Empowering Resilient Local Communities Act
Bill: H.R.8300 | Sponsor: Rep. Blumenauer, Earl (D-OR)
Policy area: Emergency Management

Summary:
Empowering Resilient Local Communities Act
This bill addresses issues involving extreme temperature and resilience, as well as impacts on underserved communities.
Specifically, the bill directs the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to issue guidance related to extreme temperature events and resilience goals. It requires hazard mitigation plans to address resilience and disparate impacts on underserved communities.
The Government Accountability Office must evaluate and issue to Congress and FEMA a report regarding the impacts of wildfire smoke and poor indoor air quality, the challenges posed to FEMA in addressing wildfire smoke and indoor air quality, and recommendations for FEMA to better provide assistance to communities and individuals in dealing with wildfire smoke and indoor air quality.
FEMA must submit to Congress a report regarding the challenges posed by its requirements for declaring an incident or determining the cost effectiveness of mitigation activities and specifically how such requirements may disproportionately burden small impoverished communities, or specific vulnerable populations within communities.

To direct the Administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency 
 to issue guidance on extreme temperature events and resilience goals, 
                        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 ``Empowering Resilient Local 
Communities Act''.

SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS.

    Section 203 of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency 
Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5133) is amended--
            (1) by amending subsection (a) to read as follows:
    ``(a) Definition of Underserved Community.--In this section, the 
term `underserved community' means a community, or a neighborhood 
within a community, that--
            ``(1) is classified as high risk according to census tract 
        risk ratings derived from a product that--
                    ``(A) is maintained under a natural hazard 
                assessment program;
                    ``(B) is available to the public;
                    ``(C) defines natural hazard risk across the United 
                States;
                    ``(D) reflects high levels of individual hazard 
                risk ratings;
                    ``(E) reflects high social vulnerability ratings 
                and low community resilience ratings;
                    ``(F) reflects the principal natural hazard risks 
                identified for the respective census tracts; and
                    ``(G) any other elements determined by the 
                President;
            ``(2) is comprised of 50,000 or fewer individuals and is 
        economically disadvantaged, as determined by the State in which 
        the community is located and based on criteria established by 
        the President; or
            ``(3) is otherwise determined by the President based on 
        factors including, high housing cost burden and substandard 
        housing, percentage of homeless population, limited water and 
        sanitation access, demographic information such as race, age, 
        and disability, language composition, transportation access or 
        type, disproportionate environmental stressor burden, and 
        disproportionate impacts from climate change.'';
            (2) in subsection (g)(9) by striking ``small impoverished 
        communities'' and inserting ``underserved communities''; and
            (3) in subsection (h)(2)--
                    (A) in the heading by striking ``Small impoverished 
                communities'' and inserting ``Underserved 
                communities''; and
                    (B) by striking ``small impoverished community'' 
                and inserting ``underserved community''.

SEC. 3. GUIDANCE ON EXTREME TEMPERATURE EVENTS.

    Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of this Act, the 
Administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Administration shall 
issue guidance related to extreme temperature events, including heat 
waves and freezes, and publish such guidance in the Federal Emergency 
Management Administration Public Assistance Program and Policy Guide.

SEC. 4. HAZARD MITIGATION PLANS.

    Section 322 of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency 
Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5165) is amended--
            (1) in subsection (a) by striking the period at the end and 
        inserting ``, including--
            ``(1) identifying the extent to which resilience is or will 
        be incorporated into other planning processes, including 
        community land use, economic development, capital improvement 
        budgets and transportation planning processes;
            ``(2) goals and objectives related to increasing resilience 
        over a 5-year period, including benchmarks for future work and 
        an assessment of past progress;
            ``(3) the building codes in existence at the time the plan 
        is submitted and standards that are in use by the State for all 
        manner of planning or development purposes and how the State 
        has or will comply with the standards set forth in section 
        406(e)(1)(A);
            ``(4) the use of nature-based solutions or other mitigation 
        activities that conserve or restore natural features that can 
        serve to abate or lessen the impacts of future disasters;
            ``(5) integration of each local mitigation plan with the 
        State, Indian Tribe, or territory plan; and
            ``(6) the disparate impacts on underserved communities (as 
        such term is defined in section 203(a)) and plans to address 
        any disparities.''; and
            (2) by adding at the end the following:
    ``(f) Guidance.--The Administrator of the Federal Emergency 
Management Agency shall issue specific guidance on resilience goals and 
provide technical assistance for States, Indian Tribes, territories, 
and local governments to meet such goals.
    ``(g) Adequate Staffing.--The Administrator of the Federal 
Emergency Management Agency shall ensure that ample staff are available 
to develop the guidance and technical assistance under section 322, 
including hazard mitigation planning staff and personnel with expertise 
in community planning, land use development, and consensus based codes 
and hazard resistant designs at each regional office that specifically 
focus on providing financial and non-financial direct technical 
assistance to States, Indian Tribes, and territories.
    ``(h) Reporting.--Not less frequently than every 5 years, the 
Administrator shall submit to Congress a report on the progress of 
meeting the goals under this section.''.

SEC. 5. ADDITIONAL USES OF FUNDS.

    Section 408 of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency 
Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5174) is amended by adding at the end the 
following:
    ``(k) Additional Uses of Funds.--For State and local governments 
that have exceeded, adopted, or are implementing the latest two 
published editions of relevant consensus-based codes, specifications, 
and standards that incorporate the latest hazard-resistant designs and 
establish minimum acceptable criteria for the design, construction, and 
maintenance of residential structures and facilities, a recipient of 
assistance provided under this paragraph may use such assistance in a 
manner consistent with the standards set forth in clauses (ii) and 
(iii) of section 406(e)(1)(A).''.

SEC. 6. COLLABORATION WITH OTHER AGENCIES.

    In awarding grants under the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and 
Emergency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5121 et seq.), the Administrator of 
the Federal Emergency Management Agency may coordinate with other 
relevant agencies, including the Environmental Protection Agency, the 
Department of Energy, the Department of Transportation, the Corps of 
Engineers, the Department of Agriculture, and the Department of Housing 
and Urban Development, as necessary, to improve collaboration for 
eligible activities under the Act.

SEC. 7. GAO REPORTS.

    (a) Extreme Temperature Events.--Not later than 1 year after the 
date of enactment of this Act, and every 5 years thereafter, the 
Comptroller General of the United States shall evaluate and issue to 
Congress and the Federal Emergency Management Agency a report regarding 
the impacts of extreme temperatures events on communities, the 
challenges posed to the Federal Emergency Management Agency in 
addressing extreme temperature events, and recommendations for the 
Federal Emergency Management Agency to better provide assistance to 
communities experiencing extreme temperature events. The report may 
also include examples of specific mitigation and resilience projects 
that communities may undertake, and the Federal Emergency Management 
Agency may consider, to reduce the impacts of extreme temperatures on 
and within building structures, participatory processes that allow for 
public engagement in determining and addressing local risks and 
vulnerabilities related to extreme temperatures events, and community 
infrastructure, including heating or cooling shelters.
    (b) Smoke and Indoor Air Quality.--Not later than 1 year after the 
date of enactment of this Act, and every 5 years thereafter, the 
Comptroller General shall evaluate and issue to Congress and the 
Federal Emergency Management Agency a report regarding the impacts of 
wildfire smoke and poor indoor air quality, the challenges posed to 
Federal Emergency Management Agency in addressing wildfire smoke and 
indoor air quality, and recommendations for the Federal Emergency 
Management Agency to better provide assistance to communities and 
individuals in dealing with wildfire smoke and indoor air quality.

SEC. 8. REPORT CONGRESS AND UPDATE OF COST EFFECTIVENESS DETERMINATIONS 
              AND DECLARATIONS.

    (a) Report.--Not later than 2 years after the date of enactment of 
this Act, the Administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, 
in coordination with the Director of the Office of Management and 
Budget, shall submit to Congress a report regarding the challenges 
posed by the Agency's requirements for declaring an incident or 
determining the cost effectiveness of mitigation activities and 
specifically how such requirements may disproportionately burden small 
impoverished communities, or specific vulnerable populations within 
communities.
    (b) Update of Cost Effectiveness Determination.--Not later than 5 
years after the date of enactment of this Act, the Administrator, to 
the extent practicable, shall update the requirements for determining 
cost effectiveness and declaring incidents, including selection of 
appropriate interest rates, based on the findings made under subsection 
(a).
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