Promoting Resilient Buildings Act of 2025

Bill: 119-hr-501
Sponsor: full_name: Rep. Edwards, Chuck [R-NC-11]
Introduced: 2025-01-16
Policy area: Emergency Management
Subjects: Government lending and loan guarantees

Natural disasters
Latest action: action_date: 2025-10-03
text: Placed on the Union Calendar, Calendar No. 273.

Summaries:
action_date: 2025-01-16
action_desc: Introduced in House
text: <p><strong>Promoting Resilient Buildings Act of 2025</strong></p><p>This bill authorizes local governments to implement the previous edition of building codes with funding from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities (BRIC) and Safeguarding Tomorrow Revolving Loan Fund (RLF) programs. It also establishes a pilot program for residential resilience retrofits under the BRIC program.</p><p>Under current law, local governments may use funding provided under the&nbsp;BRIC and Safeguarding Tomorrow RLF programs to establish and carry out the latest published editions of relevant building codes and standards. The bill allows local governments to use&nbsp;BRIC grant funding to carry out the latest two published editions (i.e., either the current edition of a building code or the previous edition) and requires&nbsp;BRIC to consider adoption of either of the latest two editions when determining whether to provide assistance.&nbsp;The bill also allows local governments to use loan funding from the Safeguarding Tomorrow RLF program for implementing the latest two published editions of building codes, including amendments government entities make to such codes.</p><p>Additionally, the bill establishes under the BRIC program a pilot program for states and local governments to provide grants to individuals for residential resilience retrofits (i.e., projects that increase a home’s resilience to natural hazards). To provide this assistance,&nbsp;FEMA may use up to 10% of the assistance made available to BRIC applicants annually. The pilot program terminates at the end of FY2028.</p>

tv_txt: IB Union Calendar No. 273 119th CONGRESS 1st Session H. R. 501 [Report No. 119–319] IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES January 16, 2025 Mr. Edwards (for himself and Ms. Titus ) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure October 3, 2025 Additional sponsor: Mr. Fitzpatrick October 3, 2025 Reported with an amendment, committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the State of the Union, and ordered to be printed Strike out all after the enacting clause and insert the part printed in italic For text of introduced bill, see copy of bill as introduced on January 16, 2025 A BILL To amend certain laws relating to disaster recovery and relief with respect to the implementation of building codes, and for other purposes.

1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Promoting Resilient Buildings Act of 2025 . 2. Predisaster hazard mitigation Section 203 of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act ( 42 U.S.C. 5133 ) is amended by adding at the end the following: (m) Latest published editions For purposes of subsections (e)(1)(B)(iv) and (g)(10), the term latest published editions means, with respect to relevant consensus-based codes, specifications, and standards, the 2 most recently published editions. . 3. Hazard mitigation revolving loan fund program Section 205(f) of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act ( 42 U.S.C. 5135(f) ) is amended— (1) by striking paragraph (5); and (2) by redesignating paragraphs (6), (7), and (8) as paragraphs (5), (6), and (7), respectively. 4. Residential retrofit and resilience pilot program (a) Definitions In this section: (1) Administrator The term Administrator means the Administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency. (2) Residential resilient retrofits The term residential resilient retrofits — (A) means a project that— (i) is designed to increase the resilience of an existing home or residence using mitigation measures that the Administrator determines reduce damage and impacts from natural disaster hazards and risks that are most likely to occur in the area where the home is located; and (ii) to the extent applicable, are consistent with the 2 most recently published editions of relevant consensus-based codes, specifications, and standards, including any amendments made by State, local, Tribal, or territorial governments to those codes, specifications, and standards 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 the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act ( 42 U.S.C. 5121 et seq. ) for the purpose of protecting the health, safety, and general welfare of users of the buildings against disasters; and (B) includes— (i) elevations of homes and elevations of utilities within and around structures to mitigate damages; (ii) floodproofing measures; (iii) the construction of tornado safe rooms; (iv) seismic retrofits; (v) wildfire retrofit and mitigation measures; (vi) wind retrofits, including roof replacements, hurricane straps, and tie-downs; and (vii) any other measures that meet the requirements of subparagraph (A), as determined by the Administrator. (b) Establishment The Administrator shall carry out a residential resilience pilot program through the program established under section 203 of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act ( 42 U.S.C. 5133 ) to make available assistance to States and local governments for the purpose of providing grants to individuals for residential resilience retrofits. (c) Amount of funds The Administrator may use not more than 10 percent of the assistance made available to applicants on an annual basis under section 203 of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act ( 42 U.S.C. 5133 ) to provide assistance under this section. (d) Timeline The Administrator shall establish the pilot program under this section not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of this Act and the program shall terminate on September 30, 2030. (e) Priority In carrying out the pilot program under this section, the Administrator shall ensure that a State or local government receiving assistance under the program provides grants to individuals that demonstrate financial need. (f) Report Not later than 6 years after the date of enactment of this Act, the Administrator shall submit to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs of the Senate and the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure of the House of Representatives a report that includes— (1) a summary of the grant awards and projects carried out under this section; (2) a detailed compilation of results achieved by the grant awards and projects carried out under this section, including the number of homes receiving retrofits, the types and average costs of retrofits, and demographic information for participants in the pilot program; (3) an estimate of avoidance in disaster impacts and Federal disaster payments as a result of the grant investments carried out under this section, and whether that avoidance is different than other mitigation projects funded through section 203 of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act ( 42 U.S.C. 5133 ); and (4) any identified implementation challenges and recommendations for improvements to the pilot program. (g) Applicability This section shall only apply to amounts appropriated on or after the date of enactment of this Act. 5. Rule of construction Nothing in this Act or the amendments made by this Act shall be construed to affect any program other than the predisaster hazard mitigation program or the hazard mitigation revolving loan fund program established under section 203 or 205 of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act ( 42 U.S.C. 5133 , 5135), respectively.

October 3, 2025 Reported with an amendment, committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the State of the Union, and ordered to be printed

tv_txt: I 119th CONGRESS 1st Session H. R. 501 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES January 16, 2025 Mr. Edwards (for himself and Ms. Titus ) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure A BILL To amend certain laws relating to disaster recovery and relief with respect to the implementation of building codes, and for other purposes.

1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Promoting Resilient Buildings Act of 2025 . 2. Predisaster hazard mitigation Section 203 of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act ( 42 U.S.C. 5133 ) is amended by adding at the end the following: (m) Latest published editions For purposes of subsections (e)(1)(B)(iv) and (g)(10), the term latest published editions means, with respect to relevant consensus-based codes, specifications, and standards, the 2 most recently published editions. . 3. Hazard mitigation revolving loan fund program Section 205(f)(5) of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act ( 42 U.S.C. 5135(f)(5) ) is amended— (1) in the paragraph heading by striking Establishing and insert Implementing ; (2) by striking establish and insert implement ; (3) by inserting 2 after latest ; and (4) by inserting , including any amendments made by State, local, Tribal, or territorial governments to such codes, specifications, and standards, after standards . 4. Residential retrofit and resilience pilot program (a) Establishment The Administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency shall carry out a residential resilience pilot program through the program established under section 203 of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act ( 42 U.S.C. 5133 ) to make available assistance to States and local governments for the purpose of providing grants to individuals for residential resilience retrofits. (b) Amount of funds The Administrator may use not more than 10 percent of the assistance made available to applicants on an annual basis under section 203 of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act ( 42 U.S.C. 5133 ) to provide assistance under this section. (c) Timeline The Administrator shall establish the pilot program under this section not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of this Act and the program shall terminate on September 30, 2028. (d) Priority In carrying out the pilot program under this section, the Administrator shall ensure that a State or local government receiving assistance under the program provides grants to individuals that demonstrate financial need. (e) Report Not later than 4 years after the date of enactment of this Act, the Administrator shall submit to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs of the Senate a report that includes— (1) a summary of the grant awards and projects carried out under this section; (2) a detailed compilation of results achieved by the grant awards and projects carried out under this section, including the number of homes receiving retrofits, the types and average costs of retrofits, demographic information for participants in the program, and estimate avoidance in disaster impacts and Federal disaster payments as a result of the grant investments; and (3) any identified implementation challenges and recommendations for improvements to the pilot program. (f) Applicability This section shall only apply to amounts appropriated on or after the date of enactment of this Act. (g) Residential resilient retrofits defined (1) In general In this section, the term residential resilient retrofits means a project that— (A) is designed to increase the resilience of an existing home or residence using mitigation measures which the administrator determines reduce damage and impacts from natural disaster hazards and risks that are most likely to occur in the area where the home is located; and (B) to the extent applicable, are consistent with the 2 most recently published editions of relevant consensus-based codes, specifications, and standards, including any amendments made by State, local, tribal, or territorial governments to such codes, specifications, and standards 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 the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act ( 42 U.S.C. 5121 et seq. ) for the purpose of protecting the health, safety, and general welfare of the buildings’ users against disasters. (2) Inclusion In this section, the term residential resilient retrofits includes— (A) elevations of homes and elevations of utilities within and around structures to mitigate damages; (B) floodproofing measures; (C) the construction of tornado safe rooms; (D) seismic retrofits; (E) wildfire retrofit and mitigation measures; (F) wind retrofits, including roof replacements, hurricane straps, and tie-downs; and (G) any other measures that meet the requirements of paragraph (1), as determined by the Administrator.