Recognizing the eighth anniversary of Hurricane Maria's destruction of Puerto Rico and the United States Virgin Islands.
- Bill Number
- H.Res. 724
- Origin Chamber
- House
- Congress
- 119th Congress, Session 1
- Policy Area
- Emergency Management
- Status
- Introduced
- Latest Action
- 2025-09-17: Referred to the Subcommittee on Economic Development, Public Buildings, and Emergency Management.
- Last Updated
- 2025-11-26T16:04:51Z
AI-Generated Summary
Purpose This resolution commemorates the eighth anniversary of Hurricane Maria's landfall in Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands on September 20, 2017. It honors those lost, acknowledges ongoing recovery challenges, and urges federal action to speed up aid and build more resilient systems.
Key Provisions
- Recognizes the storm's impacts, including over 4,000 deaths in Puerto Rico, the longest U.S. blackout, widespread landslides, agricultural losses, and damage estimated up to $115.2 billion.
- Notes federal aid already provided, such as over $23.4 billion from FEMA and $20 billion from HUD, while highlighting delays in fund disbursement.
- Includes three main actions in the resolved clause:
- Commemorates the anniversary and supports survivors.
- Urges the FEMA Administrator to expedite recovery fund releases.
- Calls on Congress and the Administration to prioritize investments in energy grid modernization, health care capacity, and equitable disaster recovery.
Significant Changes to Existing Law This resolution introduces no changes to existing law. As a non-binding House resolution, it expresses congressional sentiment without amending statutes or creating new legal requirements.
Potential Impacts
- On government agencies: It pressures FEMA and HUD to address bureaucratic delays in aid distribution, potentially accelerating reconstruction timelines in Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
- On citizens: It may raise awareness and support for residents facing repeated power outages and health care gaps, including seniors, children, and those with chronic conditions.
- On international relations: None identified, as the measure focuses solely on domestic U.S. territories.
Main Stakeholders Affected
- Residents of Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands, including vulnerable groups and those displaced by the storm.
- Federal agencies such as FEMA and HUD.
- Congress and the Administration.
- NGOs, state and local governments that provided aid, and Puerto Rican diaspora communities in the mainland U.S.
Notable Legal, Constitutional, or Political Implications The resolution carries no direct legal or constitutional effects, as it lacks binding authority. Politically, it underscores persistent infrastructure vulnerabilities and recovery delays, potentially influencing future budget priorities or oversight of disaster funds without creating new mandates.
This summary was generated by AI and may contain inaccuracies. Refer to the official source document for the authoritative text.
Sponsor
Rescom. Hernández, Pablo Jose [D-PR-At Large]
Cosponsors (17)
Rep. Thompson, Bennie G. [D-MS-2], Rep. Huffman, Jared [D-CA-2], Rep. Neal, Richard E. [D-MA-1], Rep. Velázquez, Nydia M. [D-NY-7], Rep. Boyle, Brendan F. [D-PA-2], Rep. Espaillat, Adriano [D-NY-13], Rep. Soto, Darren [D-FL-9], Rep. Pou, Nellie [D-NJ-9], Rep. Torres, Ritchie [D-NY-15], Rep. Goldman, Daniel S. [D-NY-10], Rep. Carter, Troy A. [D-LA-2], Rep. Larson, John B. [D-CT-1], Rep. Ocasio-Cortez, Alexandria [D-NY-14], Rep. Pallone, Frank [D-NJ-6], Rep. DeLauro, Rosa L. [D-CT-3], Rep. Larsen, Rick [D-WA-2], Rep. Ramirez, Delia C. [D-IL-3]
Recent Actions
- 2025-09-17: Referred to the Subcommittee on Economic Development, Public Buildings, and Emergency Management.
- 2025-09-16: Referred to the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure.
- 2025-09-16: Submitted in House
- 2025-09-16: Submitted in House
Bill Versions
- Recognizing the eighth anniversary of Hurricane Maria’s destruction of Puerto Rico and the United States Virgin Islands. — issued 2025-09-16 — PDF (5 pages)