S. 3875 

One Hundred Seventeenth Congress 

of the 

United States of America 

AT THE SECOND SESSION 

Begun and held at the City of Washington on Monday, 

the third day of January, two thousand and twenty two 

An Act 

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

of natural hazards across the United States, 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 ‘‘Community Disaster Resilience 

Zones Act of 2022’’. 

SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 

Section 101(b) of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and 

Emergency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5121(b)) is amended— 

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

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

(3) by adding at the end the following: 

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

hazard resilience of vulnerable communities.’’. 

SEC. 3. NATURAL HAZARD RISK ASSESSMENT. 

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

Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5131 et seq.) is 

amended by adding at the end the following: 

‘‘SEC. 206. NATURAL HAZARD RISK ASSESSMENT. 

‘‘(a) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 

‘‘(1) COMMUNITY DISASTER RESILIENCE ZONE.—The term 

‘community disaster resilience zone’ means a census tract designated by the President under subsection (d)(1). 

‘‘(2) ELIGIBLE ENTITY.—The term ‘eligible entity’ means— 

‘‘(A) a State; 

‘‘(B) an Indian tribal government; or 

‘‘(C) a local government. 

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

natural hazard assessment program that develops and maintains 

products that— 

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

‘‘(2) define natural hazard risk across the United States. 

‘‘(c) FEATURES.—The products maintained under subsection (b) 

shall, for lands within States and areas under the jurisdiction 

of Indian tribal governments— 

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

‘‘(2) include ratings and data for— 

‘‘(A) loss exposure, including population equivalence, 

buildings, and agriculture; 

‘‘(B) social vulnerability; 
S. 3875—2 

‘‘(C) community resilience; and 

‘‘(D) any other element determined by the President. 

‘‘(d) COMMUNITY DISASTER RESILIENCE ZONES DESIGNATION.— 

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

on which the President makes the update and enhancement 

required under subsection (e)(4), and not less frequently than 

every 5 years thereafter, the President shall identify and designate community disaster resilience zones, which shall be— 

‘‘(A) the 50 census tracts assigned the highest individual hazard risk ratings; and 

‘‘(B) subject to paragraph (3), in each State, not less 

than 1 percent of census tracts that are assigned high 

individual risk ratings. 

‘‘(2) RISK RATINGS.—In carrying out paragraph (1), the 

President shall use census tract risk ratings derived from a 

product maintained under subsection (b) that— 

‘‘(A) reflect— 

‘‘(i) high levels of individual hazard risk ratings 

based on an assessment of the intersection of— 

‘‘(I) loss to population equivalence; 

‘‘(II) building value; and 

‘‘(III) agriculture value; 

‘‘(ii) high social vulnerability ratings and low 

community resilience ratings; and 

‘‘(iii) any other elements determined by the President; and 

‘‘(B) reflect the principal natural hazard risks identified 

for the respective census tracts. 

‘‘(3) GEOGRAPHIC BALANCE.—In identifying and designating 

the community disaster resilience zones described in paragraph 

(1)(B)— 

‘‘(A) for the purpose of achieving geographic balance, 

when applicable, the President shall consider making designations in coastal, inland, urban, suburban, and rural 

areas; and 

‘‘(B) the President shall include census tracts on Tribal 

lands located within a State. 

‘‘(4) DURATION.—The designation of a community disaster 

resilience zone under paragraph (1) shall be effective for a 

period of not less than 5 years. 

‘‘(e) REVIEW AND UPDATE.—Not later than 180 days after the 

date of enactment of the Community Disaster Resilience Zones 

Act of 2022, and not less frequently than every 5 years thereafter, 

the President shall— 

‘‘(1) with respect to any product that is a natural hazard 

risk assessment— 

‘‘(A) review the underlying methodology of the product; 

and 

‘‘(B) receive public input on the methodology and data 

used for the product; 

‘‘(2) consider including additional data in any product that 

is a natural hazard risk assessment, such as— 

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

‘‘(B) data from the American Community Survey of 

the Bureau of the Census, a successor survey, a similar 

survey, or another data source, including data by census 

tract on housing characteristics and income; 
S. 3875—3 

‘‘(C) information relating to development, improvements, and hazard mitigation measures; 

‘‘(D) data that assesses past and future loss exposure, 

including analysis on the effects of a changing climate 

on future loss exposure; 

‘‘(E) data from the Resilience Analysis and Planning 

Tool of the Federal Emergency Management Agency; and 

‘‘(F) other information relevant to prioritizing areas 

that have— 

‘‘(i) high risk levels of— 

‘‘(I) natural hazard loss exposure, including 

population equivalence, buildings, infrastructure, 

and agriculture; and 

‘‘(II) social vulnerability; and 

‘‘(ii) low levels of community resilience; 

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

or data used to inform an update to a product maintained 

under subsection (b); and 

‘‘(4) update and enhance the products maintained under 

subsection (b), as necessary. 

‘‘(f) NATURAL HAZARD RISK ASSESSMENT INSIGHTS.—In determining additional data to include in products that are natural 

hazard risk assessments under subsection (e)(2), the President shall 

consult with, at a minimum— 

‘‘(1) the Administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency; 

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

Service; 

‘‘(3) the Secretary of Commerce, the Administrator of the 

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the Director 

of the Bureau of the Census, and the Director of the National 

Institute of Standards and Technology; 

‘‘(4) the Secretary of Defense and the Commanding Officer 

of the United States Army Corps of Engineers; 

‘‘(5) the Administrator of the Environmental Protection 

Agency; 

‘‘(6) the Secretary of the Interior and the Director of the 

United States Geological Survey; 

‘‘(7) the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development; 

and 

‘‘(8) the Director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency. 

‘‘(g) COMMUNITY DISASTER RESILIENCE ZONE.—With respect to 

financial assistance provided under section 203(i) to perform a 

resilience or mitigation project within, or that primarily benefits, 

a community disaster resilience zone, the President may increase 

the amount of the Federal share described under section 203(h) 

to not more than 90 percent of the total cost of the resilience 

or mitigation project. 

‘‘(h) RESILIENCE OR MITIGATION PROJECT PLANNING ASSISTANCE.— 

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

technical, or other assistance under this title to an eligible 

entity that plans to perform a resilience or mitigation project 

within, or that primarily benefits, a community disaster resilience zone. 

‘‘(2) PURPOSE.—The purpose of assistance provided under 

paragraph (1) shall be to carry out activities in preparation 
S. 3875—4 

for a resilience or mitigation project or seek an evaluation 

and certification under subsection (i)(2) for a resilience or mitigation project before the date on which permanent work of 

the resilience or mitigation project begins. 

‘‘(3) APPLICATION.—If required by the President, an eligible 

entity seeking assistance under paragraph (1) shall submit 

an application in accordance with subsection (i)(1). 

‘‘(4) FUNDING.—In providing assistance under paragraph 

(1), the President may use amounts set aside under section 

203(i). 

‘‘(i) COMMUNITY DISASTER RESILIENCE ZONE PROJECT APPLICATIONS.— 

‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—If required by the President or other 

Federal law, an eligible entity shall submit to the President 

an application at such time, in such manner, and containing 

or accompanied by such information as the President may 

reasonably require. 

‘‘(2) EVALUATION AND CERTIFICATION.— 

‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 120 days after the 

date on which an eligible entity submits an application 

under paragraph (1), the President shall evaluate the 

application to determine whether the resilience or mitigation project that the entity plans to perform within, or 

that primarily benefits, a community disaster resilience 

zone— 

‘‘(i) is designed to reduce injuries, loss of life, and 

damage and destruction of property, such as damage 

to critical services and facilities; and 

‘‘(ii) substantially reduces the risk of, or increases 

resilience to, future damage, hardship, loss, or suffering. 

‘‘(B) CERTIFICATION.—If the President determines that 

an application submitted under paragraph (1) meets the 

criteria described in subparagraph (A), the President shall 

certify the proposed resilience or mitigation project. 

‘‘(C) EFFECT OF CERTIFICATION.—The certification of 

a proposed resilience or mitigation project under subparagraph (B) shall not be construed to exempt the resilience 

or mitigation project from the requirements of any other 

law. 

‘‘(3) PROJECTS CAUSING DISPLACEMENT.—With respect to 

a resilience or mitigation project certified under paragraph 

(2)(B) that involves the displacement of a resident from any 

occupied housing unit, the entity performing the resilience or 

mitigation project shall— 

‘‘(A) provide, at the option of the resident, a suitable 

and habitable housing unit that is, with respect to the 

housing unit from which the resident is displaced— 

‘‘(i) of a comparable size; 

‘‘(ii) located in the same local community or a 

community with reduced hazard risk; and 

‘‘(iii) offered under similar costs, conditions, and 

terms; 

‘‘(B) ensure that property acquisitions resulting from 

the displacement and made in connection with the resilience or mitigation project— 
S. 3875—5 

‘‘(i) are deed restricted in perpetuity to preclude 

future property uses not relating to mitigation or resilience; and 

‘‘(ii) are the result of a voluntary decision by the 

resident; and 

‘‘(C) plan for robust public participation in the resilience or mitigation project.’’. 

(b) NATIONAL RISK INDEX FUNDING.—Nothing in section 206 

of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance 

Act, as added by subsection (a) of this section, shall be construed 

to prohibit the Administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency from using amounts available to maintain and update 

the National Risk Index until the earlier of— 

(1) the date on which those amounts are transferred to 

another source; and 

(2) 3 years after the date of enactment of this Act. 

(c) APPLICABILITY.—The amendments made by this Act shall 

only apply with respect to amounts appropriated on or after the 

date of enactment of this Act. 

Speaker of the House of Representatives. 

Vice President of the United States and

President of the Senate.