[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 5473 Reported in Senate (RS)]

<DOC>





                                                       Calendar No. 440
118th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 5473

                          [Report No. 118-194]


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                           December 12, 2023

Received; read twice and referred to the Committee on Homeland Security 
                        and Governmental Affairs

                             July 23, 2024

               Reported by Mr. Peters, with an amendment
 [Strike out all after the enacting clause and insert the part printed 
                               in italic]

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 AN ACT


 
  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,

<DELETED>SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.</DELETED>

<DELETED>    This Act may be cited as the ``Promoting Resilient 
Buildings Act of 2023''.</DELETED>

<DELETED>SEC. 2. PREDISASTER HAZARD MITIGATION.</DELETED>

<DELETED>    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:</DELETED>
<DELETED>    ``(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.''.</DELETED>

<DELETED>SEC. 3. HAZARD MITIGATION REVOLVING LOAN FUND 
              PROGRAM.</DELETED>

<DELETED>    Section 205(f)(5) of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster 
Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5135(f)(5)) is amended--
</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (1) in the paragraph heading by striking 
        ``Establishing'' and insert ``Implementing'';</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (2) by striking ``establish'' and insert 
        ``implement'';</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (3) by inserting ``2'' after ``latest''; 
        and</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (4) by inserting ``, including any amendments made 
        by State, local, Tribal, or territorial governments to such 
        codes, specifications, and standards,'' after 
        ``standards''.</DELETED>

<DELETED>SEC. 4. RESIDENTIAL RETROFIT AND RESILIENCE PILOT 
              PROGRAM.</DELETED>

<DELETED>    (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.</DELETED>
<DELETED>    (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.</DELETED>
<DELETED>    (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, 
2026.</DELETED>
<DELETED>    (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.</DELETED>
<DELETED>    (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--</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (1) a summary of the grant awards and projects 
        carried out under this section;</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (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</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (3) any identified implementation challenges and 
        recommendations for improvements to the pilot 
        program.</DELETED>
<DELETED>    (f) Applicability.--This section shall only apply to 
amounts appropriated on or after the date of enactment of this 
Act.</DELETED>
<DELETED>    (g) Residential Resilient Retrofits Defined.--</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (1) In general.--In this section, the term 
        ``residential resilient retrofits'' means a project that--
        </DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (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</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (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.</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (2) Inclusion.--In this section, the term 
        ``residential resilient retrofits'' includes--</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (A) elevations of homes and elevations of 
                utilities within and around structures to mitigate 
                damages;</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (B) floodproofing measures;</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (C) the construction of tornado safe 
                rooms;</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (D) seismic retrofits;</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (E) wildfire retrofit and mitigation 
                measures;</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (F) wind retrofits, including roof 
                replacements, hurricane straps, and tie-downs; 
                and</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (G) any other measures that meet the 
                requirements of paragraph (1), as determined by the 
                Administrator.</DELETED>

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Promoting Resilient Buildings Act of 
2024''.

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) 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.

SEC. 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, 2026.
    (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 4 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.

SEC. 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.
                                                       Calendar No. 440

118th CONGRESS

  2d Session

                               H. R. 5473

                          [Report No. 118-194]

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 AN ACT

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

_______________________________________________________________________

                             July 23, 2024

                       Reported with an amendment