[Congressional Bills 109th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 3793 Introduced in House (IH)]







109th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 3793

  To ensure that predisaster hazard mitigation continues beyond 2005.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           September 15, 2005

  Mrs. Capps introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
             Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
  To ensure that predisaster hazard mitigation continues beyond 2005.

    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 ``Disaster Preparation and Local 
Action Now Act''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

    Congress finds that--
            (1) natural disasters, including earthquakes, tsunamis, 
        tornadoes, hurricanes, flooding, and wildfires, pose great 
        danger to human life and to property throughout the United 
        States;
            (2) greater emphasis needs to be placed on--
                    (A) identifying and assessing the risks to States 
                and local governments (including Indian tribes) from 
                natural disasters;
                    (B) implementing adequate measures to reduce losses 
                from natural disasters; and
                    (C) ensuring that the critical services and 
                facilities of communities will continue to function 
                after a natural disaster;
            (3) expenditures for postdisaster assistance are increasing 
        without commensurate reductions in the likelihood of future 
        losses from natural disasters;
            (4) in the expenditure of Federal funds under the Robert T. 
        Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (42 
        U.S.C. 5121 et seq.), high priority should be given to 
        mitigation of hazards at the local level;
            (5) with a unified effort of economic incentives, awareness 
        and education, technical assistance, and demonstrated Federal 
        support, States and local governments (including Indian tribes) 
        will be able to--
                    (A) form effective community-based partnerships for 
                hazard mitigation purposes;
                    (B) implement effective hazard mitigation measures 
                that reduce the potential damage from natural 
                disasters;
                    (C) ensure continued functionality of critical 
                services;
                    (D) leverage additional non-Federal resources in 
                meeting natural disaster resistance goals; and
                    (E) make commitments to long-term hazard mitigation 
                efforts to be applied to new and existing structures;
            (6) Project Impact: Building Disaster Resistant Communities 
        was a successful nationwide disaster prevention initiative 
        developed by the Federal Emergency Management Agency to help 
        communities take steps to become more disaster resistant and 
        sustainable in advance of a natural disaster event such as a 
        flood, hurricane, earthquake, or wildfire;
            (7) Project Impact relied on active and effective 
        partnerships among Federal agencies, State and local 
        governments, volunteer agencies and the private sector to 
        support these local activities by providing technical 
        assistance, funding, and resources;
            (8) Project Impact activities were developed locally and 
        empowered communities to determine their needs and priorities 
        and to act on those of greatest importance to them;
            (9) Project Impact based its work and planning on three 
        principles: preventive actions must be decided at the local 
        level; private sector participation is vital; and long-term 
        efforts and investments in prevention measures are essential;
            (10) Project Impact encouraged an investment in mitigation 
        in order to improve the economic structure, stability and 
        sustainability of our neighborhoods and communities and to save 
        lives; and
            (11) Project Impact expanded from seven pilot communities 
        to include nearly 250, enlisted partnership of all States and 
        territories, and signed up over 2,500 business partners, from 
        1997 to 2001.

SEC. 3. PREDISASTER HAZARD MITIGATION.

    Section 203(m) of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and 
Emergency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5133(m)) is amended by striking 
``December 31, 2005'' and inserting ``September 30, 2010''.

SEC. 4. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

    There are authorized to be appropriated to carry out section 203 of 
the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (42 
U.S.C. 5121 et seq.) $200,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2007 through 
2010.
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