The Clean Up DEBRIS Act expands federal disaster relief to help communities that aren't typically covered by existing disaster assistance programs. Specifically, it adds support for condominiums, housing cooperatives, and other shared-ownership housing communities when they're damaged by major disasters.

Here's what this means in practical terms: If a hurricane, earthquake, or other major disaster damages a condo building, apartment complex with shared ownership, or manufactured home park, the federal government can now help pay for debris removal and cleanup. Previously, these types of communities often fell through the cracks because disaster assistance was primarily designed for individual homeowners or traditional neighborhoods. Now, when a state or local government determines that debris poses a threat to people's safety, public health, or the community's ability to recover economically, the federal government can step in and help cover the costs of clearing it away.

The bill also applies to manufactured home parks—communities of mobile homes on permanent foundations. The key requirement is that a state or local official must officially determine that the debris is actually a threat, and the federal government has to follow state and local laws when deciding what counts as debris that needs removal. This change applies to any major disaster declared after the law goes into effect, helping thousands of residents in shared-housing communities get the same disaster recovery support that other homeowners receive.