Promoting Resilient Buildings Act of 2025
The Promoting Resilient Buildings Act of 2025 would update federal disaster mitigation rules to require up-to-date building codes and create a new pilot program to help individuals retrofit existing homes for resilience. Key changes include instructing FEMA to use the two most recently published editions of consensus-based codes and standards in relevant predisaster mitigation decisions, adjusting the Hazard Mitigation Revolving Loan Fund program’s subparagraph structure, and establishing a Residential Retrofit and Resilience Pilot Program. The pilot would offer grants to states or communities to provide assistance to individuals for specific residential resilience improvements (like elevations, floodproofing, storm shelters, seismic and wildfire measures, and wind retrofits), with a focus on financially needy households. The pilot is capped at 10% of overall disaster mitigation assistance, must be implemented within a year of enactment, runs through September 30, 2030, and requires a detailed federal evaluation within six years.
Key Points
- 1Latest published editions: The act defines “latest published editions” for relevant consensus-based codes as the two most recently published editions, ensuring that building standards kept for predisaster mitigation reflect current practices.
- 2Revisions to the Hazard Mitigation Revolving Loan Fund: The bill amends Section 205(f) of the Stafford Act by striking one paragraph and renumbering the remaining subparagraphs, altering the fund’s statutory structure (the exact content of the removed paragraph is not specified here).
- 3Residential Retrofit and Resilience Pilot Program: The bill creates a pilot program under Section 203 to provide grants to states/local governments to pass through to individuals for residential resilience retrofits. Eligible measures include elevations, floodproofing, tornado safe rooms, seismic retrofits, wildfire resilience, wind retrofits (e.g., roof replacements, hurricane straps), and other similar measures that meet the updated code standards.
- 4Funding limits and timeline: The Administrator may use up to 10% of the assistance available to applicants under Section 203 to support the pilot. The program must be established within one year of enactment and ends on September 30, 2030.
- 5Reporting and evaluation: By six years after enactment, the Administrator must report to relevant Senate and House committees with project summaries, retrofit details (including cost and demographics), estimates of avoided disaster impacts and federal payments, and recommendations for improvements. The applicability is limited to funds appropriated after enactment.