[Congressional Record Volume 168, Number 57 (Thursday, March 31, 2022)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E336]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




    SAFEGUARDING TOMORROW THROUGH ONGOING RISK MITIGATION TECHNICAL 
                            CORRECTIONS ACT

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                        HON. SHEILA JACKSON LEE

                                of texas

                    in the house of representatives

                       Wednesday, March 30, 2022

  Ms. JACKSON LEE. Madam Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 
5673, the Safeguarding Tomorrow through Ongoing Risk Mitigation 
Technical Corrections Act.
  This bill revises provisions related to the hazard mitigation 
revolving loan fund program, by requiring capitalization grant 
recipients to supplement these two most recently published editions of 
relevant building codes, specifications, and standards.
  The Safeguarding Tomorrow through Ongoing Risk Mitigation Act 
authorizes the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to enter into 
agreements with any state or Indian tribal government to make grants 
for the establishment of hazard mitigation revolving loan funds.
  The funding would enable local governments that carry out projects to 
reduce disaster risks for homeowners, businesses, nonprofit 
organizations, and communities to decrease the loss of life and 
property, the cost of insurance claims, and federal disaster payments.
  The Infrastructure Act of 2021 provides $500 million to the STORM 
Act, or $100 million per year for five years.
  This new FEMA grant program finances water, wastewater, 
infrastructure, disaster recovery, community, and small business 
development projects.
  This revolving loan fund can be utilized for projects intended to 
protect against wildfires, earthquakes, flooding, storm surges, 
chemical spills, seepage resulting from chemical spills and floods, and 
any other event deemed catastrophic by FEMA.
  This legislation makes a huge impact on the nation's efforts to 
prevent and recover from natural disasters.
  My community, the 18th Congressional District of Texas will benefit 
greatly from this bill.
  Houston's Hurricane Harvey wreaked $125 billion in damage to the 
Houston area.
  Houston's Third and Fifth Wards and in surrounding communities of 
Baytown and Gulfton, took the brunt of flooding damage due to Hurricane 
Harvey in 2017.
  In February 2021, many of these same neighborhoods endured a much 
higher rate of power outages from Winter Storm Uri.
  These low-interest loans will allow for cities and states to repay 
the loan, with savings from mitigation projects.
  It also gives states the flexibility to prepare for oncoming 
disasters without paying high-interest rates.
  They can invest in their communities--cutting red tape and they will 
no longer have to wait on the federal government.
  For my district, and others living on the coast, it is not a matter 
of ``if'' a hurricane will strike our coast, it's a matter of ``when'' 
it will strike.
  I ask my colleagues to join me in voting for H.R. 5673 because 
hazards are going to happen and we must do everything we can to protect 
our people.
  We need the Safeguarding Tomorrow through Ongoing Risk Mitigation 
Act.

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