HR501-119

What This Bill Does

This bill updates FEMA predisaster hazard-mitigation and revolving-loan language so relevant codes, specifications, and standards refer to the two most recently published editions, including state, local, Tribal, or territorial amendments. It then creates a residential resilience pilot program under the Stafford Act predisaster mitigation program. FEMA may use up to 10 percent of annual section 203 assistance for the pilot, which provides assistance to states and local governments so they can make grants to individuals with demonstrated financial need for residential resilience retrofits.

Eligible retrofits include home elevations, utility elevations, floodproofing, tornado safe rooms, seismic retrofits, wildfire mitigation, wind retrofits, roof replacements, hurricane straps, tie-downs, and similar measures FEMA determines reduce likely natural-disaster hazards. FEMA must establish the pilot within one year, terminate it on September 30, 2028, and report to Congress within four years on awards, projects, homes retrofitted, retrofit types and average costs, participant demographics, and estimated avoided disaster impacts and federal costs.

Who Benefits and How

Homeowners with financial need benefit from grants for resilience retrofits that can reduce disaster damage. State hazard-mitigation agencies and local governments benefit because they can channel FEMA assistance to residential retrofit projects. FEMA mitigation program staff benefit from clearer code-edition rules and a defined pilot structure. Retrofit contractors, roofers, safe-room builders, floodproofing firms, seismic retrofit specialists, and wildfire mitigation contractors benefit from potential project demand. Communities in flood, wind, wildfire, earthquake, and tornado risk areas benefit if homes are hardened before disasters.

Who Bears the Burden and How

FEMA mitigation staff must design the pilot, allocate up to 10 percent of eligible assistance, define project criteria, review grants, and prepare the four-year report. State and local grant administrators must identify financially needy homeowners, manage awards, document retrofit costs, and report project outcomes. Homeowners receiving grants may face application, inspection, contractor, and matching-cost requirements. Building-code officials and mitigation reviewers must apply the two-most-recent-editions standard and any state, local, Tribal, or territorial amendments. Hazard mitigation revolving-loan administrators must update program references to the revised standards language.

Key Provisions

• Defines latest published editions as the two most recently published editions of relevant consensus-based codes, specifications, and standards.
• Amends hazard mitigation revolving-loan language to account for state, local, Tribal, and territorial amendments to those standards.
• Establishes a FEMA residential resilience pilot program under Stafford Act section 203.
• Authorizes up to 10 percent of annual section 203 assistance for grants to financially needy individuals through states and local governments.
• Provides eligible retrofit examples including elevations, floodproofing, tornado safe rooms, seismic retrofits, wildfire mitigation, wind retrofits, roof replacements, hurricane straps, and tie-downs.
• Requires FEMA to report on awards, homes retrofitted, costs, demographics, and avoided disaster impacts.