Congress passes Greg Steube-championed post-disaster tax relief bill

Congress has passed a tax relief package sponsored by U.S. Rep. Greg Steube to help people recover from disasters.

The Sarasota Republican cheered the final passage of the bill, which will allow taxpayers impacted by federally declared natural disasters to receive tax relief on certain losses. He predicted President Joe Biden will approve the measure.

“I promised to fight for full hurricane recovery for my district as long as it takes. Today, Congress delivered on my promise,” Steube said. “I applaud the Senate for putting this relief within arms’ reach for Floridians — we’re talking about hundreds of millions of dollars in Floridians’ pockets thanks to my legislation. I expect President Biden will recognize the great impact my legislation will have on America’s families and sign my legislation into law.”

The Senate passed the Federal Disaster Tax Relief Act (HR 5863) late Wednesday on a voice vote. U.S. Sen. Rick Scott championed the legislation in the Senate. The Naples Republican touted the bipartisan approval of the bill.

“After years of fighting, I am incredibly proud to see the passage of meaningful tax relief for families who faced devastation and loss from Hurricanes Ian, Idalia, Helene, Milton and other disasters in recent years,” he said. “For too long, families have been left waiting. Passage of this bill is a good start to help so many families in Florida, Puerto Rico and across the nation, and I hope to see the President sign it into law quickly, just as past administrations have done, to bring relief as soon as possible.”

If signed by Biden, the legislation will mean breaks for victims of several hurricanes that impacted the state of Florida, including Hurricanes Idalia, Nicole, Fiona, Debby, Helene and, most recently, Milton. Three of those storms directly impacted Steube’s Southwest Florida district.

Florida’s 17th Congressional District also took a significant hit from Hurricane Ian. When Congress failed to pass specific relief for victims of that storm, Steube sought to pass relief that applies whenever the President declares a federal disaster.

“More than two years ago, Hurricane Ian decimated my district. Due to inaction by Congress, millions of Americans have missed out on the disaster tax deductions that are typically available after presidentially-declared disasters,” Steube said.

“Since then, I’ve fought to deliver tax relief for not only my constituents — but for the many Americans impacted by natural disasters across the country. Floridians have compounded damage and rebuilding expenses from five hurricanes since Ian, including three back-to-back hurricanes this season.”

Specifically, the legislation calls for the government to allow individuals impacted by qualified disaster events to claim disaster-related personal casualty losses. The losses could be claimed without itemizing deductions, and would not have to exceed 10% of a claimant’s adjusted gross income to qualify. The bill allows this to cover any major disasters that occur up to six months after a President signs a disaster declaration.

The bill would exclude from gross income any compensation for losses or expenses from wildfires declared after 2014 and from an Ohio train derailment that generated headlines in 2023.

That legislative win came months after the House approved the measure on a 382-7 vote, but only after Steube forced the legislation to a floor vote through a discharge petition signed by more than half the members of the House.

Steube had rallied bipartisan support over the past two Congresses for tax relief legislation, but leadership in the House and Senate had never taken a bill up before he filed the discharge petition. That’s a process for members to force a bill to the floor regardless of leadership support. Petitions typically get filed by members of the minority party but are rarely successful. Steube, a Republican, employed the process for a bill with bipartisan support, and moved the legislation working with Democrats.

He and U.S. Rep. Vern Buchanan, a Longboat Key Republican, have similarly filed a discharge petition on legislation making daylight saving time permanent year-round, but that bill to date has only six signatures in the House.