I 
117TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 7242 
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 HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
MARCH 28, 2022 
Ms. DAVIDS of Kansas (for herself and Mr. GRAVES of Louisiana) introduced 
the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Transportation 
and Infrastructure 
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. 
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 ‘‘Community Disaster 
Resilience Zones Act of 2022’’. 
SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 
Section 101(b) of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Re-
lief and Emergency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5121(b)) 
is amended— 
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(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 commu-
nities.’’. 
SEC. 3. NATURAL DISASTER 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 fol-
lowing: 
‘‘SEC. 206. NATURAL DISASTER 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 Presi-
dent under subsection (d)(1). 
‘‘(2) ELIGIBLE ENTITY.—The term ‘eligible en-
tity’ means— 
‘‘(A) a State; 
‘‘(B) an Indian tribal government; or 
‘‘(C) a local government. 
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‘‘(b) PRODUCTS.—The President shall continue to 
maintain a natural disaster hazard assessment program 
that develops and maintains products that— 
‘‘(1) are available to the public; and 
‘‘(2) show the risk of natural hazards across 
the United States, such as— 
‘‘(A) the National Risk Index or a suc-
cessor product; or 
‘‘(B) a natural disaster hazard risk assess-
ment and mapping tool that is complementary 
to the National Risk Index. 
‘‘(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; 
‘‘(C) community resilience; and 
‘‘(D) any other element determined by the 
President. 
‘‘(d) COMMUNITY DISASTER RESILIENCE ZONES 
DESIGNATION.— 
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‘‘(1) IN
GENERAL.—Not later than 30 days 
after the date on which the President makes the up-
date 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 under 
paragraph (2); and 
‘‘(B) subject to paragraph (3), in each 
State, not less than 1 percent of census tracts 
that are assigned a high risk rating under para-
graph (2). 
‘‘(2) RISK
RATINGS.—In carrying out para-
graph (1), the President shall use census tract risk 
ratings that, with respect to a product maintained 
under subsection (b)— 
‘‘(A) are derived from the product; 
‘‘(B) reflect whether a census tract has 
been assigned, under the product— 
‘‘(i) high levels of individual hazard 
risk ratings based on an assessment of the 
intersection of— 
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‘‘(I) loss to population equiva-
lence; 
‘‘(II) buildings value; and 
‘‘(III) agriculture value; and 
‘‘(ii) high social vulnerability ratings 
and low community resilience ratings; and 
‘‘(C) reflect the principal natural hazard 
risks identified for the census tract under the 
product. 
‘‘(3) GEOGRAPHIC
BALANCE.—In identifying 
and designating the community disaster resilience 
zones described in paragraph (1)(B)— 
‘‘(A) for the purpose of achieving geo-
graphic 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. 
‘‘(e) REVIEW AND UPDATE.—Not later than 180 
days after the date of enactment of the Community Dis-
aster Resilience Zones Act of 2022, and not less frequently 
than every 5 years thereafter, the President shall— 
‘‘(1) review the underlying methodology of any 
product that is a natural disaster hazard risk assess-
ment; 
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‘‘(2) consider including additional data in any 
product that is a natural disaster hazard risk assess-
ment, such as— 
‘‘(A) the most recent census tract data; 
‘‘(B) data from the American Community 
Survey of the Bureau of the Census, a suc-
cessor survey, a similar survey, or another data 
source, including data by census tract on hous-
ing characteristics and income; 
‘‘(C) information relating to development, 
improvements, and hazard mitigation measures; 
‘‘(D) natural disaster hazard risk assess-
ment insights on climate change and past and 
future natural hazard risk; and 
‘‘(E) 
other 
information 
relevant 
to 
prioritizing areas that have— 
‘‘(i) high risk levels of— 
‘‘(I) natural hazard loss expo-
sure, including population equivalence, 
buildings, infrastructure, and agri-
culture; and 
‘‘(II) social vulnerability; and 
‘‘(ii) low levels of community resil-
ience; 
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‘‘(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 main-
tained under subsection (b), as necessary. 
‘‘(f) NATURAL DISASTER HAZARD RISK ASSESS-
MENT INSIGHTS.—In determining the information to be 
included in the natural disaster hazard risk assessment 
insights described in subsection (e)(2)(D), the President 
shall consult with, at a minimum— 
‘‘(1) the Secretary of Homeland Security and 
the Administrator of the Federal Emergency Man-
agement Agency; 
‘‘(2) the Secretary of Agriculture and the Chief 
of the Forest Service; 
‘‘(3) the Secretary of Commerce, the Adminis-
trator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Ad-
ministration, the Director of the Bureau of the Cen-
sus, and the Director of the National Institute of 
Standards and Technology; 
‘‘(4) the Secretary of Defense and the Com-
manding Officer of the United States Army Corps of 
Engineers; 
‘‘(5) the Administrator of the Environmental 
Protection Agency; 
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‘‘(6) the Secretary of the Interior and the Di-
rector of the United States Geological Survey; 
‘‘(7) the Secretary of Housing and Urban De-
velopment; and 
‘‘(8) the Director of the Federal Housing Fi-
nance 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 Fed-
eral share described under section 203(h). 
‘‘(h) RESILIENCE OR MITIGATION PROJECT PLAN-
NING 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 re-
silience or mitigation project within, or that pri-
marily benefits, a community disaster resilience 
zone. 
‘‘(2) PURPOSE.—The purpose of assistance pro-
vided under paragraph (1) shall be to carry out ac-
tivities in preparation for a resilience or mitigation 
project, or seek an evaluation and certification under 
subsection (i)(2) for a resilience or mitigation 
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project, before the date on which permanent work of 
the resilience or mitigation project begins. 
‘‘(3) APPLICATION.—If required by the Presi-
dent, an eligible entity seeking assistance under 
paragraph (1) shall submit an application in accord-
ance with subsection (i)(1). 
‘‘(i) COMMUNITY
DISASTER
RESILIENCE
ZONE 
PROJECT APPLICATIONS.— 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—If required by the Presi-
dent 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) meets or exceeds consensus-based 
codes, specifications, and standards; 
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‘‘(ii) is designed to reduce injuries, 
loss of life, and damage and destruction of 
property, such as damage to critical serv-
ices and facilities; and 
‘‘(iii) 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. 
‘‘(3) PROJECTS
CAUSING
DISPLACEMENT.— 
With respect to a resilience or mitigation project cer-
tified under paragraph (2)(B) that involves the dis-
placement of a resident from any habitable housing 
unit, the entity performing the resilience or mitiga-
tion project shall, to the extent practicable as deter-
mined by the President, provide the resident the op-
tion to have a suitable and comparable housing unit 
in the same local community under terms that are 
similar to the terms of the habitable housing unit 
from which the resident is displaced. 
‘‘(4) FLOOD PROTECTION PROJECTS.—With re-
spect to a resilience or mitigation project certified 
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under paragraph (2)(B) that is a flood protection 
project under the jurisdiction of the United States 
Army Corps of Engineers, the flood protection 
project shall meet or exceed flood protection stand-
ards of the Army Corps of Engineers.’’. 
Æ 
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