and Monitoring System, and for other purposes.

Read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.