Brittany Pettersen (D-CO)
Emergency Assistance Privacy Protection Act of 2026
A Democratic bill with 1 Democratic cosponsor · See the cosponsor
Last activity — Referred to the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure.
In committee
Introduced and handed to a committee in the chamber it started in.
The committee holds it, and most bills are never heard from again. A hearing or a committee vote would be news; silence is the usual outcome, and it kills the bill without anyone voting against it.
Its path through Congress
- Introduced
- In Committee
What this bill would do
This bill is known as the Emergency Assistance Privacy Protection Act of 2026. It stops the Secretary of Homeland Security from using personally identifiable information collected by the Federal Emergency Management Agency to enforce immigration laws. This protection applies to information collected when providing assistance under a major disaster or emergency declaration. The bill clearly defines what counts as personally identifiable information, such as names, addresses, social security numbers, and medical histories.
Yes· 3 of 8
- Scored +8
Would immigrants be better off under this?
The bill ensures that immigrants can safely access FEMA disaster relief without fear that their personal data will be used to enforce immigration laws.
- Scored +8
Does this protect people from being watched or searched?
The legislation safeguards personal privacy by prohibiting the Department of Homeland Security from using FEMA disaster relief data for immigration enforcement.
- Scored +8
Does this give people more control over their personal data?
The bill establishes strict privacy protections by prohibiting the sharing or use of personally identifiable information collected by FEMA for immigration enforcement purposes.
The opposite
- Scored -3
Does this give the government more power to monitor people inside the country?
The bill restricts government surveillance capabilities by explicitly banning the Secretary of Homeland Security from using FEMA-collected personal data for immigration enforcement.
Who it would affect, and how
Potential Positive Impacts for People
- Protection of Personal Data: Under Section 2(a), the Secretary of Homeland Security is banned from using personal information collected by FEMA during disasters to enforce immigration laws. This is a positive benefit because it ensures people can seek emergency help without fear that their personal details will be used for immigration enforcement.
Potential Negative Impacts for People
- Limits on Immigration Enforcement: Under Section 2(a), officials are strictly prohibited from using FEMA disaster assistance data for enforcing immigration laws. Depending on how you look at enforcing laws, some might see it as a negative burden because it explicitly stops officials from using this collected information for immigration enforcement purposes.
Groups and Interests Ranking
Every group the model scored this bill for, from -10 to +10. Tap or hover a score for the reason it gave.
- Demographic And Interest Groups
- Would immigrants be better off under this? — The bill ensures that immigrants can safely access FEMA disaster relief without fear that their personal data will be used to enforce immigration laws. Would Hispanic Americans be better off under this? — Hispanic Americans and other immigrant-heavy communities benefit from privacy protections that prevent disaster relief data from being used in immigration enforcement. Would households on low incomes be better off under this? — Low-income individuals, who frequently rely on FEMA disaster assistance, are better protected from having their personal data leveraged for immigration enforcement.
- Governance And Ideology
- Does this protect people from being watched or searched? — The legislation safeguards personal privacy by prohibiting the Department of Homeland Security from using FEMA disaster relief data for immigration enforcement. Does this make what the government does easier for the public to see? — The bill clearly defines what constitutes personally identifiable information and establishes explicit statutory limits on how federal agencies can use collected data.
- Education And Technology
- Does this give people more control over their personal data? — The bill establishes strict privacy protections by prohibiting the sharing or use of personally identifiable information collected by FEMA for immigration enforcement purposes.
- Environment Energy And Infrastructure
- Does this improve help for people hit by a disaster? — The bill ensures that individuals can seek emergency disaster assistance from FEMA without fear that their personally identifiable information will be used for immigration enforcement.
- National Security And Foreign Policy
- Does this give the government more power to monitor people inside the country? — The bill restricts government surveillance capabilities by explicitly banning the Secretary of Homeland Security from using FEMA-collected personal data for immigration enforcement.
- Social Issues And Justice
- Does this make it easier for immigrants already here to become citizens? — By prohibiting the use of FEMA disaster assistance data for immigration enforcement, the bill protects immigrant communities from having their personal information used against them.
- 10/22/2026
- Referred to the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure.
- 1 Cosponsor added.
- Introduced in House
Sydney Kamlager-DoveDemocrat · California