FEMA Begins Reappointing Disaster Workers After Contract Nonrenewals Prompt Lawsuit

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has begun offering new appointments to disaster workers whose contracts were not renewed earlier this year, according to a notice filed with a U.S. District Court. The move follows months of uncertainty surrounding the agency’s workforce and comes amid ongoing legal action related to the earlier nonrenewals.

An attorney representing the administration told the court that FEMA has “initiated contact to offer new appointments” to term-limited employees whose contracts expired during the first three weeks of January. These workers are part of FEMA’s Cadre of On-Call Response and Recovery Employees, known as COREs, who serve on assignments typically lasting two to four years.

CORE employees make up roughly half of FEMA’s workforce. Although their roles are term-limited, these appointments have historically been renewed regularly, allowing the agency to scale staffing levels based on operational needs. Some employees have remained in these positions for decades or until retirement.

At the beginning of 2026, FEMA stopped renewing some CORE contracts as they expired and extended others in 90-day increments. By late January, the agency paused the nonrenewals after a severe winter storm affected multiple states. At that point, 159 CORE employees had not been renewed, according to a sworn declaration from FEMA’s acting leader, Karen S. Evans.

The nonrenewals led to a lawsuit filed by a coalition that includes the American Federation of Government Employees, along with scientific organizations and local governments. The plaintiffs allege that the contract decisions were part of a broader effort to reduce FEMA’s workforce and could impact the agency’s ability to meet its congressional mandate for disaster preparedness.

In her declaration, Evans stated that there was no plan for a broad reduction of CORE positions and said the nonrenewals did not threaten FEMA’s operational capacity.

The agency has not confirmed how many employees have received reappointment offers. However, a spokesperson previously indicated that FEMA is addressing personnel actions to maintain workforce stability and ensure readiness for upcoming national events and potential disasters.

Additional personnel actions have taken place in recent days. FEMA reinstated 14 employees who had been on paid administrative leave for eight months after signing a public letter criticizing agency policies.

Internal communications reviewed by The Associated Press indicate that CORE employees whose contracts were extended earlier this year may now be eligible for reappointments of up to one year. Those with contracts ending after May may also qualify for similar terms. In addition, approximately 7,000 reservists in FEMA’s surge workforce, whose contracts were set to expire in early May, may be renewed for two years if deemed eligible.

The impact of these actions on the ongoing lawsuit remains unclear. Attorneys representing the plaintiffs stated they would respond after further review of the facts. Depositions related to the case are expected to continue as part of the discovery process.