Community Disaster Resilience Zones Act of 2022
Bill: H.R.7242 | Sponsor: Rep. Davids, Sharice (D-KS)
Policy area: Emergency Management

Summary:
Community Disaster Resilience Zones Act of 2022
This bill requires the President to continue to maintain a natural hazard assessment program that develops and maintains publicly available products to show the risk of natural hazards across the United States.
Such products shall show the risk of natural hazards and include ratings and data for loss exposure, social vulnerability, community resilience, and any other element determined by the President.
The President shall (1) review the underlying methodology of any product that is a natural disaster hazard risk assessment, and (2) consider including additional data in any product that is a natural hazard risk assessment. Additionally, the President must conduct such reviews to evaluate and update the assessments at least every five years.
Using the reviewed assessments, the President must periodically identify and designate community disaster resilience zones (CDRZs), which shall be (1) the 50 census tracts assigned the highest individual hazard risk ratings; and (2) in each state, not less than 1% of census tracts that are assigned a high individual risk rating, taking into consideration specified geographic balance.
The President may provide financial, technical, or other assistance to an eligible entity (a state, Indian tribal government, or local government) that plans to perform a resilience or mitigation project within, or that primarily benefits, a CDRZ.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) must develop criteria (taking into consideration the economic effects) to assess damage caused by a harmful algal bloom and report to Congress describing such criteria.

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;
                    ``(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) buildings 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;
                    ``(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).
    ``(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 
        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) meets or exceeds one of the latest 
                        two published editions of relevant consensus-
                        based codes, specifications, and standards, 
                        including amendments made by State, local, 
                        Indian tribal, or territorial governments 
                        during the adoption process 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 this section;
                            ``(ii) is designed to reduce injuries, loss 
                        of life, and damage and destruction of 
                        property, such as damage to critical services 
                        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.
                    ``(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--
                            ``(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), 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 such amounts are transferred to 
        another source; and
            (2) 3 years after the date of enactment of this Act.
    (c) Conforming Amendment.--Section 1234 of the Disaster Recovery 
Reform Act of 2018 (42 U.S.C. 5133 note) is amended by striking 
subsection (d).

SEC. 4. HARMFUL ALGAL BLOOM DAMAGE.

    (a) In General.--Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment 
of this Act, the Administrator of the Federal Emergency Management 
Agency shall develop criteria to assess damage caused by a harmful 
algal bloom and submit to Congress a report describing such criteria.
    (b) Economic Impact.--In developing the criteria under subsection 
(a), the Administrator shall take into consideration the economic 
effects of harmful algal blooms.
                                                 Union Calendar No. 440

117th CONGRESS

  2d Session

                               H. R. 7242

                          [Report No. 117-609]

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