[Congressional Bills 117th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 3875 Introduced in Senate (IS)]
<DOC>
117th CONGRESS
2d Session
S. 3875
To require the President to develop and maintain products that show the
risk of natural hazards across the United States, and for other
purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
March 17, 2022
Mr. Peters (for himself and Mr. Portman) introduced the following bill;
which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Homeland Security
and Governmental Affairs
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To require the President to develop and maintain products that show the
risk of natural hazards across the United States, 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 ``Community Disaster Resilience Zones
Act of 2022''.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS.
Section 101(b) of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and
Emergency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5121(b)) is amended--
(1) in paragraph (5), by striking ``and'' at the end;
(2) in paragraph (6), by adding ``; and'' at the end; and
(3) by adding at the end the following:
``(7) identifying and improving the climate and natural
hazard resilience of vulnerable communities.''.
SEC. 3. NATURAL DISASTER RISK ASSESSMENT.
(a) In General.--Title II of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief
and Emergency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5131 et seq.) is amended by
adding at the end the following:
``SEC. 206. NATURAL DISASTER RISK ASSESSMENT.
``(a) Definitions.--In this section:
``(1) Community disaster resilience zone.--The term
`community disaster resilience zone' means a census tract
designated by the President under subsection (d)(1).
``(2) Eligible entity.--The term `eligible entity' means--
``(A) a State;
``(B) an Indian tribal government; or
``(C) a local government.
``(b) Products.--The President shall continue to maintain a natural
disaster assessment program that develops and maintains products that--
``(1) are available to the public; and
``(2) show the risk of natural hazards across the United
States, such as--
``(A) the National Risk Index or a successor
product; or
``(B) a natural disaster hazard risk assessment and
mapping tool that is complementary to the National Risk
Index.
``(c) Features.--The products maintained under subsection (b)
shall, for lands within States and areas under the jurisdiction of
Indian tribal governments--
``(1) show the risk of natural hazards; and
``(2) include ratings and data for--
``(A) loss exposure, including population
equivalence, buildings, and agriculture;
``(B) social vulnerability;
``(C) community resilience; and
``(D) any other element determined by the
President.
``(d) Community Disaster Resilience Zones Designation.--
``(1) In general.--Not later than 30 days after the date on
which the President makes the update and enhancement required
under subsection (e)(4), and not less frequently than every 5
years thereafter, the President shall identify and designate
community disaster resilience zones, which shall be--
``(A) the 50 census tracts assigned the highest
individual hazard risk ratings under paragraph (2); and
``(B) subject to paragraph (3), in each State, not
less than 1 percent of census tracts that are assigned
a high risk rating under paragraph (2).
``(2) Risk ratings.--In carrying out paragraph (1), the
President shall use census tract risk ratings that, with
respect to a product maintained under subsection (b)--
``(A) are derived from the product;
``(B) reflect whether a census tract has been
assigned, under the product--
``(i) high levels of individual hazard risk
ratings based on an assessment of the
intersection of--
``(I) loss to population
equivalence;
``(II) buildings value; and
``(III) agriculture value; and
``(ii) high social vulnerability ratings
and low community resilience ratings; and
``(C) reflect the principal natural hazard risks
identified for the census tract under the product.
``(3) Geographic balance.--In identifying and designating
the community disaster resilience zones described in paragraph
(1)(B)--
``(A) for the purpose of achieving geographic
balance, when applicable, the President shall consider
making designations in coastal, inland, urban,
suburban, and rural areas; and
``(B) the President shall include census tracts on
Tribal lands located within a State.
``(e) Review and Update.--Not later than 180 days after the date of
enactment of the Community Disaster Resilience Zones Act of 2022, and
not less frequently than every 5 years thereafter, the President
shall--
``(1) review the underlying methodology of any product that
is a natural disaster hazard risk assessment;
``(2) consider including additional data in any product
that is a natural disaster hazard risk assessment, such as--
``(A) the most recent census tract data;
``(B) data from the American Community Survey of
the Bureau of the Census, a successor survey, a similar
survey, or another data source, including data by
census tract on housing characteristics and income;
``(C) information relating to development,
improvements, and hazard mitigation measures;
``(D) natural disaster risk assessment insights on
climate change and past and future natural hazard risk;
and
``(E) other information relevant to prioritizing
areas that have--
``(i) high risk levels of--
``(I) natural hazard loss exposure,
including population equivalence,
buildings, infrastructure, and
agriculture; and
``(II) social vulnerability; and
``(ii) low levels of community resilience;
``(3) make publicly available any changes in methodology or
data used to inform an update to a product maintained under
subsection (b); and
``(4) update and enhance the products maintained under
subsection (b), as necessary.
``(f) Natural Disaster Hazard Risk Assessment Insights.--In
determining the information to be included in the natural disaster
hazard risk assessment insights described in subsection (e)(2)(D), the
President shall consult with, at a minimum--
``(1) the Secretary of Homeland Security and the
Administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency;
``(2) the Secretary of Agriculture and the Chief of the
Forest Service;
``(3) the Secretary of Commerce, the Administrator of the
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the Director
of the Bureau of the Census, and the Director of the National
Institute of Standards and Technology;
``(4) the Secretary of Defense and the Commanding Officer
of the United States Army Corps of Engineers;
``(5) the Administrator of the Environmental Protection
Agency;
``(6) the Secretary of the Interior and the Director of the
United States Geological Survey;
``(7) the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development; and
``(8) the Director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency.
``(g) Community Disaster Resilience Zone.--With respect to
financial assistance provided under section 203(i) to perform a
resilience or mitigation project within, or that primarily benefits, a
community disaster resilience zone, the President may increase the
amount of the Federal share described under section 203(h).
``(h) Resilience or Mitigation Project Planning Assistance.--
``(1) In general.--The President may provide financial,
technical, or other assistance under this title to an eligible
entity that plans to perform a resilience or mitigation project
within, or that primarily benefits, a community disaster
resilience zone.
``(2) Purpose.--The purpose of assistance provided under
paragraph (1) shall be to carry out activities in preparation
for a resilience or mitigation project or seek an evaluation
and certification under subsection (i)(2) for a resilience or
mitigation project before the date on which permanent work of
the resilience or mitigation project begins.
``(3) Application.--If required by the President, an
eligible entity seeking assistance under paragraph (1) shall
submit an application in accordance with subsection (i)(1).
``(i) Community Disaster Resilience Zone Project Applications.--
``(1) In general.--If required by the President or other
Federal law, an eligible entity shall submit to the President
an application at such time, in such manner, and containing or
accompanied by such information as the President may reasonably
require.
``(2) Evaluation and certification.--
``(A) In general.--Not later than 120 days after
the date on which an eligible entity submits an
application under paragraph (1), the President shall
evaluate the application to determine whether the
resilience or mitigation project that the entity plans
to perform within, or that primarily benefits, a
community disaster resilience zone--
``(i) meets or exceeds consensus-based
codes, specifications, and standards;
``(ii) is designed to reduce injuries, loss
of life, and damage and destruction of
property, such as damage to critical services
and facilities; and
``(iii) substantially reduces the risk of,
or increases resilience to, future damage,
hardship, loss, or suffering.
``(B) Certification.--If the President determines
that an application submitted under paragraph (1) meets
the criteria described in subparagraph (A), the
President shall certify the proposed resilience or
mitigation project.
``(3) Projects causing displacement.--With respect to a
resilience or mitigation project certified under paragraph
(2)(B) that involves the displacement of a resident from any
habitable housing unit, the entity performing the resilience or
mitigation project shall, to the extent practicable as
determined by the President, provide the resident the option to
have a suitable and comparable housing unit in the same local
community under terms that are similar to the terms of the
habitable housing unit from which the resident is displaced.
``(4) Flood protection projects.--With respect to a
resilience or mitigation project certified under paragraph
(2)(B) that is a flood protection project under the
jurisdiction of the United States Army Corps of Engineers, the
flood protection project shall meet or exceed flood protection
standards of the Army Corps of Engineers.''.
<all>