I 
119TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION 
H. R. 403 
To enhance predisaster mitigation to prevent future natural disasters, and 
for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JANUARY 14, 2025 
Mr. SWALWELL introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure 
A BILL 
To enhance predisaster mitigation to prevent future natural 
disasters, and for other purposes. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Preventing Our Next 
Natural Disaster Act’’. 
SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS. 
Section 203(a) of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Re-
lief and Emergency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5133(a)) 
is amended to read as follows: 
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‘‘(a) DEFINITIONS.—In this section, the following 
definitions apply: 
‘‘(1) HIGH HAZARD RISK.—The term ‘high haz-
ard risk’ means high rating of a natural hazard risk 
according to a tool such as the National Risk Index 
or another tool developed by the Federal Emergency 
Management Agency. 
‘‘(2) ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE COMMUNITY.— 
The term ‘environmental justice community’ means 
a community primarily composed of communities of 
color, low-income communities, or Tribal and indige-
nous communities, that experiences, or is at risk of 
experiencing, higher or more adverse human health 
or environmental effects than most communities. 
‘‘(3) SMALL IMPOVERISHED COMMUNITY.—The 
term ‘small impoverished community’ means a com-
munity that is comprised of 50,000 or fewer individ-
uals and that is economically disadvantaged, as de-
termined by the State in which the community is lo-
cated and based on criteria established by the Presi-
dent.’’. 
SEC. 3. TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE. 
Section 203(e) of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Re-
lief and Emergency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5133(e)) 
is amended by adding at the end the following: 
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‘‘(3) GUIDANCE.—The Administrator may de-
velop guidance regarding how to incorporate climate 
change into— 
‘‘(A) the National Risk Index; 
‘‘(B) cost-benefit analyses; and 
‘‘(C) adopting improved relevant con-
sensus-based codes, specifications, and stand-
ards to address natural hazards. 
‘‘(4) BUILDING, RESTORATION, OR REHABILITA-
TION.—The Administrator may issue guidance to en-
sure that funds provided under this section are used 
to support the building, restoration, or rehabilitation 
of hazard mitigation projects that are— 
‘‘(A) planned and designed around the fu-
ture projections of climate change over the life 
cycle of the project; and 
‘‘(B) built to withstand future flooding, 
wildfires, or other natural disasters.’’. 
SEC. 4. CRITERIA FOR ASSISTANCE AWARDS. 
Section 203(g) of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Re-
lief and Emergency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5133(g)) 
is amended— 
(1) by striking ‘‘and’’ at the end of paragraph 
(11); 
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