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This bill would update federal disaster-mitigation programs to encourage the use of newer building codes and to help more homeowners make their homes stronger before disasters strike. It would create a pilot program that lets FEMA give money to states and local governments so they can offer grants to people for home upgrades such as flood protection, roof tie-downs, safe rooms, seismic fixes, and wildfire improvements. The goal is to reduce damage from storms, floods, fires, earthquakes, and other hazards, especially for people who need financial help.
- For certain disaster-mitigation decisions, the bill defines the “latest published editions” of building codes and standards as the two most recently released versions.
- It creates a home retrofit pilot program through FEMA that can fund grants to individuals for safety improvements to existing homes.
- FEMA could use up to 10% of the annual money available under the main hazard-mitigation program for this pilot, and the program must begin within 1 year and end on September 30, 2030.
- States and local governments receiving the money must prioritize people with financial need, and FEMA must later report to Congress on the number of homes helped, costs, results, demographics, challenges, and expected savings from avoided disaster damage.
Official Summaries
Promoting Resilient Buildings Act of 2025
This bill authorizes local governments to implement the previous edition of building codes with funding from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities (BRIC) and Safeguarding Tomorrow Revolving Loan Fund (RLF) programs. It also establishes a pilot program for residential resilience retrofits under the BRIC program.
Under current law, local governments may use funding provided under the BRIC and Safeguarding Tomorrow RLF programs to establish and carry out the latest published editions of relevant building codes and standards. The bill allows local governments to use BRIC grant funding to carry out the latest two published editions (i.e., either the current edition of a building code or the previous edition) and requires BRIC to consider adoption of either of the latest two editions when determining whether to provide assistance. The bill also allows local governments to use loan funding from the Safeguarding Tomorrow RLF program for implementing the latest two published editions of building codes, including amendments government entities make to such codes.
Additionally, the bill establishes under the BRIC program a pilot program for states and local governments to provide grants to individuals for residential resilience retrofits (i.e., projects that increase a home’s resilience to natural hazards). To provide this assistance, FEMA may use up to 10% of the assistance made available to BRIC applicants annually. The pilot program terminates at the end of FY2028.
Current Full Text
[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 501 Reported in House (RH)]
<DOC>
Union Calendar No. 273
119th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 501
[Report No. 119-319]
To amend certain laws relating to disaster recovery and relief with
respect to the implementation of building codes, and for other
purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
January 16, 2025
Mr. Edwards (for himself and Ms. Titus) introduced the following bill;
which was referred to the Committee on Transportation and
Infrastructure
October 3, 2025
Additional sponsor: Mr. Fitzpatrick
October 3, 2025
Reported with an amendment, committed to the Committee of the Whole
House on the State of the Union, and ordered to be printed
[Strike out all after the enacting clause and insert the part printed
in italic]
[For text of introduced bill, see copy of bill as introduced on January
16, 2025]
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To amend certain laws relating to disaster recovery and relief 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 of
2025''.
SEC. 2. PREDISASTER HAZARD MITIGATION.
Section 203 of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency
Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5133) is amended by adding at the end the
following:
``(m) Latest Published Editions.--For purposes of subsections
(e)(1)(B)(iv) and (g)(10), the term `latest published editions' means,
with respect to relevant consensus-based codes, specifications, and
standards, the 2 most recently published editions.''.
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 retrofits.--The term
``residential resilient retrofits''--
(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 the 2 most recently published
editions of relevant consensus-based codes,
specifications, and standards, including any
amendments made by State, local, Tribal, or
territorial governments to those codes,
specifications, and standards that incorporate
the latest hazard-resistant designs and
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.) for the purpose of
protecting the health, safety, and general
welfare of users of the buildings against
disasters; and
(B) includes--
(i) elevations of homes and elevations of
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 measures 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.--The Administrator shall establish the pilot program
under this section not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of
this Act and the program shall terminate 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 program provides grants to
individuals that demonstrate financial need.
(f) Report.--Not later than 6 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 through 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.
(g) Applicability.--This section shall only apply 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 of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster
Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5133, 5135),
respectively.
Union Calendar No. 273
119th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 501
[Report No. 119-319]
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To amend certain laws relating to disaster recovery and relief with
respect to the implementation of building codes, and for other
purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
October 3, 2025
Reported with an amendment, committed to the Committee of the Whole
House on the State of the Union, and ordered to be printed