II 

117TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION S. 3875 

To require the President to develop and maintain products that show the 

risk of natural hazards across the United States, and for other purposes. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

MARCH 17, 2022 

Mr. PETERS (for himself and Mr. PORTMAN) introduced the following bill; 

which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs 

A BILL 

To require the President to develop and maintain products 

that show the risk of natural hazards across the United 

States, and for other purposes. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Community Disaster 

5 Resilience Zones Act of 2022’’. 

6 SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 

7 Section 101(b) of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Re8 lief and Emergency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5121(b)) 

9 is amended— 


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1 (1) in paragraph (5), by striking ‘‘and’’ at the 

2 end; 

3 (2) in paragraph (6), by adding ‘‘; and’’ at the 

4 end; and 

5 (3) by adding at the end the following: 

6 ‘‘(7) identifying and improving the climate and 

7 natural hazard resilience of vulnerable commu8 nities.’’. 

9 SEC. 3. NATURAL DISASTER RISK ASSESSMENT. 

10 (a) IN GENERAL.—Title II of the Robert T. Stafford 

11 Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 

12 5131 et seq.) is amended by adding at the end the fol13 lowing: 

14 ‘‘SEC. 206. NATURAL DISASTER RISK ASSESSMENT. 

15 ‘‘(a) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 

16 ‘‘(1) COMMUNITY DISASTER RESILIENCE

17 ZONE.—The term ‘community disaster resilience 

18 zone’ means a census tract designated by the Presi19 dent under subsection (d)(1). 

20 ‘‘(2) ELIGIBLE ENTITY.—The term ‘eligible en21 tity’ means— 

22 ‘‘(A) a State; 

23 ‘‘(B) an Indian tribal government; or 

24 ‘‘(C) a local government. 


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1 ‘‘(b) PRODUCTS.—The President shall continue to 

2 maintain a natural disaster assessment program that de3 velops and maintains products that— 

4 ‘‘(1) are available to the public; and 

5 ‘‘(2) show the risk of natural hazards across 

6 the United States, such as— 

7 ‘‘(A) the National Risk Index or a suc8 cessor product; or 

9 ‘‘(B) a natural disaster hazard risk assess10 ment and mapping tool that is complementary 

11 to the National Risk Index. 

12 ‘‘(c) FEATURES.—The products maintained under 

13 subsection (b) shall, for lands within States and areas 

14 under the jurisdiction of Indian tribal governments— 

15 ‘‘(1) show the risk of natural hazards; and 

16 ‘‘(2) include ratings and data for— 

17 ‘‘(A) loss exposure, including population 

18 equivalence, buildings, and agriculture; 

19 ‘‘(B) social vulnerability; 

20 ‘‘(C) community resilience; and 

21 ‘‘(D) any other element determined by the 

22 President. 

23 ‘‘(d) COMMUNITY DISASTER RESILIENCE ZONES

24 DESIGNATION.— 


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1 ‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 30 days 

2 after the date on which the President makes the up3 date and enhancement required under subsection 

4 (e)(4), and not less frequently than every 5 years 

5 thereafter, the President shall identify and designate 

6 community disaster resilience zones, which shall 

7 be— 

8 ‘‘(A) the 50 census tracts assigned the 

9 highest individual hazard risk ratings under 

10 paragraph (2); and 

11 ‘‘(B) subject to paragraph (3), in each 

12 State, not less than 1 percent of census tracts 

13 that are assigned a high risk rating under para14 graph (2). 

15 ‘‘(2) RISK RATINGS.—In carrying out para16 graph (1), the President shall use census tract risk 

17 ratings that, with respect to a product maintained 

18 under subsection (b)— 

19 ‘‘(A) are derived from the product; 

20 ‘‘(B) reflect whether a census tract has 

21 been assigned, under the product— 

22 ‘‘(i) high levels of individual hazard 

23 risk ratings based on an assessment of the 

24 intersection of— 


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1 ‘‘(I) loss to population equiva2 lence; 

3 ‘‘(II) buildings value; and 

4 ‘‘(III) agriculture value; and 

5 ‘‘(ii) high social vulnerability ratings 

6 and low community resilience ratings; and 

7 ‘‘(C) reflect the principal natural hazard 

8 risks identified for the census tract under the 

9 product. 

10 ‘‘(3) GEOGRAPHIC BALANCE.—In identifying 

11 and designating the community disaster resilience 

12 zones described in paragraph (1)(B)— 

13 ‘‘(A) for the purpose of achieving geo14 graphic balance, when applicable, the President 

15 shall consider making designations in coastal, 

16 inland, urban, suburban, and rural areas; and 

17 ‘‘(B) the President shall include census 

18 tracts on Tribal lands located within a State. 

19 ‘‘(e) REVIEW AND UPDATE.—Not later than 180 

20 days after the date of enactment of the Community Dis21 aster Resilience Zones Act of 2022, and not less frequently 

22 than every 5 years thereafter, the President shall— 

23 ‘‘(1) review the underlying methodology of any 

24 product that is a natural disaster hazard risk assess25 ment; 


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1 ‘‘(2) consider including additional data in any 

2 product that is a natural disaster hazard risk assess3 ment, such as— 

4 ‘‘(A) the most recent census tract data; 

5 ‘‘(B) data from the American Community 

6 Survey of the Bureau of the Census, a suc7 cessor survey, a similar survey, or another data 

8 source, including data by census tract on hous9 ing characteristics and income; 

10 ‘‘(C) information relating to development, 

11 improvements, and hazard mitigation measures; 

12 ‘‘(D) natural disaster risk assessment in13 sights on climate change and past and future 

14 natural hazard risk; and 

15 ‘‘(E) other information relevant to 

16 prioritizing areas that have— 

17 ‘‘(i) high risk levels of— 

18 ‘‘(I) natural hazard loss expo19 sure, including population equivalence, 

20 buildings, infrastructure, and agri21 culture; and 

22 ‘‘(II) social vulnerability; and 

23 ‘‘(ii) low levels of community resil24 ience; 


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1 ‘‘(3) make publicly available any changes in 

2 methodology or data used to inform an update to a 

3 product maintained under subsection (b); and 

4 ‘‘(4) update and enhance the products main5 tained under subsection (b), as necessary. 

6 ‘‘(f) NATURAL DISASTER HAZARD RISK ASSESS7 MENT INSIGHTS.—In determining the information to be 

8 included in the natural disaster hazard risk assessment 

9 insights described in subsection (e)(2)(D), the President 

10 shall consult with, at a minimum— 

11 ‘‘(1) the Secretary of Homeland Security and 

12 the Administrator of the Federal Emergency Man13 agement Agency; 

14 ‘‘(2) the Secretary of Agriculture and the Chief 

15 of the Forest Service; 

16 ‘‘(3) the Secretary of Commerce, the Adminis17 trator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Ad18 ministration, the Director of the Bureau of the Cen19 sus, and the Director of the National Institute of 

20 Standards and Technology; 

21 ‘‘(4) the Secretary of Defense and the Com22 manding Officer of the United States Army Corps of 

23 Engineers; 

24 ‘‘(5) the Administrator of the Environmental 

25 Protection Agency; 


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1 ‘‘(6) the Secretary of the Interior and the Di2 rector of the United States Geological Survey; 

3 ‘‘(7) the Secretary of Housing and Urban De4 velopment; and 

5 ‘‘(8) the Director of the Federal Housing Fi6 nance Agency. 

7 ‘‘(g) COMMUNITY DISASTER RESILIENCE ZONE.— 

8 With respect to financial assistance provided under section 

9 203(i) to perform a resilience or mitigation project within, 

10 or that primarily benefits, a community disaster resilience 

11 zone, the President may increase the amount of the Fed12 eral share described under section 203(h). 

13 ‘‘(h) RESILIENCE OR MITIGATION PROJECT PLAN14 NING ASSISTANCE.— 

15 ‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—The President may provide 

16 financial, technical, or other assistance under this 

17 title to an eligible entity that plans to perform a re18 silience or mitigation project within, or that pri19 marily benefits, a community disaster resilience 

20 zone. 

21 ‘‘(2) PURPOSE.—The purpose of assistance pro22 vided under paragraph (1) shall be to carry out ac23 tivities in preparation for a resilience or mitigation 

24 project or seek an evaluation and certification under 

25 subsection (i)(2) for a resilience or mitigation 


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1 project before the date on which permanent work of 

2 the resilience or mitigation project begins. 

3 ‘‘(3) APPLICATION.—If required by the Presi4 dent, an eligible entity seeking assistance under 

5 paragraph (1) shall submit an application in accord6 ance with subsection (i)(1). 

7 ‘‘(i) COMMUNITY DISASTER RESILIENCE ZONE

8 PROJECT APPLICATIONS.— 

9 ‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—If required by the Presi10 dent or other Federal law, an eligible entity shall 

11 submit to the President an application at such time, 

12 in such manner, and containing or accompanied by 

13 such information as the President may reasonably 

14 require. 

15 ‘‘(2) EVALUATION AND CERTIFICATION.— 

16 ‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 120 

17 days after the date on which an eligible entity 

18 submits an application under paragraph (1), 

19 the President shall evaluate the application to 

20 determine whether the resilience or mitigation 

21 project that the entity plans to perform within, 

22 or that primarily benefits, a community disaster 

23 resilience zone— 

24 ‘‘(i) meets or exceeds consensus-based 

25 codes, specifications, and standards; 


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1 ‘‘(ii) is designed to reduce injuries, 

2 loss of life, and damage and destruction of 

3 property, such as damage to critical serv4 ices and facilities; and 

5 ‘‘(iii) substantially reduces the risk of, 

6 or increases resilience to, future damage, 

7 hardship, loss, or suffering. 

8 ‘‘(B) CERTIFICATION.—If the President 

9 determines that an application submitted under 

10 paragraph (1) meets the criteria described in 

11 subparagraph (A), the President shall certify 

12 the proposed resilience or mitigation project. 

13 ‘‘(3) PROJECTS CAUSING DISPLACEMENT.— 

14 With respect to a resilience or mitigation project cer15 tified under paragraph (2)(B) that involves the dis16 placement of a resident from any habitable housing 

17 unit, the entity performing the resilience or mitiga18 tion project shall, to the extent practicable as deter19 mined by the President, provide the resident the op20 tion to have a suitable and comparable housing unit 

21 in the same local community under terms that are 

22 similar to the terms of the habitable housing unit 

23 from which the resident is displaced. 

24 ‘‘(4) FLOOD PROTECTION PROJECTS.—With re25 spect to a resilience or mitigation project certified 


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1 under paragraph (2)(B) that is a flood protection 

2 project under the jurisdiction of the United States 

3 Army Corps of Engineers, the flood protection 

4 project shall meet or exceed flood protection stand5 ards of the Army Corps of Engineers.’’. 

Æ 


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