To require the Administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency to conduct an evaluation and submit to Congress a report on ways to reduce the complexity of the cost effectiveness requirements for hazard mitigation assistance, and for other purposes.
Sponsors
Legislative Progress
ReportedReported by Mr. Peters, with an amendment
Mr. Peters (for himself and Mr. Cassidy) introduced the following …
Summary
What This Bill Does
This bill requires FEMA to study and report on how to simplify the "cost effectiveness" rules that applicants must satisfy to receive hazard mitigation grants. Currently, state and local governments seeking FEMA grants for projects like flood walls, drainage improvements, or building retrofits must prove their projects are cost-effective through complex analyses, which can delay or discourage applications.
Who Benefits and How
State, local, Tribal, and territorial governments benefit because simpler cost-effectiveness requirements would make it easier for them to apply for and receive hazard mitigation grants. The current complex analysis requirements create barriers that may prevent communities from accessing federal disaster prevention funds.
Nonprofit organizations involved in hazard mitigation would also benefit from streamlined application processes, making it easier for them to participate in disaster preparedness projects.
Who Bears the Burden and How
FEMA must conduct the evaluation, consult with stakeholders, and deliver a report to Congress within 360 days. The agency must also brief Congressional committees within 180 days on progress.
Taxpayers face no additional burden - the bill explicitly states no new funds are authorized.
Key Provisions
- Requires FEMA Administrator to evaluate ways to reduce complexity of cost-effectiveness requirements for four major hazard mitigation grant programs
- Mandates consultation with federal, state, local, Tribal, territorial governments and nonprofits before making changes
- Requires a report to Congress before implementing any changes based on the evaluation
- Establishes a 180-day deadline for a progress briefing to Congressional oversight committees
- Preserves existing cost-effectiveness requirements until any changes are formally implemented
- Authorizes no additional federal spending
Evidence Chain:
This summary is derived from the structured analysis below. See "Detailed Analysis" for per-title beneficiaries/burden bearers with clause-level evidence links.
Primary Purpose
This bill requires the Administrator of FEMA to evaluate and report on ways to reduce the complexity of cost-effectiveness requirements for hazard mitigation assistance.
Policy Domains
Bill Structure & Actor Mappings
Who is "The Secretary" in each section?
- "the_administrator"
- → Administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency
Key Definitions
Terms defined in this bill
Any grant program authorized under section 203 of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5133); the hazard mitigation grant program authorized under section 404 of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5170c); hazard mitigation assistance authorized under section 406 of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5172); and the flood mitigation assistance program authorized under section 1366 of the National Flood Insurance Act of 1968 (42 U.S.C. 4104c).
We use a combination of our own taxonomy and classification in addition to large language models to assess meaning and potential beneficiaries. High confidence means strong textual evidence. Always verify with the original bill text.
Learn more about our methodology