[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 388 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

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119th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                 S. 388

     To amend the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency 
 Assistance Act with respect to the implementation of building codes, 
                        and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                            February 4, 2025

  Mr. Cornyn (for himself and Mr. Fetterman) 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 with respect to the implementation of building codes, 
                        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 ``Promoting Resilient Buildings Act''.

SEC. 2. PREDISASTER HAZARD MITIGATION.

    Section 203(a) of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and 
Emergency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5133) is amended--
            (1) by striking the subsection heading and inserting 
        ``Definitions'';
            (2) by striking ``In this section, the term'' and inserting 
        the following:
            ``(2) Small impoverished community.--The term''; and
            (3) by inserting before paragraph (2), as so designated, 
        ``In this section:
            ``(1) Latest published editions.--The term `latest public 
        editions' means the 2 most recently published editions of 
        relevant consensus-based codes, specifications, and 
        standards.''.

SEC. 3. HAZARD MITIGATION REVOLVING LOAN FUND PROGRAM.

    Section 205(f) of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and 
Emergency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5135(f)) is amended--
            (1) by striking paragraph (5); and
            (2) by redesignating paragraphs (6), (7), and (8) as 
        paragraphs (5), (6), and (7), respectively.

SEC. 4. RESIDENTIAL RETROFIT AND RESILIENCE PILOT PROGRAM.

    (a) Definitions.--In this section:
            (1) Administrator.--The term ``Administrator'' means the 
        Administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
            (2) Residential resilient retrofit.--The term ``residential 
        resilient retrofit''--
                    (A) means a project that--
                            (i) is designed to increase the resilience 
                        of an existing home or residence using 
                        mitigation measures that the Administrator 
                        determines reduce damage and impacts from 
                        natural disaster hazards and risks that are 
                        most likely to occur in the area where the home 
                        is located; and
                            (ii) to the extent applicable, are 
                        consistent with--
                                    (I) the 2 most recently published 
                                editions of relevant consensus-based 
                                codes, specifications, and standards, 
                                including any amendments made to those 
                                codes by State, local, or Indian tribal 
                                governments; and
                                    (II) specifications and standards 
                                that, for the purpose of protecting 
                                health, safety, and general welfare of 
                                users of buildings against disasters--
                                            (aa) incorporate the latest 
                                        hazard-resistant designs; and
                                            (bb) establish criteria for 
                                        the design, construction, and 
                                        maintenance of residential 
                                        structures and facilities that 
                                        may be eligible for assistance 
                                        under the Robert T. Stafford 
                                        Disaster Relief and Emergency 
                                        Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5121 
                                        et seq.); and
                    (B) includes--
                            (i) elevations of homes and utilities 
                        within and around structures to mitigate 
                        damages;
                            (ii) floodproofing measures;
                            (iii) the construction of tornado safe 
                        rooms;
                            (iv) seismic retrofits;
                            (v) wildfire retrofit and mitigation 
                        measures;
                            (vi) wind retrofits, including roof 
                        replacements, hurricane straps, and tie-downs; 
                        and
                            (vii) any other measure that meet the 
                        requirements of subparagraph (A), as determined 
                        by the Administrator.
    (b) Establishment.--The Administrator shall carry out a residential 
resilience pilot program through the program established under section 
203 of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance 
Act (42 U.S.C. 5133) to make available assistance to States and local 
governments for the purpose of providing grants to individuals for 
residential resilience retrofits.
    (c) Amount of Funds.--The Administrator may use not more than 10 
percent of the assistance made available to applicants on an annual 
basis under section 203 of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and 
Emergency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5133) to provide assistance under 
this section.
    (d) Timeline.--With respect to the pilot program carried out under 
subsection (b), the Administrator shall--
            (1) establish the pilot program not later than 1 year after 
        the date of enactment of this Act; and
            (2) terminate the pilot program on September 30, 2030.
    (e) Priority.--In carrying out the pilot program under this 
section, the Administrator shall ensure that a State or local 
government receiving assistance under the pilot program provides grants 
to individuals that demonstrate financial need.
    (f) Report.--Not later than 4 years after the date of enactment of 
this Act, the Administrator shall submit to the Committee on Homeland 
Security and Governmental Affairs of the Senate and the Committee on 
Transportation and Infrastructure of the House of Representatives a 
report that includes--
            (1) a summary of the grant awards and projects carried out 
        under this section;
            (2) a detailed compilation of results achieved by the grant 
        awards and projects carried out under this section, including 
        the number of homes receiving retrofits, the types and average 
        costs of retrofits, and demographic information for 
        participants in the pilot program;
            (3) an estimate of avoidance in disaster impacts and 
        Federal disaster payments as a result of the grant investments 
        carried out under this section, and whether that avoidance is 
        different than other mitigation projects funded under section 
        203 of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency 
        Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5133); and
            (4) any identified implementation challenges and 
        recommendations for improvements to the pilot program 
        established under this section.
    (g) Applicability.--This section shall only apply with respect to 
amounts appropriated on or after the date of enactment of this Act.

SEC. 5. RULE OF CONSTRUCTION.

    Nothing in this Act or the amendments made by this Act shall be 
construed to affect any program other than the predisaster hazard 
mitigation program or the hazard mitigation revolving loan fund program 
established under section 203 or 205, respectively, of the Robert T. 
Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5133, 
5135).
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