Title: Climate Resilient Communities Act
Policy area: Emergency Management

Summary:
Climate Resilient Communities Act
This bill directs the Government Accountability Office to evaluate, and report to Congress on, the structural and economic impacts of climate resiliency at the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), including recommendations on how to improve FEMA's use of building codes and standards to prepare for climate change and address resiliency in housing, public buildings, and infrastructure such as roads and bridges.

[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 5709 Introduced in House (IH)]

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116th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 5709

 To require the Comptroller General to evaluate and issue a report on 
   the structural and economic impacts of climate resiliency at the 
 Federal Emergency Management Agency, including recommendations on how 
  to improve the building codes and standards that the Agency uses to 
 prepare for climate change and address resiliency in housing, public 
        buildings, and infrastructure such as roads and bridges.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            January 29, 2020

   Mr. Neguse (for himself and Mr. Rooney of Florida) introduced the 
 following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Transportation 
                           and Infrastructure

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
 To require the Comptroller General to evaluate and issue a report on 
   the structural and economic impacts of climate resiliency at the 
 Federal Emergency Management Agency, including recommendations on how 
  to improve the building codes and standards that the Agency uses to 
 prepare for climate change and address resiliency in housing, public 
        buildings, and infrastructure such as roads and bridges.

    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 ``Climate Resilient Communities Act''.

SEC. 2. CLIMATE RESILIENCY REPORT BY GAO.

    (a) In General.--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 a report to Congress on the structural and economic 
impacts of climate resiliency at the Federal Emergency Management 
Agency (FEMA), including recommendations on how to improve the Agency's 
use of building codes and standards to prepare for climate change and 
address resiliency in housing, public buildings, and infrastructure 
such as roads and bridges.
    (b) Report Issues.--The report required under subsection (a) shall 
include the following:
            (1) Economic analysis of the benefits to considering and 
        prioritizing resiliency when building new infrastructure.
            (2) Number of structures (buildings, roads, bridges) that 
        were not destroyed because of pre-disaster mitigation planning, 
        and the resultant cost savings.
            (3) Economic analysis of the benefits to considering and 
        prioritizing resiliency when rebuilding after natural 
        disasters.
            (4) Recommendations to improve the building codes and 
        standards that FEMA uses to consider climate impacts and risks, 
        including--
                    (A) flooding;
                    (B) wildfires;
                    (C) hurricanes;
                    (D) heat waves;
                    (E) droughts;
                    (F) rises in sea level; and
                    (G) extreme weather.
            (5) Assessment of the building codes and standards that are 
        currently being used by FEMA to make resiliency decisions, 
        including recommendations for updates to such codes and 
        standards.
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