Bill Summary
The "Building Resilience and Stronger Communities Act" amends the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act to enhance support for predisaster hazard mitigation efforts. Key provisions include:
1. **Increased Federal Cost Share**: For small mitigation projects under $1 million, the federal government will contribute at least 90% of the total costs. For critical facilities—such as emergency centers, hospitals, policing, and educational institutions—the President may contribute more than 90% for similar projects.
2. **Mandatory Mitigation Assistance**: The legislation changes the language from "may" to "shall" in multiple sections, making it mandatory for the federal government to provide assistance for hazard mitigation projects and national public infrastructure predisaster mitigation.
3. **Inclusion of Indian Tribes**: The Act expands eligibility for assistance to include Indian Tribes, allowing them to access federal resources directly or through state recommendations. It also emphasizes the provision of technical and financial assistance tailored to help these Tribes enhance their resilience against natural hazards.
Overall, this legislation aims to strengthen community resilience against disasters by ensuring greater federal support for mitigation efforts, especially in underserved areas and for critical infrastructure.
Possible Impacts
The proposed "Building Resilience and Stronger Communities Act" could affect people in several ways. Here are three examples:
1. **Increased Funding for Small Communities**: The act mandates that the federal government will contribute at least 90% of the total cost for predisaster hazard mitigation projects that cost less than $1,000,000. This means that small communities, which often have limited budgets, could receive substantial federal assistance to implement essential mitigation measures, such as strengthening infrastructure or retrofitting buildings to withstand natural disasters. As a result, residents in these communities may experience improved safety and reduced risk during disasters.
2. **Enhanced Support for Critical Facilities**: The legislation specifies that the federal government can contribute more than 90% of the costs for mitigation activities involving critical facilities like hospitals, schools, and emergency operation centers. This increased funding can help ensure that vital services remain operational during and after disasters, thus directly benefiting the community by maintaining access to healthcare, education, and emergency services. Residents would likely feel more secure knowing that these critical resources are better equipped to handle emergencies.
3. **Inclusion of Indian Tribes in Federal Assistance**: The bill explicitly includes Indian Tribes in the eligibility for federal disaster assistance. This provision enables tribes to access resources for technical and financial assistance to improve their resilience to natural hazards. As a result, tribal communities, which may face unique challenges related to disaster preparedness and response, could develop stronger mitigation programs and improve their infrastructure. This inclusion fosters greater equity and support for marginalized communities, ultimately benefiting tribal members and enhancing their ability to respond to natural disasters.
[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 3403 Introduced in Senate (IS)]
<DOC>
119th CONGRESS
1st Session
S. 3403
To amend the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency
Assistance Act to require the President to provide assistance for
predisaster hazard mitigation measures and adjust the Federal cost
share for certain building resilient infrastructure and communities
projects, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
December 9, 2025
Mr. Reed (for himself and Ms. Murkowski) introduced the following bill;
which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Homeland Security
and Governmental Affairs
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To amend the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency
Assistance Act to require the President to provide assistance for
predisaster hazard mitigation measures and adjust the Federal cost
share for certain building resilient infrastructure and communities
projects, and for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Building Resilience and Stronger
Communities Act''.
SEC. 2. FEDERAL SHARE ADJUSTMENT.
Section 203(h) of the Robert. T. Stafford Disaster Relief and
Emergency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5133(h)) is amended by adding at
the end the following:
``(3) Small projects.--Notwithstanding paragraph (1), the
President shall contribute not less than 90 percent of the
total cost of a mitigation activity, the cost of which is less
than $1,000,000.
``(4) Critical facilities.--
``(A) Definition.--In this paragraph, the term
`critical facility'--
``(i) means a building that is essential
for the delivery of a vital service or the
protection of a community; and
``(ii) includes an emergency operation
center, a healthcare facility, a police or fire
stations, a school, and a power station.
``(B) Cost share adjustment.--Notwithstanding
paragraph (1), the President may contribute more than
90 percent of the total cost of a mitigation activity
involving a critical facility, the cost of which is
less than $1,000,000.''.
SEC. 3. MANDATORY MITIGATION.
Section 203 of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency
Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5133) is amended--
(1) in subsection (b) by striking ``may'' and inserting
``shall''; and
(2) in subsection (c) by striking ``may'' and inserting
``shall''.
SEC. 4. NATIONAL PUBLIC INFRASTRUCTURE PREDISASTER MITIGATION
ASSISTANCE.
Section 203(i)(1) of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and
Emergency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5133(i)(1)) is amended--
(1) by striking ``may'' and inserting ``shall''; and
(2) by striking ``equal to'' and inserting ``that is not
less than 3 percent and not more than''.
SEC. 5. TRIBAL PROVISIONS.
Section 203 of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency
Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5133) is amended--
(1) in subsection (b)--
(A) by inserting ``and Indian Tribes'' after
``States and local governments''; and
(B) by inserting ``or Indian Tribes'' after
``States or local governments'';
(2) in subsection (c), by inserting ``or Indian Tribe''
after ``State or local government'' each place it appears;
(3) in subsection (d)--
(A) by inserting ``or Indian Tribes'' after ``local
governments'' each place it appears; and
(B) in paragraph (2)--
(i) by inserting ``or an Indian Tribe''
after ``a local government''; and
(ii) by adding at the end the following:
``(C) Indian tribes.--An Indian Tribe shall have
access to assistance under this section either through
the President selecting the Indian Tribe directly, by a
Governor or a State submitting a recommendation for the
Indian Tribe, or through a Tribal-set aside of funds
set by the President or based on the Governor or State
recommendation.'';
(4) in subsection (e)--
(A) in paragraph (1)(A), by inserting ``and Indian
Tribes'' after ``States and local governments'';
(B) in paragraph (2), by inserting ``or Indian
Tribe'' after ``State or local government'' each place
it appears; and
(C) by adding at the end the following:
``(3) Uses by indian tribes.--Technical and financial
assistance provided under this section to an Indian Tribe shall
be used for Direct Technical Assistance to help the Indian
Tribe improve resilience to natural hazards, build strong
mitigation programs, develop high-quality applications, and
carry out innovative mitigation projects.''; and
(5) by adding at the end the following:
``(m) Indian Tribe Defined.--In this section, the term `Indian
Tribe' has the meaning given the term in section 4 of the Indian Self-
Determination and Education Assistance Act (25 U.S.C. 5304).''.
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