Promoting Resilient Buildings Act of 2025

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 501 Introduced in House (IH)]

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119th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 501

  To amend certain laws relating to disaster recovery and relief with 
    respect to the implementation of building codes, and for other 
                               purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    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.

    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 ``Promoting Resilient Buildings Act of 
2025''.

SEC. 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.''.

SEC. 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''.

SEC. 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.
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